SOZO Pte. Ltd together with SOTSU CO., LTD. and ASATSU-DK INC have announced that they will hold two major anime events, the “C3” and the “Anime Festival Asia (AFA)” which will collectively be called the “C3AFA Bangkok 2017.” The event will feature the latest and greatest anime series, manga, light novels, anisong, artistes from the industry along with booths offering related products and services straight from Japan for anime fans in Thailand.
The highlights of the biggest Japanese pop culture event in Southeast Asia include special screenings of Hatsune Miku Expo 2016 Japan tour, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, SWORD ART ONLINE THE MOVIE – ORDINAL SCALE, as well as special stage activities for Attack on Titan season 2. The organizers are confident that the fair will draw massive anime fans. The event this year will be organized on the 5th floor of Siam Paragon shopping complex from the 10th – 11th of June. Tickets will be available at animefestival.asia/bangkok17.
Mr. Shawn Chin, Founder and Executive Director of SOZO, the leading Japanese entertainment content provider in the ASEAN bloc, revealed that his firm have joined forces with SOTSU CO., LTD and ASATSU-DK INC to organize the “C3 AFA Bangkok 2017” by combining the two famous events in the Asian region, “C3” and “AFA or Anime Festival Asia”, in a bid to gain greater appeal of the local anime fans.
“C3 AFA Bangkok 2017” will feature outstanding anime series, games, light novels, music, artists and related products, services and shows straight from Japan. The fair this year will offer new content for all anime fans in Thailand to enjoy. Anime enthusiasts can book their tickets for the two-day event for only 500 baht via the website: http://animefestival.asia/bangkok17 from 18 May 2017, 1pm.
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One day ticket can also be bought online at 300 baht at the event entrance. The event will be held from June 10th – 11th at the Royal Paragon Hall, fifth floor of Siam Paragon shopping complex.
Sotsu, is a powerhouse in the Japanese anime industry, they are license holders with notable titles sycg as the Mobile Suit Gundam series and many other titles and live action series, has also contributed to the organization of “C3 AFA Bangkok 2017”. Its presence guarantees that there will be surprising content for the anime fans.
“C3 AFA Bangkok 2017” is the first event that will be held in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, before moving to other cities across the region, such as Jakarta, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The organizers aim at hold the event annually in the various capital and major cities, in order to provide equal access to anime enthusiasts.
The “C3 AFA Bangkok 2017” is projected to be another successful event, following the excellent record of its two previous iterations, with growing popularity each year, as the event attract fans from Thailand and nearby ASEAN neighbors.
The organizers strongly believe that the “C3 AFA Bangkok 2017” will receive the same, if not more, attention from the fans this year, as it is a joint venture between SOTSU CO., LTD and ASATSU-DK INC, professional anime event organizers. Producer from the contents division, Hidetaka Ikuta from ASATSU-DK INC indicated that event-goers will have a chance to experience Japanese pop culture in the biggest gig in Asia, while enjoying a myriad of merchandise choices from Japanese leading content providers during the two-day event.
Artists and seiyuu attending this year’s anisong concert include Chihiro Yonekura, May’n, Kanae Ito, Reon Kurosaki, SpringChubit, Toru Furuya, Yui Ishikawa, Yuki Kuwahara. Several famous cosplayers have also accepted the invitation to the event. They are Angie from Malaysia, Baozi & Hana from China, and H from Taiwan, to name a few.
Notable highlights this year include special stage activities from such shows as the Attack on Titan season 2, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, SWORD ART ONLINE THE MOVIE – ORDINAL SCALE, and a special performance of Hatsune Miku Expo 2016 Japan tour. These anime series, OVA and tours are fresh from Japan, guaranteed anime fans that they will be worth the wait.
According to Shawn Chin from SOZO, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is the business mediator that has coordinated with Japanese companies and provided assistance in circulating the content and capital for the ASEAN entertainment industry.
“C3 AFA Bangkok 2017” is received by related content providers from Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand, as more than 20 firms have already accepted the invitation to join the exposition. They will showcase and offer their products, services and shows at special prices. Event-goers will be treated with all sort of anime-related entertainment, such as the latest anime series and OVAs, concerts from famous anisong artists, cosplay shows, appearances by legendary seiyuu, anime producers and directors.
The fair will also offer exclusive items from critically acclaimed Japanese anime series. The show this year will be held on 12,000 square meters on the 5th floor of Siam Paragon shopping center. The venue is the hub for teenagers in the heart of the capital city Bangkok, which is easily accessible by any mean of transportation. The event is expected to attract 50,000 – 100,000 of fans of anime and Japanese pop culture.
Hideyuki Nanba, Executive Director of SOTSU CO., LTD stated that Japanese anime content is growing rapidly, despite the limited exposure in the Thai society. He indicated however that there are multiple channels that promote the content online, resulting in the increased number of fans every year. Thailand is the 6th leading Japanese anime importer of the Southeast Asia.
Shawn Chin from SOZO, concluded that the fact cemented the speculation that the “C3 AFA Bangkok 2017” will draw a massive anime fans in Thailand and generate a total revenue of no less than 200 million baht.
