In my previous post, I posted many pics I took from Anime Festival Asia, but I left out something very important …. The cosplay pictures!!! Luckily, this time round, I took quite a lot of pictures of cosplayers as compared to my previous trip to License2Play (1 pic) so I decided to dedicate an entire post for these really dedicated and creative individuals. Last time, I was too shy to ask them to pose for pictures but this time I managed to "level up" my courage to ask them for permission to take pictures. I found out that as long as you ask them, they are more than willing to oblige and you will get a really nice pose from them facing you, which make your pictures better looking. I did take some photos of cosplayers without asking though, but only when they were like many others taking at the same time and they are give their best pose =P. No sneaky unglam shots from me he he =X
Cosplayers … I really admire their dedication towards their passion …. their love for Anime. To prepare those beautiful costumes they wear really requires lots of effort, creativity and money too I guess. To cosplayers around the world, especially those in my post … I salute you!!
Let’s see those I have taken and tried to photoshop to make them look nicer as I don’t have good photography skills and a pro cam ha ha.
There are lots more cosplayers that I did not manage to take pictures of, hopefully I can take even more pictures in future events I attend (if someone accompanies me he he). Sorry about the few non-cosplay pics I have included ha ha.
Hopefully I will be able to find people who can accompany me to next year’s Anime Festival Asia. =) By then I will have a DSLR cam, more experience in Maid Cafes and we can power up our food together (instead of us guys freezing due to shock) and hopefully more money to spend on the items on sale there.
For more proness pics and videos of the cosplay competition, click here.
On a side note …..
My room’s TV went ku ku yesterday and I wasn’t able to turn it on. Luckily a hero came and saved the day …. My HTC Hero!!
Because of my phone and TV on Mobile, I was able to watch the live match between Arsenal and Chelsea in my room this morning he he. Chelsea is looking unbeatable this season, too bad it’s not the team I support. All those who know me know that the team I support will forever be Newcastle United and I’m really happy that they are doing very well in the Championship this season. They are like the Chelsea or Man United in the Championship!!
I changed my MSN status to “Newcastle United is Top” some time ago and didn’t have to change the status since then lol. Hopefully they win the competition this season and lift the trophy =) Something they haven’t done since I started supporting them around 14 years ago! I thought that I wouldn’t be able to watch them play this season, but was pleasantly surprised that Starhub shows championship matches every week on Goal TV and majority of them are Newcastle matches! Woooo hoooo! Go magpies!!! Goal TV is on Starhub’s TV on Mobile too, which allows me to watch their matches live when I’m not at home he he. In case you are wondering …. Yes, you can see the ball while watching on your small mobile phone’s screen =p Those who have not tried can try watching next Sunday’s midnight match (aka Monday) for free as TV on Mobile is free every Monday! You even get $1 off Golden Village movie tickets for activating it on Mondays!
And ….
I just brought Kimi for grooming recently and she is looking cuter than ever with her t-shirt on.
Selamat Hari Raya Haji people!! Hope you enjoy your long weekend this week. Public holidays are the best when it falls on Mondays or Fridays right? =)
Last Saturday, I was part of history by witnessing the revelation of the first ever mascots for the Youth Olympic Games. However, the reason why I was at Suntec City was not because of this event …. I didn’t even know it was going to happen until I heard Daniel Ong’s voice at Suntec lol. I was at Suntec City last Saturday because I went to the Anime Festival Asia 09. =)
Shawn had some complimentary tickets and asked if I wanted to go and I said yes immediately he he. How could I miss such an exciting event? Cosplays, maid café, anime, figurines etc etc … hey, I would happily pay for the tickets if he didn’t have them free (provided someone goes with me). So Shawn, Wayne, Ben and I went to Anime Festival Asia 09!
The last time I went for an event with cosplayers was the License2Play event, also at Suntec City. I managed to post only 1 miserable picture of that event, so I was determined to take many more pictures this time.
(The only pic I posted for License2Play last time lol)
As you need to pay to be able to go in (except for us and maybe some others =P), the place was not as packed as License2Play which was a good thing for me. I hate crowds, especially at IT shows where you can’t even walk properly and have to squeeze through people to get to see the products you are interested in. I wouldn’t mind paying to enter IT shows sia he he … dun flame me!
I’m sure if you need to pay, there will be less people who will bring their whole family to look and see and don’t buy anything at all heh. Just use the money from entrance fee to have some lucky draw or instant win thingy for every ticket so that people won’t complain so much =P The last IT show had around 1 million visitors – This equals to 5 million dollars worth of prizes! Actually, if the organizers keep half the money, they would still be giving out exciting prizes lol. People queue up to buy toto for a chance to win 1 mil but have nothing to see, now you pay $5 and can see IT products and get a chance to win 1 mil plus other exciting prizes too! Oh nooo, seems like a good deal …. skali got more people attend the fair instead of the crowd lessening. =P What was I thinking? Maybe they should keep 4mil and give lousier prizes instead … Can I organize my own IT show? There is Sitex this week by the way. I will not be attending this time round he he.
Anywayz …. Back to topic …
Since it was not as packed as License2Play, I was able to take more pictures of the place, cosplayers, displays and all. =) In my License2Play post, I said I wanted to buy a DSLR so that I stand a better chance of taking better pictures and look better when I ask cosplayers to posed for a pic but I haven’t got one yet lol. There were a lot of people with DSLRs at License2Play and I think there are more at Anime Festival Asia .. it seems like almost everyone there had a DSLR! Everyone are becoming pro photographers nowadays huh. However, I had a rather decent compact camera I bought for my trip to Australia in September, and together with my determination to take more pics this time round, I was 10 times more thick skin in asking cosplayers to pose for pics he he. Hope I can have my very own DSLR cam next year so I can take better pictures though.
Soooo …. Let’s see what I took this time round!
We walked around the place looking at the lovely figurines, artwork, anime related stuff on sale etc and I took some pictures here and there.
There were different areas for different interests like the Bandai Kids Land for kids, drawing booths for wanabe (mostly very good) artists, toys, a stage for events like the cosplay championship and the I Love Anisong concert.
It seems like there are lots of figurines and other products of Anime which I have not watched before so I was a little lost. I only knew those older anime like Dragon Ball and Naruto (which I still watch) he he but was still able to appreciate the beauty and cuteness of the things on display heh. Gotta watch more Animax on TV on Mobile to update myself =P It seems like they are showing the latest episodes (same week as Japan!) of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and Inu Yusha The Final Act every week.
I took some pictures of figurines I know and don’t know as they all look really good and kawaii. I used to buy a lot of these stuff when I was younger but I’m too poor now ha ha. I still buy gashapon items and play those UFO catcher machines though. Don’t think I will grow out of them lol.
Dragon ball, Gundam, Naruto, Ghost in the shell and other Anime related figurines and models – I’m sure Anime lovers would be able to find something they like. I see a lot of $100 plus Bleach swords being snapped up by Anime enthusiasts … rich sia.
As much as I enjoyed looking at all the exhibits, cosplayers and stuff, I got to admit that the highlight of the day was the Moe Moe Kyun Maid Café. =p I have read about these places and saw videos of the maid cafés in Japan but it was my first time actually visiting a maid café. I know there is one at Chimes, but I have not been there before. There were strict restrictions regarding taking of photos and other hanky panky actions but I managed to risk my life and take a few pictures he he. Don’t believe me .. see this video!
Sorry, the last pic is not from the maid café but one of the artworks being displayed he he … couldn’t resist posting the pic =)
Everyone had to order a meal to be able to dine 1 hour in the café, so all four of us ordered a meal which includes a free Polaroid picture with one of the cute maids!! Food ain’t that important as the experience so I won’t talk about food lol. They greeted us masters (they really called masters lol) when we were shown to our seats and drinks promptly arrived. Okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama!! Aka welcome home, master!! If you ordered coffee like my lucky friend Wayne, the maid will help you add sugar and milk to your liking … that’s what I call excellent customer service!
It was fun seeing the maids serve other customers while we were waiting for our food. All of them were friendly, pretty, cute and made sure we were happy with our food. When our food arrived, the maid who served us POWER-UPed our food!! She said some things which I can’t hear properly (probably due to being stoned by shyness) and casted a spell on our food to power it up! We were all shocked as it was our first time experiencing this and the food definitely levelled up in terms of taste after the power-up lol. Don’t believe me … see the video!!!
I’m in the video, but only for like 1 to 2 secs in the background lol. My friend Shawn was the star of the video clip though he he. See to the end to check out his very “honest” answer when asked which is better – food or the maids?
We have to go back next year for some more power ups!!
After more Anime Festival Asia exploring, we got hungry again and went to the Sakae Sushi at Suntec City for some Japanese food!
There was a 1 for 1 red plate promotion for Sakae Sushi’s 12th Anniversary on when we visited the outlet so we ordered some red plates along with the standard chawanmushi and some other sushi and ala carte food. Still thinking about the lovely maid who powered up our food, we tried to power up our food at Sakae Sushi too lol. I don’t if it’s due to our power up but all the food tasted really good ha ha. Favourite food of the day – Soft Shell Crab Crepe.
After eating till my pants was tight at Sakae Sushi we went back to Anime Festival Asia for a little more exploring and shopping.
I bought a pack of UCC Evangelion coffee and a big pillow for my sofa. I know the design is a little pervy (see above) but the pillow is very comfortable. I sit on it when watching tv with my father in the living room he he.
We also went to Marina Square for some UFO plushy catching. The shop has so many kinds of machines which tempted me to spend over 10 bucks. I only got a really small cookie monster scooped up from one of the machines in the end he he. The bigger one in the pic above was given by Shawn the pro UFO catcher. Sorry, I really can’t resist spending money on a UFO catcher when I see one.
Okay it’s the end of today’s post …
Wait a minute ….
Where are all the cosplay pics??
It will be posted in my next post ha ha … sorry, this post is getting a little too long (too many pics and talk cockness!) so I decided to split it into 2 and dedicate an entire post to the cosplay pics I took he he.
Here is a little preview …
I promise that the pics will be better than my single license2play pic he he.
Lyo and Merly to be mascots for inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games
SINGAPORE: The mascots for the world's first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore next year have been revealed.
One is a male Lion called Lyo and the other a female Merlion called Merly.
The mascots were officially introduced to much celebration at Suntec City on Saturday.
Doing the honours was Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, who brought along his three-year-old son.
A contest, won by two Singaporeans, was held to name the mascots.
Lyo is short for "Lion of the Youth Olympics," while Merly gets her name from "mer" meaning the sea, and "l" and "y" standing for liveliness and youthfulness.
Besides Singapore, the mascots will travel to five cities around the world as part of the global torch relay for the Games.
Dr Balakrishnan said: "It is an interesting play on fire and water and the lion and merlion. So there are aspects of which we clearly can identify with as Singaporeans, but really what we hope is these mascots will be embraced by Singaporeans as well as the visitors who come."
It took about six months to design the mascots. Plush toys of the mascots will go on sale at the official Olympic store at Takashimaya starting Sunday.
I actually got to witness this historic event when I was at Suntec last yesterday! I was walking around Suntec City when I suddenly heard Daniel Ong announcing that they were going to reveal the mascots. Being a typical kaypoh and kiasu Singaporean, I rushed to the area with my friends and took a video of the moment they revealed the mascots!!
Heng ah .. anyhow walk also can become part of history lol. It's the first ever mascot for the Youth Olympics ... Revealed in Singapore (the first ever host) and I was there!!
Sorry, I couldn't go to the middle to take the video as there were a lot of people who were more kiasu than me. I only took a few photos after taking the video and there are all around the same.
Luckily Sports Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan was facing my direction he he.
More about the 2 cute mascots ....
Mascot 1 - LYO Star Sign: Leo (duh) Dream: To win a gold medal in an international basketball championship (impossible for Singapore?) Personal Motto: "Never say never" Favourite Food: Chilli Crabs and Chicken Rice with lots of chilli (no chilli for me) Fun Stuff: His paw is shaped like Singapore Island.
Star Sign: Aquarius Dream: To become an environmental scientist Personal Motto: "You can achieve anything if you pour your heart into it!" (how about striking toto) Favourite Food: Ice Kachang (I love it too!!)
Who do you like more? I think I like Merly more as she likes ice kachang. Youth Olympics, opening of the two IRs .... next year will be a very interesting year for Singapore. =) Too bad Singapore never reach world cup =P
Anyways .....
So what was I doing at Suntec with my camera with me?
I shall not reveal the reason till the next post but I will give you some clues.
This is the ticket you need to get in to the event I went.
It has something to do with Anime, which can be viewed on my mobile phone on the Animax channel courtesy of Starhub's TV on mobile. =)
I'm sure those who went will know what event I'm talking about he he .... All shall be revealed 2 - 3 days later!!
Recently, there were 2 "new" animes that started airing in Japan - Dragon Ball Kai & Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Why the inverted commas? It's because both animes are not totally new. One is a remastered, edited version of its previous self and one is a remake.
Dragon Ball Kai
Toei Animation has confirmed that this spring's Dragon Ball Kai re-airing of its Dragon Ball Z anime will be edited to more closely follow Akira Toriyama's original manga. The Dragon Ball Z anime series originally ran from April 1989 to January 1996 in Japan. However, since Toriyama was still serializing his manga at the same time in shorter weekly installments, the Dragon Ball Z anime expanded its story by inserting additional content. The new Dragon Ball Kai remastering will be an "Akira Toriyama original cut edition" that will quicken the story presentation and adhere more with the manga's story.
The anime footage will be enhanced with the latest digital technology. This includes a new full-HD remastering from the film reels of the original run, renewed soundtracks and sound effects, and new dialogue recordings with most of the original cast. The re-airing will launch in Japan on April 5.
So basically, this is an edited version of the old Dragon Ball Z hence the name Dragon Ball Kai. Although I can't read Japanese the "kai" word is also a Chinese word, and it means change or in this case, edit. It is shortened to follow the manga, which means it will definitely be more exciting! It also has new soundtracks, dialogue recordings, sound effects and it is now in HD format!!!
Dragon Ball Z in widescreen 16:9 HD format!!
When I was in primary school, I was a fan of Dragon Ball, but back then I could only read the Dragon Ball comics as there were no airings of Dragon Ball in Singapore. Unfortunately, when I was young, we did not have internet and there were no such thing as fansubs. I was so desperate to watch Dragon Ball in action that I rented dragon ball specials from a video shop in Takashimaya (closed down liao). There were no subtitles for the videos but I still watched finished all the videos without understanding a word they say lol. I think I did that for Ranma too. When I was in secondary school, at least there were videos with Chinese subtitles which made watching animes a more pleasant experience. Now of course you have tons of fansubbers (God's gift to non-Japanese anime and drama lovers) who sub all sorts of animes ..... lucky us now =)
So, for all those of you who like me, have suffered in the past, and did not get a chance to enjoy the full glory of the entire Dragon Ball Z series, now is the chance to start from the very first episode of the series and continue watching it once a week, every week! In widescreen HD format! Those who watched Dragon Ball Evolution and became interested in Dragon Ball, you can start watching Dragon Ball Kai too! Too bad they started from Dragon Ball Z and not from Dragon Ball (when Goku was a kid). There are some recaps at the beginning and you can watch how Goku and others get their super saiyan powers eventually though.
Dragon Ball Kai Opening and Ending Theme
The animation scenes of the opening and ending songs looks great but when they go into the actual story, the animation looks a little dated despite the remastering efforts. However, I still love it and the action scenes will always keep me excited. Kame hame ha!! The animation will get better in future episodes. If only they remade the whole Dragon Ball Z series like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood than it will be awesome!
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
In this world, there exist people with special abilities to manipulate objects and transform one object into another. These people are known as alchemists. This process does come with a cost though, the basic law of alchemy states that to gain something you have to sacrifice something of the same value.
The main character is the famous alchemist Edward Elric - also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist - who almost lost his little brother, Alphonse, in an accident. Edward managed to contain his brother's soul in a large suit of armor. While he did manage to save his brother's life, he had to pay a great price himself.
To get back what they've lost, the brothers embark on a journey to find the Philosophers Stone that is said to amplify the powers of an alchemist enormously.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a re-telling of the story from the manga point of view.
For those who have watched the original Fullmetal Alchemist, this version is actually a remake of the original one but follows the storyline of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga instead. From what I've heard (did not read the comic), the original's story in the later part is somewhat different from the manga. I was a fan of the original Fullmetal Alchemist and watched every episode and movies of it. The first few episodes of the "new" series are similar to the original one and I felt like I have seen it all before. Maybe I should wait for a few months till there is a difference in storyline before continuing to watch this. However if you have not watched Fullmetal Alchemist before, you can watch this version instead.
I really enjoyed watching the first version of Full Metal Alchemist. It is an action packed, funny and violent? anime and the protagonist is a short guy like me! He always get made fun of in the show, like me in real life, but too bad I do not know alchemy nor do I have a metal arm and leg like Edward ...
Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Opening and Ending Theme
Despite them not being "brand new" animes, I am still pretty excited with them. If you are fans of Dragon Ball and Full Metal Alchemist go watch them. If you somehow did not watch or even heard of these animes before (how is that possible!?!?) watch them now!!! I'm sure you won't be disappointed. =)
In my previous post, I posted many pics I took from Anime Festival Asia, but I left out something very important …. The cosplay pictures!!! Luckily, this time round, I took quite a lot of pictures of cosplayers as compared to my previous trip to License2Play (1 pic) so I decided to dedicate an entire post for these really dedicated and creative individuals. Last time, I was too shy to ask them to pose for pictures but this time I managed to "level up" my courage to ask them for permission to take pictures. I found out that as long as you ask them, they are more than willing to oblige and you will get a really nice pose from them facing you, which make your pictures better looking. I did take some photos of cosplayers without asking though, but only when they were like many others taking at the same time and they are give their best pose =P. No sneaky unglam shots from me he he =X
