Anime Festival Asia returns later this month for its biggest edition yet

ESTIMATED 
Anime Festival Asia returns later this month for its biggest edition yet

The biggest Japanese pop culture-celebrating event is upon us. 

Later this month, the hugely popular Anime Festival Asia (AFA) will return to Singapore and unfold its biggest-ever spread of offerings to mark its 10th anniversary. Over the years, the AFA has grown from a cult phenomenon to an immense mainstream entity to which casual hobbyists and deeply passionate devotees flock. Consider that when it first opened its doors to the public, it attracted a crowd of 25 000, but last year alone, 100 000 attendees came through for the extravaganza.

In an official release, Shawn Chin, Managing Director of event organisers SOZO, affirmed that this year's iteration of AFA will continue to remain "customer-focused" and deliver an experience that affirms its reputation as the "the definitive J-pop event". To this end, visitors can expect a spectrum-blasting array of offerings that will make the dreams of even the most demanding otaku come true.

Adding to the experiential aspect that it has developed throughout the years, the festival will now include a red carpet segment right in front of Suntec City. But it's in its service to anime fans that the festival saves its biggest payload for. Look out for the latest anime titles as well as exclusive premieres of unreleased fare, such as Mob Psycho 100 II. In addition, some of the esteemed voice actors in anime will also gather for fan interaction. Erii Yamazaki (who voices Hresvelgr and the Materia Sisters respectively from Frame Arms Girl), Minami Tanaka (who voices Mary Saotome from Kakegurui XX), Haruka Terui (who voices Sarah from Gundam Build Divers), are just some of the talents who will be enlisted for AFA 2018. But that's not all: Some of the most prolific international cosplayers, such as Siu Tao, from Hong Kong and Malaysia's Angie, will also be strutting their stuff.

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Besides all the anime-forward offerings, this year's edition of the festival will also be soundtracked by the I Love Anisong 2018 concert, wherein some of most buzzing names in anime music such as YURiKA, May'n and Real Akiba Boyz, will perform.

Anime Festival Asia 2018 happens from Thursday, November 30 to Sunday, December 2, at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre (Levels 3 & 4), from 10am-8pm. For tickets and more information, click here