AFA is back after a 2-year hiatus from COVID and was the first anime convention I got to attend this year. This is arguably the biggest annual convention that Singapore can get, spamming across 3 days from 25 - 27 November 2022, at Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre.
From the get-go, the most noticeable difference from its preceding years is the overwhelming response:
Understandably, the country has been deprived of a chance to unite the otakus and with the continuous release of great series and games, the family is only growing stronger year after year. This lot was just for the Ticket Redemption and Purchase, meaning none of them had managed to step into the actual event...
Putting aside the questionable queueing system, my good friend and I managed to locate the right queue and redeemed our wristband after 20 minutes.
Most of the ascending escalators were blocked and we followed another disorderly group up the designated stairs, feeling much like a part of a concentration camp movement.
If we thought outside was packed enough, we have underestimated what lies within.
Behold the worst section: Creator's Hub, a living preview of Tokyo's subway at morning peak hours. Expect postcard and A3 prints, t-shirts and badges on sale. There were a mix of local and international creators (with quirky booth names I must add) and I was lucky to snatch some Dota 2 fan arts by the very talented local artist Zerox_ii:
Here I thought I was over the game... Cues a fellow teammate's haunting quote, "Dota is like the ex you cannot get over." Above A6 holo prints feature my first ever hero Vengeful Spirit, Naga X Medusa, and the hot Templar Assassin.
Assortment of blown-up anime posters collagesBesides the big names like Bushiroad, Aniplex and Kotobukiya, there was Hakken (a new retail booth that has a 2.5hours queue just to get in and spend money!), mobile games booth like Valiant Forces (that I have never heard of) and even a Japanese Language class booth hoping to inspire local otakus who cannot watch anime without subtitles.
Unfortunately, I was unable to get any selfie this year with international cosplayers and could only watch from afar as fans queued up to get their autographs at designated booths. Also, no Kaname☆ (a veteran Japanese cosplayer) this year.
Local influencer RURUSAMA was also spotted working in partnership with Gank, a content membership management platform to allow creators to accept donations and sell merch. For a fee, below is a snippet of what to expect:
The fellow looked so delighted that the crowd could feel his internal squeals xD
Below were some of the figures on showcase, can you spot which is my favourite?
Even after we left the exhibition hall a few hours later, the ticket and hall entry queues showed no signs of subsiding - if anything it got worse. It did not help that there were other conferences happening like the Atomy Success Academy and CityHarvest Church, who must have experienced serious culture shock.
I begged my friend to wait for me as I snagged some last-minute cosplayers' photograph in front of the big screen on Level 1 as a way to conclude the event. The edits were altered according to each cosplayers' colour theme:
Overall, I have enjoyed myself despite the horrible overcrowding. The cosplay standards are also improving, and I hope more youths and adults will join in to keep the hobby relevant. Here is my outfit as a show of support for the community that I am very proud to be a part of:
Hopefully, I will get to experience an overseas anime convention in 2023, we will see.
xoxo
