Anime Festival Asia 2012

this post is just my experience of AFA12, not a full coverage of the event. this post is full of my own opinions, if you feel uncomfortable while reading just close it.

AFA12 was held in Singapore Expo from 9/11/2012 to 11/11/2012. Finally this year I am able to attend AFA in Singapore. The previous few AFA I wanted to attend but couldn't because need to go college. For now, I already graduated from college and still unemployed. Therefore, this year I'm free to go there! The main reason I wanted to go to AFA this year is to attend the concert. This year AFA Anisong concert has lots of awesome artists coming to Singapore to perform, and the few artists I'm interested are T.M.Revolution and Sphere. So I bought the 3 days basic package in October via online and started planning my trip to Singapore. Firstly I asked my aunty that stays in Singapore whether I'm able to stay in her house during the few days, and I got permission. Next is to buy bus ticket. I didn't bring much cash there, because I didn't plan to buy anything due to the currency exchange rate is so high.

Day 0
So, on 9/11/2012 morning, my mum fetch me to the bus office at Bangsar at the morning. I'm taking the 11.30am bus, and estimated to arrive Singapore by 4.30pm. At the bus office, I met one of my secondary schoolmate unexpectedly. She's going to Singapore also and we're on the same bus. The arriving time was delayed probably because of heavy rain and traffic jam. I reach the destination around 5.40pm. My initial plan was to put my luggage at my friend's house then go to Singapore Expo for concert, then after concert return to get my luggage then only go to my aunty's house. However, due to the delay, I couldn't do that. I waited for taxi at Novena Square since 6pm, until 7pm only I'm able to get a taxi. From there, it took me around 35 mins to reach Singapore Expo. Yes, I brought my luggage along to the concert, no choice. After reaching Singapore Expo, I thought I made i, since the concert supposed to start at 7.30pm and I'm only 5 mins late. However, everything turn out to be so different from my expectation. The queue to collect ticket is sooooo long. Yes, just to collect the ticket I purchased online, not to buy ticket on the spot. I queue for 40 mins to get my ticket, when I get into the concert hall is already 8.15pm. Friday night is the solo concert of T.M.Revolution, as this is also their first performance in other country outside Japan. I missed about 6 or 7 songs. Fortunately, those songs I missed are the songs I'm not familiar with. All my favourite songs were sang after I get into the concert hall. The concert was just awesome, even though I missed some part. After the concert, I went to McDonald's @ Changi Center Point, then I took bus to my aunty house.

Day 1
Next day, I reach Singapore Expo about 10am. My aunty fetch me there after having breakfast. The queue to buy entrance ticket is very long also. I actually wanted to buy the ticket yesterday. The counter to purchase ticket was totally empty yesterday, but after I collected my concert tickets, it's already 8.10pm and the counter closed at 8pm. I didn't queue for the ticket immediately. I walked around and saw some of my friends that came from Malaysia. They are the members of M.V.P and they just came to Singapore Expo right after getting down from the plane. I sit down and talked with them for awhile, then I saw the long queue was gone then I went to buy the entrance ticket. The festival ticket is $8 for one day and festival+stage ticket is $20 for one day. I bought festival+ stage ticket for 2 days. After going in the AFA hall, I can see many booths having long queue, especially the Sword Art Online booth. My friends queue at the booth since 9am until around 2pm still not yet able to go in the booth. almost all of the merchandise are sold out by the time they reach the booth. Yesterday when I was queuing to get the concert tickets, the guy in front of me told me he's gonna queue overnight to be the first few person to get in AFA hall in order to purchase items at SAO booth, because purchasing over $50 at SAO booth, they can get a ticket to get LiSA's autograph, and it's limited. Frankly speaking, I'm not interested in buying things, so most of the booths I just walk pass. The booth that get my attention is the Anime Karaoke booth, people can sing at the booth using an application on Mac to see their score. I stand at the booth for quite some time. Another booth is Sony Music booth, because they are selling official merchandise of YUI. I was so tempted to buy, but managed to control myself. For stage events, I didn't camp at the event hall, so I missed many events. The few one I watched were the appearance of I Love Anisong concert Artiste - fripSide, m.o.v.e and LiSA, HoriPro showcase - Sea*A, May'n and Kishio Daisuke.

In the concert, the first group to perform is BABYMETAL. I've never heard of them until today, and their songs not my type also. They're like a group of lolis at the age of 13/14. Next is m.o.v.e. I also never heard of them, but their songs are great. They sang theme songs for Initial D and Ikkitousen. motsu's english is quite good and he interact with us a lot. Next group is fridSide. It's the first time for this and the previous 2 group to perform outside Japan. fripSide sang theme songs of To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Hayate no Gotoku movie. After fripSide is LiSA, which most people are waiting for this. Today's concert hall is totally full, unlike yesterday still got many empty spaces. So many LiSA fans in the concert. However, the set up takes too long, until about 10.40pm only LiSA get on stage. The concert was supposed to start at 7pm to 11pm, but delayed till 7.30 only start. LiSA has been to AFA last year, but this is the first time I watching her live. I don't know all the songs she sang, only some. After LiSA, many people left the hall to catch MRT because it's already 11.20pm. I didn't care and didn't bothered to leave because I'm taking bus, or worst then I walk back, since it's only 4km away from my aunty's house, because next is FLOW! I've became their fans since watching their concert during AFAMY. Since m.o.v.e start performing I've been jumping and shouting, and even ran out to buy glow sticks. even during fripSide and LiSA also still jumping and shouting. I was so exhausted, but continue jumping once the "Jibun wo" started. They even sing a cover of "Zankoku na Tenshi no These".

Day 2
I won't write about the booths in day 2, since I'm not really interested, but one booth I must write about it, which is the SAO booth. I mentioned earlier, I met a guy when I queuing for concert ticket during T.M.Revolution concert. During yesterday's concert, he was sitting right behind me, and I had a talk with him before the concert starts. After T.M.Revolution concert, he really stay at Singapore Expo and queue overnight, and he managed to get the ticket for LiSA's autograph. From what he said, around 3am in the midnight, there's already around 50 people queuing at the entrance of AFA. Around 5am+ when the first train arrived, it's already over 100 people queuing. Right after he bought his stuffs, he straight went home to sleep and come back for the concert. This explains why my friends queue for over 5 hours still can't reach the booth. And all SAO booth items were sold out one first day, second day they're not selling anything, just displaying items at the booth.

For the stage event, I went there late today because I was having lunch with my Singaporean friend at Tampines Mall, so I missed Kamiyama Kenji's presentation, but I guess it will be similar to what he presented during AFAMY. When I went in the event hall, Danny is having an interview session with Nishihara Fumiaki, the editor-in-chief of Lis Ani! magazine. After this is Bushiroad Stage, I'm not interested so I left the hall again. I return around 2.30pm for I Love Anisong concert Artiste appearance - May'n, Kuribayashi Minami, Sea*A and Sphere. Before the event starts, the crowd all rushed in front the stage with their cameras. When they appeared, the crowd went so hype. So basically just some introduction of themselves and answering some questions. After this, the other artists left, except Sphere because next event is Sphere special stage. If I'm not mistaken, it's also streaming live on nico nico douga. Danny and Yoshimi had a short interview with Sphere, then Sphere performed live dub anime on stage. It's really amazing, especially Toyosaki Aki's voice. Every time Toyosaki Aki speak something, the crowd was shouting so loud, so obvious that she has more fans in the hall than the other 3 Sphere members. and yeah, I'm also her fans xD After Sphere stage, next is Danny Choo's presentation. As usual, Danny Choo's presentation is great. He really inspires me a lot. Too bad I can't attend Culture Night Singapore tomorrow night because I will be going back tomorrow morning. After that, I just anyhow walk around and wait till concert time.

The first one to perform in today's concert is Hachioji-P. He's a vocaloid producer. I don't really know about him, because I'm not into vocaloid, but I know many of my friends from M.V.P are his fans. Next is Sea*A. This is the second time I watch their performance, the first time was during AFAMY. Frankly speaking, I don't like their songs. For me, they are just like some idol group. After Sea*A is Kuribayashi Minami. I always see this name and I did listen to some of her songs but can't really remember from which anime. The few songs that I know that was sang today are Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line, Shining Days and Straight Jet. After that is Sphere! Sphere is one of the reason I'm here today! Previously Sea*A and Kuribayashi Minami's performance were streaming live on nico nico douga, but Sphere's one will not be stream. So, thos who watching via nico nico douga had to wait till May'n's turn. The first song Sphere perform is Future Stream! That is the opening theme of Hatsukoi Limited, which is also the song that makes me know about Sphere. After that Sphere also sang 2 anime cover song, which are Sailor Moon OP - Moonlight Densetsu and Mahou Sensei Negima OP - Happy Material. I was wondering why they didn't sing Bakuman season 3 ED - Pride on Everyday. The single was already released on 7/11/2012, which is few days before AFA. The last artist to perform on the last concert of AFA is May'n! Honestly, I don't know about May'n's song other than Chase the world. I also know few songs which SEAMO was featuring, but those are not anime song.

So, that's all. After the concert I went back to my aunty house and the next morning I take bus back to KL. I will upload photos to this post later, need some time to choose and arrange. 2 weeks after AFA ended finally done my post... yeah I'm just lazy...

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