Anime Festival Asia 2024 needs an even bigger venue, honestly
Crowds for AFA continue to pack the halls, which now feel way too crowded to navigate.
I consider myself a normal anime fan, which I guess means I just watch anime, and maybe read the manga if the anime ends without a conclusion. I’ve been doing that for almost 20 years since I discovered Neo Genesis Evangelion. But at Anime Festival Asia 2024, I was blown away yet again by how big of a deal anime really is.
Of course, it’s not the first time I’ve been to AFA, but I was struck at how insanely popular it’s become. The place was crazy packed, filled with cosplayers with insanely detailed outfits, as well as normies like me from all walks of life. I saw couples, old people, parents with kids — basically anyone you could expect. It was at times, impossible to walk around, given how crowded it was.
And unlike other male-dominated fandoms that I’ve participated, such as esports or gaming, anime seems a lot more mixed along gender lines. But it’s really the regular cosplayers that show just how gender diverse the anime fandom is. I’m just honestly impressed how much effort these folks have put into their costumes, wigs, and makeup. It’s a spectacular transformation that a casual weeb like me can never do (or would want to).
Beyond that, it’s also interesting to see how the streaming wars are picking up, with anime as a focus. Anime staples such as Crunchyroll, Bilibili, and Aniplus were there, showcasing upcoming content that would be on their platforms. But there’s a tricky catch. Licensing issues can mean that some shows will not be available for all geographic regions, even for a big player like Crunchyroll. Case in point: Their fall lineup has 45 shows, but only 28 are available in Southeast Asia.
So this does mean that you either use a VPN to switch regions, or hope that the anime you want to watch is available on another platform you’re already subscribed to. Otherwise, that means you have to consider forking out yet another fee for yet another platform. It’s honestly quite a muddle, which may mean some will resort to piracy.
But if there’s one thing that may compel you to subscribe, according to a Crunchyroll spokesperson I had a chat with, is that a majority of anime watchers prefer to watch them dubbed. Which was news to me, because I very much prefer the original Japanese voice actors. If you ask anyone at AFA 2024, they would probably tell you they are watching it in the original Japanese, and would cry blasphemy otherwise. Crunchyroll’s data says otherwise, though.
Whether you watch anime dubbed or not, it feels like it really doesn’t matter to a fan. Anime has transcended country borders, and has made a cultural impact that drives an estimated US$31 billion industry (in 2023). It’s not going to stop growing, especially when streaming platforms start bidding for more content.
If I have but one request, could studios please just stop making terrible crappy isekai content every season that goes nowhere? Pretty please?
Thanks.
- Aloysius Low for Can Buy or Not.