Finally able to do this lengthy write up of my visit to AFA 2011 when I was there for the Gundam Unicorn Episode 4 screening.
I met up some friends before the screening and we have sometime to go around taking pictures and looking out for toys. The very first booth which is the most happening was Bandai. Why I said happening I will explain later.
Remember the One Piece arcard I blogged about last week? It was on sale at Bandai booth. This is the first time these cards are on sale in Singapore and limited stock. Each pack cost SGD$6.00.
Bandai did a good job to do demo of how the game was about with the use of the card over at the booth using iPad 2 and the promoters will explain the game to you as the game is in Japanese currently.
There are lots of things to see at Bandai booth and One Pieces got quite a bit of highlight as they have their own Gashapon / capsule section.
This is a snapshot of the World Collection of One Piece.
One Piece really having a special treatment as their Figuarts Zero series had a open display for visitors to take good pictures of them regardless of DSLR, Point and shoot camera or mobile phone camera. In convention like this, visitors would like to take some pictures and it is rather silly to put them in glass panel and fixed yellow lighting that is hurtful for those who want to take decent photo of the toys. See how happy are the visitors to take photographs of the toys freely?
That being said, here are some shots I took with these open concept free play shooting display.
Zorro from top down... almost.
Luffy Signature pose, top down shots.
Nami which I decided to take from the side to show her curvy figure which will not get to see if it is placed in a glass Cabinet.
That's all for One Pieces.
Now here is a series from the World collection which caught my liking. The kamen Riders. I find them the cutest in World collection pieces compare to One Piece of the same range.
They look really awesome on the side. Go Go Riders!!!
As for Dragonball, there are some decent display figures too. The normal relax Goku dressing down for the weekend...so to speak. LOL
And one of the awesome Super Saiyan 3 Son Goku display figure I have seen so far.
At the Chogokin corner from Bandai, I saw Fei Yen Miku Hatesune figure which should be releasing this month.
Coming back to Gundam, there were a large display on it and here is the limited Edition for Gundam Unicorn Episode 4, Delta Plus.
The limited edition was selling like hotcakes as the prices of the gunpla was on good discount.
Beside the shelves display of Gundam, there was one photography corner for Gundam. The visitors can touch the toys and pose them They even provide background and lightning for them. Cool right?
This is a good concept and only works as this convention is a payed convention which already filter some general public with young kids as we know may not handle toys rather well. As I was there, I did not see any missing toys or parts.
Good job Bandai!
I will break the AFA and toys part for now and move to Gundam Unicorn Episode 4.
* Both Parents gave them a Mission in life...
I have a good experience at the screening with company of friends and fans. Episode 4 was so far the best Episode of Gundam Unicorn which feel with drama, actions and surprises. If you have not watched the UC era of Gundam, this series will kinda give you a summary what was the motivation and that things that happened in the One Year War. The human drama of their feelings and how each of them were affected by war bear fruits in this episode. War is never a good thing and sometime even after a generation, the side effect still goes on.
I loved the battle scene which every mobile suit of Zeon are different while the federation using a much standard configuration GM. One of the silliness was the GM seems to think and hide behind their tower shield thinking their shield will protect them from attack rather than doing flanking from enemies fires. Maybe the directors just want to have some causality rates like what Dennis said. Anyway those pilot will never be missed anyway.
Regardless of the action, the final face off is more like the battle of the mind... All in all the Unicorn pilot, Banagher is still not ready to fight for war. Now as we all know by now, the ending came a black or Banshee Unicorn falling from the sky which won the applause of the audience in the screening that day. Nobody know who is in the Mobile suit and the suspense will linger with the fans until the next episode which should be in May 2012.
Okay back to AFA.
There are many booths selling anime toys and even good Smile Company was there and some of their products are going for a good price.
* The prices should give a good smile to the visitors.
However my eyes were on this kotobukiya Wonder Woman which was going at SGD$70 in the convention...
* Diana!!!
I decided to walk around to think about it and I saw something that tempted me once more. The swords of the anime (bleach mostly) 1:1 scale mind you and they are just going for SGD$30.
* Bankai!
The swords were made with wood and nicely painted. Many of the visitors got these swords and I can see them carrying it around. There was another version which was an umbrella which they selling at the same price. End of the day, I didn't get Diana (wonder woman) and these sword tho. LOL
I went to the Miku Hatsune booth which suppose to sell product of the concert on previous night and most of the product are gone.
There were two cars which had the decal of Miku Hatsune! Nice!
And then there was Miku Dollfie with a group of dollfie...
Anyway if you are hoping to bum into some AK48 girls and this is the closest you will get at AFA. Take your pick.
At Nico Nico Douga section, the famous cosplayers who were guests of the show, Usagi and Kaname were on the screen in webcast.
Usagi and Kaname doing the interview in Japanese of course.
* Kawaii?
Walking around the booths in AFA, there are 2 booths which I puzzled and surprised me. Firstly was the booth of Hasbros which I was hoping there will be selling Transformers Prime toys but instead they put on for Magic the Gathering card game.
The questions came to my mind, what does Magic the gathering got to do with Anime or Japanese Culture and why Hasbro has a booth in AFA and not even one in STGCC??
Whatever it is, I give credit to AFA which is able to have Hasbro there and I guess all can be overlooked thanks to the cosplayers of the Magic the Gathering for the fans I guessed.
The other booth that I really have no idea why it was there even tho a good coffee is always appericated is this...
Seriously dude...visitor paid for the ticket to come into the hall and some free coffee? Hm... Don't asked me as I didn't really go and find out if those are free sample coffee.
Now I know when coming to the end of the post, you maybe wondering why didn't I have much cosplayers. Although there are tons of cosplayers, it is difficult for me to take photos of them due to limited spaces and sad to say that doesn't motivate me to take photos of them. This is the best I took and that very much conclusive of the cosplayer photos I took.
* Erm...Which anime are these cosplayers from?
Okay that is all for me. I had a good time meeting up with friends and watching the great Gundam Unicorn episode 4.
Sieg Zeon...Sieg Zeon....Sieg Zeon.. Can't wait for Gunpla Expo Singapore 2011. :D
I met up some friends before the screening and we have sometime to go around taking pictures and looking out for toys. The very first booth which is the most happening was Bandai. Why I said happening I will explain later.
Remember the One Piece arcard I blogged about last week? It was on sale at Bandai booth. This is the first time these cards are on sale in Singapore and limited stock. Each pack cost SGD$6.00.
Bandai did a good job to do demo of how the game was about with the use of the card over at the booth using iPad 2 and the promoters will explain the game to you as the game is in Japanese currently.
There are lots of things to see at Bandai booth and One Pieces got quite a bit of highlight as they have their own Gashapon / capsule section.
This is a snapshot of the World Collection of One Piece.
One Piece really having a special treatment as their Figuarts Zero series had a open display for visitors to take good pictures of them regardless of DSLR, Point and shoot camera or mobile phone camera. In convention like this, visitors would like to take some pictures and it is rather silly to put them in glass panel and fixed yellow lighting that is hurtful for those who want to take decent photo of the toys. See how happy are the visitors to take photographs of the toys freely?
That being said, here are some shots I took with these open concept free play shooting display.
Zorro from top down... almost.
Luffy Signature pose, top down shots.
Nami which I decided to take from the side to show her curvy figure which will not get to see if it is placed in a glass Cabinet.
That's all for One Pieces.
Now here is a series from the World collection which caught my liking. The kamen Riders. I find them the cutest in World collection pieces compare to One Piece of the same range.
They look really awesome on the side. Go Go Riders!!!
As for Dragonball, there are some decent display figures too. The normal relax Goku dressing down for the weekend...so to speak. LOL
And one of the awesome Super Saiyan 3 Son Goku display figure I have seen so far.
At the Chogokin corner from Bandai, I saw Fei Yen Miku Hatesune figure which should be releasing this month.
Coming back to Gundam, there were a large display on it and here is the limited Edition for Gundam Unicorn Episode 4, Delta Plus.
The limited edition was selling like hotcakes as the prices of the gunpla was on good discount.
Beside the shelves display of Gundam, there was one photography corner for Gundam. The visitors can touch the toys and pose them They even provide background and lightning for them. Cool right?
This is a good concept and only works as this convention is a payed convention which already filter some general public with young kids as we know may not handle toys rather well. As I was there, I did not see any missing toys or parts.
Good job Bandai!
I will break the AFA and toys part for now and move to Gundam Unicorn Episode 4.
* Both Parents gave them a Mission in life...
I have a good experience at the screening with company of friends and fans. Episode 4 was so far the best Episode of Gundam Unicorn which feel with drama, actions and surprises. If you have not watched the UC era of Gundam, this series will kinda give you a summary what was the motivation and that things that happened in the One Year War. The human drama of their feelings and how each of them were affected by war bear fruits in this episode. War is never a good thing and sometime even after a generation, the side effect still goes on.
I loved the battle scene which every mobile suit of Zeon are different while the federation using a much standard configuration GM. One of the silliness was the GM seems to think and hide behind their tower shield thinking their shield will protect them from attack rather than doing flanking from enemies fires. Maybe the directors just want to have some causality rates like what Dennis said. Anyway those pilot will never be missed anyway.
Regardless of the action, the final face off is more like the battle of the mind... All in all the Unicorn pilot, Banagher is still not ready to fight for war. Now as we all know by now, the ending came a black or Banshee Unicorn falling from the sky which won the applause of the audience in the screening that day. Nobody know who is in the Mobile suit and the suspense will linger with the fans until the next episode which should be in May 2012.
Okay back to AFA.
There are many booths selling anime toys and even good Smile Company was there and some of their products are going for a good price.
* The prices should give a good smile to the visitors.
However my eyes were on this kotobukiya Wonder Woman which was going at SGD$70 in the convention...
* Diana!!!
I decided to walk around to think about it and I saw something that tempted me once more. The swords of the anime (bleach mostly) 1:1 scale mind you and they are just going for SGD$30.
* Bankai!
The swords were made with wood and nicely painted. Many of the visitors got these swords and I can see them carrying it around. There was another version which was an umbrella which they selling at the same price. End of the day, I didn't get Diana (wonder woman) and these sword tho. LOL
I went to the Miku Hatsune booth which suppose to sell product of the concert on previous night and most of the product are gone.
There were two cars which had the decal of Miku Hatsune! Nice!
And then there was Miku Dollfie with a group of dollfie...
Anyway if you are hoping to bum into some AK48 girls and this is the closest you will get at AFA. Take your pick.
At Nico Nico Douga section, the famous cosplayers who were guests of the show, Usagi and Kaname were on the screen in webcast.
Usagi and Kaname doing the interview in Japanese of course.
* Kawaii?
Walking around the booths in AFA, there are 2 booths which I puzzled and surprised me. Firstly was the booth of Hasbros which I was hoping there will be selling Transformers Prime toys but instead they put on for Magic the Gathering card game.
The questions came to my mind, what does Magic the gathering got to do with Anime or Japanese Culture and why Hasbro has a booth in AFA and not even one in STGCC??
Whatever it is, I give credit to AFA which is able to have Hasbro there and I guess all can be overlooked thanks to the cosplayers of the Magic the Gathering for the fans I guessed.
The other booth that I really have no idea why it was there even tho a good coffee is always appericated is this...
Seriously dude...visitor paid for the ticket to come into the hall and some free coffee? Hm... Don't asked me as I didn't really go and find out if those are free sample coffee.
Now I know when coming to the end of the post, you maybe wondering why didn't I have much cosplayers. Although there are tons of cosplayers, it is difficult for me to take photos of them due to limited spaces and sad to say that doesn't motivate me to take photos of them. This is the best I took and that very much conclusive of the cosplayer photos I took.
* Erm...Which anime are these cosplayers from?
Okay that is all for me. I had a good time meeting up with friends and watching the great Gundam Unicorn episode 4.
Sieg Zeon...Sieg Zeon....Sieg Zeon.. Can't wait for Gunpla Expo Singapore 2011. :D
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