Updates: The pop-up store has ended on the 21st of March 2023.
To celebrate Final Fantasy 35th anniversary, a pop-up store is opened at PARCO Shibuya in Tokyo. Open for a limited time in the franchise’s home country of Japan, the pop-up store has a variety of new Final Fantasy products and merchandise up for sale, most of which can only be purchased in the physical Parco pop-up shop or online store.
We visited the pop-up store while we are in Japan. The store is right opposite Nintendo Tokyo store. For those in Japan this is the place on Google Map
One of largest pop culture event this year in Singapore, SGCC 2022 was a blast! Fans from across various universes gather at Marina Bay Sands Convention Center to soak into a weekend of fun.
Check out some of our photos taken during Day 2 of SGCC 2022!
With much anticipation, AFA 2022 is finally back in physical form at Suntec Convention after 3 years of hiatus (last held in 2019). While we still enjoy the online AFA Station TV show nothing beats jostling in a crowd full of enthusiastic Anime, Comics and Games (ACG) fans looking for merchandise to add to your collection. Here are some details on the upcoming event happening from 25th Nov to 27 Nov 2022.
Competition
J-Dance competition
There will be a brand-new J-Dance Asia competition, with the Finals taking place on November 26 at the festival grounds’ Akiba Stage.
In front of the audience, groups of 2 to 10 people will have the chance to showcase their choreography set to a Japanese music track.
Reputable dancers from Singapore and Japan will serve as judges and perform in a unique dance display.
The J-Dance Asia contestants have a chance to earn cash prizes worth up to S$1,000.
On 11 November 2022, registration will open at https://bit.ly/AFASG22JDance.
Cosplay Competition
At AFASG22, the Cosplay Singles showcase competition will return.
Cosplayers can use this opportunity to display their outfits on a local stage and compete for prizes.
Exhibitors
Some key highlights of exhibitors include Anime Metaverse,Bandai, Bushiroad, Conan, Genshin Impact, Good Smile Company, Hakken!, Kotobukiya, Nissin, Valiant Force and more. There will be exclusive merchandise available for purchase.
Over at Creator Hub, you will get to see and buy work by some of the talented artists including:
Self-taught illustrator Rachta Lin, whose travels and experiences influences her creations;
Sarah Thursday, who creates illustrations inspired by dark alternative subcultures with a deeply personal twist; and
Digital artist Raiko, who paints characters from games and anime usually in a semi-realistic style.
Meet and Greet
While you can’t meet you anime waifu or husbando in real life, you can definitely meet a cosplayer counterpart! Sessions will be available with celebrity cosplayers Hakken, Charess and Ely.
AFA-verse – Gamified AFA
Visitors will for the first time get a game-like experience as soon as they enter the festival grounds.
In order to open virtual easter eggs and gain AFA Hero XP and AFA Coins, visitors will receive a specially made NFC-capable band.
Additionally, they can create their own Seika AFA-tar, get exclusive skins from AFA-Pitstops, or use AFA-Coins to buy limited-edition accessories.
Fans will be able to purchase all ticket tiers, from General Admission 1-Day Exhibition to 1 Day VIP tickets online from today. Tickets start from S$21 / Day for Exhibition.
A new indoor drone racing arena is here in Singapore! This pop-up store is now located at Sin Ming Lane Midview City. For the uninitiated, this form of drone racing is known as FPV (First-Person View) and Tiny Whoop is the small form of a quadcopter that has an inbuilt camera.
Image courtesy of Whoop Arena
So how do you fly this thing? Unlike traditional drone flying, the pilot takes the view of the drone via the onboard camera. See those colorful hoops at Whoop Arena? It is for you to fly your drone through it. Whoop arena also have different mode beyond just pure flying for added entertainment. For example you can shoot the drone with Nerf gun!
Image courtesy of Whoop Arena
Whoop arena also provide STEM & coding workshop and FPV flying experience for beginner. Be sure to check them out as the pop-up store will end towards the end of April 2021.
Details
Whoop Arena
Address: 18 Sin Ming Lane, #06-03, Singapore 573960
In case you are wondering, we are not talking about a Gaming Den where shuffling of Mahjong tiles and punter shouting ‘Blackjack!” can be heard constantly. We are talking about one where you can take your gaming experience to a whole new level beyond your keyboard, mouse or controller.
NXND Computer (NXND) has started this Gaming Lounge which is figuratively a game centre that provides an immersive gaming experience through motion platforms or Virtual Reality which is largely centred on “combat” flying and racing simulation games.
Inspiration for Gaming Lounge
NXND has jokingly shared that the inspiration came from COVID19. One of the cofounder of NXND, Guan Tdee discovered a gaming community in Singapore consisting of individuals who are interested in virtual flying simulation. While its fun and engaging to meet in the virtual skies, there is lack of actual social interactions between such groups in Singapore.
I thought if I need to gather like-minded gamers together to share fun and knowledge and chill out, there must be a lounge or café that is enticing enough to make them “get out of their seat”.
-Guan Tdee (NXND Computer)
It was later expanded to include other game genre beyond just flight simulation.
What’s available at the Gaming Lounge?
There are various programmes to choose from. You are try out their immersive motion simulation with a choice of driving or flying on their motion platform.
Then there is a choice of a static panoramic screen, or VR. Team gaming (i.e. DOTA,CS,ArmA 3 and more) of up to 4 players are also available. More details are available on their site.
Booking and Opening Hours
Booking: Booking is needed to get a slot for the Gaming Lounge on their website at https://www.nxndcomputers.sg/book-online. Alternatively, you can whatsapp them at +65 9825-7608.
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 9am – 6pm and on appointment Sat: 9am – 2pm and on appointment Sun: On appointment
Address: 2022 Bukit Batok Industrial Park A Street 23 #01-138 Mezzanine, Singapore
With events cancelled or going online like the the latest edition of Anime Festival Asia, there is little place to go to satisfy your craving for all-things Japanese. Of course flying to Japan is impossible too at the moment.
Enter the new Rilakkuma themed Cafe by Kumoya Cafe. This pop-up cafe will be open for 6 months starting on 29 August 2020. Do note that this is a new Kumoya branch at Orchard Central. Their first cafe, Kumoya Singapore @ 8 Jalan Klapa, is still open but features not Rilakkuma but Bad-Barth-Maru and Gudetama.
For the uninitiated, Rilakkuma is a popular San-X character from Japan which translate loosely to “relaxing bear”. It has struck a chord with the generally hardworking Japanese simply with the idea of “let’s just relax” that is the epitome of the character.
Getting to the Cafe
Located at Orchard Central level 4, finding the place is not difficult at all. At the time of writing, the cafe does not allow reservation and only walk-in is allowed. So be prepared to queue for a period of time to get in.
We queued for about 50 minutes at around 1:30pm on a Thursday afternoon (we are there not as a media invite). Given it is still consider lunch hours when we are there, expect a shorter time during off peak hours like 3-5pm. And be prepared for a longer queue on weekends.
Customers are entitled to a maximum of 1 hour and 30 minutes in the restaurant. And with safe distancing, there are limited seating capacity. On the positive side, the experience overall is better with less people in the cafe. After all this is Rilakkuma – The Relax Cafe isn’t it?
The Food
Food-wise the selections are quite complete. From pasta to rice, desserts and drinks, you will be spoilt for choices. However, do not expect the price to be easy on the wallet. Each main is about $25-29. This is the typical pricing of such theme cafe.
We ordered the Chill-out Rilakkuma Yuzu Carbonara ($23.90), Chirpy Kiroiitori Beef Stew Rice ($23.90), Rilakuma Sweet Honey Pancake ($25.90) and a Lycee Momo Iced Tea with Chocolate ($13.90). Each dish is beautifully decorated ready for an Instagram moment. Taste-wise, while it is not something I will keep coming back for, it is fairly decent compared to other theme cafe we have been to.
The Merchandise
Beside the cashier counter, there is a corner full of kawaii Rilakkuma merchandise. Be sure to visit it while you are there. If you are a plushies lover, you will be glad to find some rare Rilakkuma plushies on sale there.
Overall
With the COVID-19 situation, visiting the cafe is one of the only way to get closer to a holiday experience. We would recommend a visit to the cafe if you are a fan of Rilakkuma.
Anime and manga fan will know about this event. Happening now from 29 Nov (Fri) to 1 Dec (Sun) 2019, C3 AFA 2019 will bring you all things related to Japanese Anime and Manga culture. From cosplayer to games and merchandise, there are just so many things to do and see. Here are some of the things to look out for:
Pop Team Epic Shrine
Get your fortune told at the Pop Team Epic Shrine! Just scan a unique QR code and check out your fortune. I’d fortune telling is not your thing, simply take picture with their Tori gate and tell your friends you are in japan.
Takashi Nations Booth
Gundam fans be sure to visit the booth to see a 4m tall Gundam model. Besides that, you can also see the many new toys and figurine offer from Takashi Nations.
AFA PLAY stage
Something new this year is the play stage where you can watch gaming competition. Games include One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows and Disney Tsum Tsum festival. You can also sit down and play some PlayStation games in their comfy bean bag.
Walk down a manga gallery
Ever wonder what does a manga artist do to get you your manga? Walk down the manga gallery to learn more. Presented by Manga Plus.
Bandai Namco Entertainment
Do you know Pac-Man is developed by Namco? The same company now called Bandai Namco Entertainment is still making games till today. You might have already played some of their titles before. At their booth there is a few notable games to try. One Punch Man: Hero Nobody Knows is a fighting game featuring different classes of Heroes in the famous One Punch Man series.
There is also Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris for you to ‘dive’ into the wonderful virtual realty world.
Tsum Tsum fans can also try out the Tsum Tsum festival game for some multiplayer fun in the Nintendo Switch.
Anisong Karaoke at WACAVA booth
At the WACAVA booth you can get a chance to perform karaoke anisong on stage complete with your own audience! This is not just for fun but WACAVA is actually holding real audition to discover the next anisong singer. Be sure to sign up if you have what it takes or simple sign for fun!
Akiba Stage
Music, Guest Cosplayer and dance performance. This is the place to be for pure energetic events. Check out the stage schedule below
BanG Dream Girls Band Party – A new ANIPLUS cafe at Esplanade
A brand new ANIPLUS cafe is opening on the 29 Nov 2019 at The Esplanade Mall Unit 01-13C. The theme of the cafe from now till mid Jan 2020 will feature BanG Dream Girls Band Party. Besides food inspired by multimedia project, there will be exclusive merchandise for you to purchase at the cafe. Be sure to visit them!
Cosplayers
This is the day where people wouldn’t judge you (as much) when you dress up as your favorite character form the 2D world. Even if you are not a cosplayer, coming to AFA and seeing everyone in cosplayer is quite an experience by itself. Remember if you want to take photo of the cosplayer, do seek permission.
There are also guests cosplayer including Enako from Japan who is dubbed Japan’s no. 1 cosplayer!
Gamers these days are simply spoiled for choices when coming to choosing their gaming laptop. At the CES 2019, Lenovo announced it’s next generation Legion Gaming laptops, the Legion Y740. Today, it’s available for purchase! Below is the press release for the new Legion Y740.
Singapore, 8 March 2019 – Today, Lenovo launched its new Legion Y740 gaming laptops in Singapore. First unveiled at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the Legion Y740 was designed with a gamer-first mentality and promises an unparalleled gaming experience for all users.
Built to accommodate the on-the-go gamer, Lenovo Legion laptops have only gotten better over time. This year, the sleek, modern laptops have been upgraded so that they are in step with the higher performance that players demand in 2019.
Available with up to the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs, Intel® Core™ processors and Windows® 10 Home, the Legion Y740 laptops offer blazing-fast gaming speeds to play the latest releases, photo and video editing, binge-watching shows, or multitasking simultaneously at once. On top of this, there are no flashy lights or garish colors to distract, thanks to its discreet design.
The top-of-the-line Lenovo Legion Y740 has what the most serious core gamer needs. The cutting-edge GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU is available on the 15-inch model, giving it more than enough power to run the latest action-filled titles. Its bigger 17-inch sibling supplies even more power with up to the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, upgraded from the last generation’s GeForce® GTX 10-series GPUs.
‘Gamers uses their laptops and PCs not just for gaming, but for everything from work to video editing and watching movies. Furthermore, we know from our research that there isn’t a ‘typical gamer’; gamers are every day people from all walks of life. Hence, we built the Legion Y740 such that it delivers unparalleled gaming performance, but also strikes a good balance between work and play,’ says Eddie Ang, Country General Manager, Lenovo Singapore.
You can get the specs of the Laptop from this link.
For purchase, you can visit Lenovo’s online shop here
With the closure of Hong Kong Pokemon Hub within a year, fans of Pokémon are left without an official Pokémon store outside of Japan to go to. So it was a surprise to us that a new Pokemon Hub has just opened recently on the 8th Dec 2018 at the popular Langham Place in Mong Kok! Located at the heart of Mong Kok, Hong Kong, this is the almost perfect location for a relaunch of the Pokemon Hub. And so with much anticipation, we went over to the place on it’s first day of opening.
Sadly, there wasn’t any live Pikachu or Eevee mascot present at the shop on opening day. Having been to the Tokyo Pokemon Cafe and Pokemon Center, the Hong Kong shop is really rather underwhelming. The shop space itself is small (not more than 30m² I would say ). Merchandise-wise, you are able to find an assorted collection of Pikachu and Eevee plushies in various costumes. Some of which can also be found in the Tokyo Pokemon Center which is good if you do not have the chance to go to the one in Tokyo.
There is a 2m tall Pikachu mascot that you can take picture with. However, it maybe tough to get a good angle given that the store is limited in space. For photo opportunity, you can try the huge Lapras at the entrance or the wallpapers outside the store.
All in all, we wouldn’t recommend going specifically to this Pokemon Hub unless you are an absolute fan or happen to be in the area. Merchandises are limited in choices and there isn’t much instagrammable pictures to take. Nonetheless, before the opening of the Pokemon Center in Singapore, this could be the only place to get your Pokemon fix at an official store outside Singapore.
