Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention 2016

There is a first for everything: my first year in NTU, my first year in JAC and my first post on this website about my first time at STGCC! It was truly an eye-opening experience for me as there were so many exhibitions, talented artists and awesome stuff to buy~~~~

Here are just some of the highlights of the convention:

First up, the exhibitors on the floor. Ranging from toys to huge dioramas, movie posters and T-shirts to lightsabers and even live digital illustrations, the booths had much to offer. Kinokuniya brought their comics, manga and anime shelves, displaying popular titles such as Shingeki no Kyoujin. There was even an art book full of breath-taking backgrounds by Makoto Shinkai, the director of the movie Kimi no na wa. just released earlier this year! XM Studios and Imaginarium Art boasted detailed dioramas of DC and Marvel heroes, the most eye-catching of which was certainly the epic 1:6 diorama of X-Man vs Sentinal from Singapore’s very own: XM Studios.

Next, we have the Artist Alley, where you could really go crazy with the spending. The quality everywhere was superb! As expected, Pokemon goods were most prevalent and I’m pretty sure Team Instinct’s were selling out the fastest. Instinct’s phenomenal success aside, the booth that caught my eye the most was JRPENCIL, with a perpetually huge crowd gathered in front. They had Chibis from a wide variety of shows, games and comics. If you like something that artists rarely cover, go check out their catalogue: you might just find what you’re looking for, in super high quality too! Be sure to catch them at AFA later this year~

The Cosplay Celebs Photobooth was also a plus, giving all a chance to get a shot with their favourite cosplayers. Here, there were many firsts. Making her first appearance in Singapore was Pugoffka, from Ukraine, the world-renowned cosplay photographer. Making their first appearance in Southeast Asia, though, were the ever beautiful Haoge, cute Hisui and let’s not forget those who have long made their Singapore debut: lovable Momo!

Last on the list is the Akiba Pop Stage which was a truly fitting climax for the convention. It opened with Guildstars, an idol unit formed by maid dealers of a casino-themed maid café in Akihabara, Akiba Guild. Despite being a new unit and thus being justifiably nervous, they performed fairly well. When asked to give comments at the end of the Akiba Pop Stage, they asked us to look forward to their further development, as they will definitely try their best to improve.

Next was Road of Alice, another newcomer unit, this time hailing from Hokkaido! However, the two, Chi-shamin and Mai Ohmori, have had many years of experience performing live before forming the unit, setting them aside from others. Performed well they did, with their energetic and well-synchronised choreography and upbeat repertoire. The crowd was ecstatic and the group dancing at the back even did a little jog around twice!

After them were the solo idols, starting with RioRio. “Mega-hyper” is the word to describe her. There was never a dull moment as she flew around, dancing, hopping, twisting, never stopping—all whilst singing her rather fast-paced songs. Granted, she was quite out of breath whenever she stopped to introduce her next song or get the audience to do some chants with her. Even so, for every song, her voice still carried through loud and strong. I was really impressed! She is a devoted individual, interacting daily with fans on her streaming channels on TwitCasting, SHOWROOM and NicoNico Nama Housou! For those who don’t use any of those, you can also catch her on Youtube. Despite only having had her major debut in April just last year, she has already participated in the world’s largest idol festival, Tokyo Idol Festival 2015, as well as A-Nation, a major event. Do look out for her as she is currently one of the most anticipated solo artists in Japan!

After RioRio was Riecho, who performed here at STGCC last year. She is a well-known solo-artist, performing at more than 200 gigs annually in Japan. Her performance spoke well of her experience, as she smoothly led the crowd in joining in with her routine. Added to that, her sensual dance and strong vocals were amazing. In her last item, she jumped down from the stage to sing amongst the crowd, bringing her performance to a great climax.

Last but not least were the DJ + singer line-ups, whose beats possibly rivalled those of Ultra, happening just across the road. Tracy from Amateras Records and Sae Tsukiyama. Masayoshi Minoshima from Alstroemeria Records and nomico.

With that, the Akiba Pop Stage and the convention came to an end. For the many who were reluctant to leave (including my friends and I), there was a bit of an after party at the DJ booth, where they played popular songs that everyone could continue singing and dancing to. Throughout the night, I felt that what made half the atmosphere was the enthusiasm of the crowd, especially those performing wotagei (a type of dance performed by fans of idols). Their ecstasy was intoxicating; perhaps I should invest in a pair of light sticks before the next STGCC XD

I truly enjoyed the two days spent there and I can’t wait for the next one! Anyone up for joining me next year?

Last on the list is the Akiba Pop Stage which was a truly fitting climax for the convention. It opened with Guildstars, an idol unit formed by maid dealers of a casino-themed maid café in Akihabara, Akiba Guild. Despite being a new unit and thus being justifiably nervous, they performed fairly well. When asked to give comments at the end of the Akiba Pop Stage, they asked us to look forward to their further development, as they will definitely try their best to improve.

Next was Road of Alice, another newcomer unit, this time hailing from Hokkaido! However, the two, Chi-shamin and Mai Ohmori, have had many years of experience performing live before forming the unit, setting them aside from others. Performed well they did, with their energetic and well-synchronised choreography and upbeat repertoire. The crowd was ecstatic and the group dancing at the back even did a little jog around twice!

After them were the solo idols, starting with RioRio. “Mega-hyper” is the word to describe her. There was never a dull moment as she flew around, dancing, hopping, twisting, never stopping—all whilst singing her rather fast-paced songs. Granted, she was quite out of breath whenever she stopped to introduce her next song or get the audience to do some chants with her. Even so, for every song, her voice still carried through loud and strong. I was really impressed! She is a devoted individual, interacting daily with fans on her streaming channels on TwitCasting, SHOWROOM and NicoNico Nama Housou! For those who don’t use any of those, you can also catch her on Youtube. Despite only having had her major debut in April just last year, she has already participated in the world’s largest idol festival, Tokyo Idol Festival 2015, as well as A-Nation, a major event. Do look out for her as she is currently one of the most anticipated solo artists in Japan!

After RioRio was Riecho, who performed here at STGCC last year. She is a well-known solo-artist, performing at more than 200 gigs annually in Japan. Her performance spoke well of her experience, as she smoothly led the crowd in joining in with her routine. Added to that, her sensual dance and strong vocals were amazing. In her last item, she jumped down from the stage to sing amongst the crowd, bringing her performance to a great climax.

Last but not least were the DJ + singer line-ups, whose beats possibly rivalled those of Ultra, happening just across the road. Tracy from Amateras Records and Sae Tsukiyama. Masayoshi Minoshima from Alstroemeria Records and nomico.

With that, the Akiba Pop Stage and the convention came to an end. For the many who were reluctant to leave (including my friends and I), there was a bit of an after party at the DJ booth, where they played popular songs that everyone could continue singing and dancing to. Throughout the night, I felt that what made half the atmosphere was the enthusiasm of the crowd, especially those performing wotagei (a type of dance performed by fans of idols). Their ecstasy was intoxicating; perhaps I should invest in a pair of light sticks before the next STGCC XD

I truly enjoyed the two days spent there and I can’t wait for the next one! Anyone up for joining me next year?Last on the list is the Akiba Pop Stage which was a truly fitting climax for the convention. It opened with Guildstars, an idol unit formed by maid dealers of a casino-themed maid café in Akihabara, Akiba Guild. Despite being a new unit and thus being justifiably nervous, they performed fairly well. When asked to give comments at the end of the Akiba Pop Stage, they asked us to look forward to their further development, as they will definitely try their best to improve.

Next was Road of Alice, another newcomer unit, this time hailing from Hokkaido! However, the two, Chi-shamin and Mai Ohmori, have had many years of experience performing live before forming the unit, setting them aside from others. Performed well they did, with their energetic and well-synchronised choreography and upbeat repertoire. The crowd was ecstatic and the group dancing at the back even did a little jog around twice!

After them were the solo idols, starting with RioRio. “Mega-hyper” is the word to describe her. There was never a dull moment as she flew around, dancing, hopping, twisting, never stopping—all whilst singing her rather fast-paced songs. Granted, she was quite out of breath whenever she stopped to introduce her next song or get the audience to do some chants with her. Even so, for every song, her voice still carried through loud and strong. I was really impressed! She is a devoted individual, interacting daily with fans on her streaming channels on TwitCasting, SHOWROOM and NicoNico Nama Housou! For those who don’t use any of those, you can also catch her on Youtube. Despite only having had her major debut in April just last year, she has already participated in the world’s largest idol festival, Tokyo Idol Festival 2015, as well as A-Nation, a major event. Do look out for her as she is currently one of the most anticipated solo artists in Japan!

After RioRio was Riecho, who performed here at STGCC last year. She is a well-known solo-artist, performing at more than 200 gigs annually in Japan. Her performance spoke well of her experience, as she smoothly led the crowd in joining in with her routine. Added to that, her sensual dance and strong vocals were amazing. In her last item, she jumped down from the stage to sing amongst the crowd, bringing her performance to a great climax.

Last but not least were the DJ + singer line-ups, whose beats possibly rivalled those of Ultra, happening just across the road. Tracy from Amateras Records and Sae Tsukiyama. Masayoshi Minoshima from Alstroemeria Records and nomico.

With that, the Akiba Pop Stage and the convention came to an end. For the many who were reluctant to leave (including my friends and I), there was a bit of an after party at the DJ booth, where they played popular songs that everyone could continue singing and dancing to. Throughout the night, I felt that what made half the atmosphere was the enthusiasm of the crowd, especially those performing wotagei (a type of dance performed by fans of idols). Their ecstasy was intoxicating; perhaps I should invest in a pair of light sticks before the next STGCC XD

I truly enjoyed the two days spent there and I can’t wait for the next one! Anyone up for joining me next year?