From Stand-Up! Hearts to Iketeru Hearts: One Last Stage in Singapore

Idol group Iketeru Hearts (formerly Stand-Up! Hearts) performing on the second day of AFA 2015

Over three days, they had fun with, bantered with and no doubt, put a smile on the faces of the many who had dropped by their booth, their curiosity piqued by the eight vivacious girls who would cheerfully invite them to take a picture or two together.

Often performing alongside many other groups at idol events in Japan, they had the audience's undivided attention showered on them for the first time, with supporters turning up in droves to spur them on at their daily stage performances.

They were only idol trainees, yet to make their professional debut but it didn't matter. The crowd couldn't care less. To them, "Stand-Up! Hearts" was what they were there for, what made them happy the most.

EOY Cosplay Festival 2015: Convivial and Enjoyable as Always

Cosplayers, stage performers, doujin artists, Japanese culture lovers and even the foreign guests were all about the place, roaming around freely, each one creating their very own special memories, able to interact uninhibitedly.

Ayaka Kitazawa Captivates Singapore fans at Key's 1st Overseas Live

Singer Ayaka Kitazawa held her first overseas live in Singapore

"Kud!" The entire hall erupted in applause as Ayaka Kitazawa strode onto the stage cosplaying fan-favourite Little Busters! character Kudryavka.

Hailing from Saitama, the Japanese singer held her first overseas live in Singapore at the CharaExpo Entertainment Stage on 21 June. She performed as part of the VisualArts/Key Special Live Stage, which included a talk show segment with both music producer Shinji Orito and herself.

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of CharaExpo

With CharaExpo only 1 day away, we have compiled the quintessential guide for you on how to get the most out of your eight bucks (or six, if you have already bought the early bird tickets).

Who's Coming for MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON SINGAPORE (UPDATE: Pikarin Is!)

Yanagi Nagi, Hachioji-P and livetune will return to Singapore this September! They will be performing alongside singer-model Anna Yano, J-POP duo CAPSULE and dance group TEMPURA KIDZ at the first MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL in Singapore. The line-up of performing artistes for the event's live concert was unveiled on its official Facebook page on 16 June.

What to Buy at CharaExpo Part 2: Angel Beats, Little Busters & Charlotte

Welcome back to Part 2 of our Buying Guide for CharaExpo! Visual novels are out in full force as renowned studios VisualArt's/Key and Frontwing will be bringing a huge assortment of goods from Japan to Singapore. Key is well-known for Angel Beats and Little Busters while Frontwing is famous for producing the Grisaia trilogy. There are even some event-exclusive items so don't miss your one and only chance to get them at the convention! In this edition, let's take a closer look at the attractive merchandise on sale at the VisualArt's/Key booth.

What to Buy at CharaExpo Part 1: Love Live! & Cinderella Girls (UPDATED)

Time for more CharaExpo goodness in the lead-up to June 20th! Many Japanese exhibitors have announced the goods they will be bringing to Singapore, including exclusive Comiket merchandise and limited edition outside-of-Japan only items. Here's a rundown of what to bust your wallet on:

Ayano Mashiro and Kurosaki Maon Have Dinner Together Before CharaExpo

Recently, Ayano Mashiro had dinner with fellow anisong singer Kurosaki Maon, who is also coming to Singapore for CharaExpo, amidst her busy schedule. In addition, she announced that she will be performing on both days of CharaExpo. She will be performing a mini-live at the Entertainment Stage at 2.40pm on June 20 and be participating in the Special Live Stage at 5.10pm on June 21.

Wake Up, Girls Coming to Singapore's CharaExpo?

KonnichiWUG! With 17 days to go, the stage schedule for CharaExpo has been released. The line-up matches with the previously announced stage highlights. However, a notable addition is the Ultra Super Pictures Special Stage, which could feature Sendai idols Wake Up, Girls! performing live for the first time in Singapore. CharaExpo has yet to respond to our queries regarding this mysterious new inclusion at press time.

7 Must-Attend Anime Events in June (UPDATE)

There are a total of 7 anime events taking place during the June holidays in Singapore this year.

School holidays are just around the corner! If you are a passionate fan of anime, manga and cosplay, what better way to spend them than to attend the many anime events that will be held in June. With at least 1 ACG event taking place over each weekend, here are six seven to keep you occupied throughout your long and arduous June holidays.

Have a Cultural Exchange with Your Favourite Cosplayer at ICEXPO 2015

UPDATE: This is an outdated post with obsolete information. Read our new post 'All you Need to Know about Icexpo 2015" for the latest, most up-to-date information!

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OUTDATED

An exciting new pop culture event is coming to Singapore where you'll get to participate in cultural exchange sessions with your favourite Japanese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong cosplayers . Supported by the National Youth Council Singapore, ICEXPO 2015 is an anime, comics and games (ACG) event taking place from 10-12 July 2015, with a focus on fruitful regional exchange experiences. Offering more than your usual cosplay event, it aims to create a regional pop-culture exchange platform where you can meet up close with your favourite cosplayers and other passionate individuals from the region.

CharaExpo 2015 Stage Highlights: Ayano Mashiro Live, Melodies of VisualArt's, GRISAIA, Captain Tsubasa & Vanguard Panels

There will be a plethora of activities lined up over the 2 days of CharaExpo, with something for everyone, as the featured content for CharaExpo was announced at the second press conference on May 20. From screenings of recent anime movies, a mass of exhibitors and guests, tons of anime merchandise on sale, a 600-seat card game tournament area, photo-taking, autograph and live-drawing sessions at the Mini stage, a colourful daily line-up of events at the main Entertainment stage and even daily live wrestling matches at the event grounds, CharaExpo encompasses a wide spectrum of engaging and appealing content across the anime, manga, games and cosplay culture.

Chara-Ani, Cospa, Pony Canyon, and More Exhibitors at CharaExpo 2015

Many new exhibitors including Chara-Ani, Cospa and Pony Canyon and the official floor plan for the convention were announced at the second CharaExpo press conference on May 20. They join those previously-announced such as Good Smile Company, Aniplex, Kotobukiya, VisualArt's and Nitroplus. The full list of new exhibitors announced includes Exit Tunes, Tokyo Game Show, Nippon Animation, Anicrush, INCS toenter Co. Ltd, Xarts, Frontier Works Inc., AKB48 Official Treasure Cards, Bilibili Co. Ltd and a certain MAGICAL SUITE PRISM NANA. For those in the dark, INCS toenter Co. Ltd is a Japanese music management company managing artists such as supercell, livetune, Hachioji-P and yanaginagi. One of these artists might just make a guest appearance on the day itself so keep an eye out for them. 

Arpeggio of Blue Steel and Other Anime Movies to Air at CharaExpo 2015

If you missed screenings of recent anime movies at the local cinema or just want to rest your tired legs, you can head over to the Movie Area of CharaExpo 2015. 200 seats have been set aside for each airing of Arpeggio of Blue Steel - Ars Nova DC and THE LAST NARUTO Movie. Best of all, admission is free! If you think you know all about anime and manga, why not join the Otaku Wars Quiz at 1pm daily and pit your knowledge against fellow otakus? Attractive prizes (and bragging rights) await the triumphant otaku!

Kurosaki Maon, Ayano Mashiro, Ryo Horikawa & More Coming to CharaExpo 2015

Fans of Maon Kurosaki will also be delighted to hear that she will be making her first appearance in Singapore. A powerful anisong singer whose vast repertoire includes the theme songs to Highschool of the Dead, Toaru Majitsu no Index II and the Grisaia anime series, she last performed in the region at Bangkok Comic Con 2014. A founding member of three-member technopop unit ALTIMA with Move's Motsu and fripside's Sat, be prepared to be enthralled by her dynamic vocals this June.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling Singapore Match-Ups and Wrestlers Announced for CharaExpo 2015

WRESTLING WORLD 2015 IN SINGAPORE

Wrestling fans unite! Kaname Tezuka, President of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), also announced that WRESTLING WORLD 2015 in Singapore will be taking place at the dedicated NJPW Ring at CharaExpo. For 2 days, attendees will get the rare opportunity to watch a live wrestling match upfront featuring 12 professional wrestlers, including the likes of Jushin Thunder Liger, Captain New Japan and newly-crowned champions Hirooki Goto and Togi Makabe. The entire event is open for all to view while front-row seats will be ticketed. However, the affable, always-smiling Tezuka-san assured that the tickets will be affordable and more details will be revealed at a later date.

6 New Guests & 13 More Exhibitors Announced at 2nd CharaExpo Press Conference

In attendance at the second CharaExpo 2015 press conference: (from left) Bushiroad CEO Takaaki Kidani, singer-voice actress Aimi, New Japan Pro-Wrestling President Kaname Tezuka and Albirex Nigata goalkeeper Kenjiro Ogino

Anisong extraordinaire Maon Kurosaki, manga artists Yoichi Tsukahashi (Captain Tsubasa), Akira Itou (Cardfight!! Vanguard), Mitsuhisa Tamura (Future Card Buddyfight), voice actors Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta from Dragon Ball), Mikoi Sasaki and Shuuta Morishima are some of the talents who will be landing on the shores of sunny Singapore come this June for the inaugural CharaExpo 2015. They were the latest wave of guests announced at the second CharaExpo press conference on May 20, which saw voice actress-singer Aimi and New Japan Pro Wrestling President Kaname Tezuka gracing the event at the flagship 313@Somerset Sony Store.

Why You Should Attend Penang Anime Matsuri 2015 This Weekend

CharaExpo 2015 Second Press Conference should be up tomorrow. I'm already halfway through composing it. In the meantime, do take a look at some of the highlights for Penang Anime Matsuri, happening in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia this weekend, May 23 and May 24!

Penang, Malaysia, 20 May 2015 – SOZO and Penang Global Tourism are all geared up to present the best of Japan’s pop culture, right here in George Town on 23^rd and 24^th May 2015.

The PAM2015 features a whole list of exciting activities throughout the day such as Japan’s latest animated movies, anime merchandise and thrilling Xcape games. At nightfall, the festival moves outdoors to the Matsuri Zone, Anime Night Market and Anisong & DJ Party Stage, where singers Mika Kobayashi, yanaginagi, Anisong DJs Hachioji-P and DJ’TEKINA//SOMETHING a.k.a. Yuyoyuppe will be performing.

LANTIS FESTIVAL SINGAPORE 2015: The BEST J-POP Concert Experience in Singapore

I don't really blog much, if you notice the frequency of updates of my blog. If I blog, it must mean that it is something extraordinary to be worth blogging about. ランティス祭りシンガポール Lantis Matsuri in Singapore was really incredible and amazing! A superb and rocking line-up of singers, impeccable organisation by Amuse, an ideal and appropriate venue and flawless execution.

第24回星蘭祭 Seiransai 2014 @ Waseda Shibuya Senior High

Yesterday, I attended my first Japanese school festival at Waseda Shibuya Senior High School Singapore with my friends Jia Wei and Xi Hua! The students were friendly and polite, the cafeteria food was delicious, the decorations were impressive, and the games and performances were enjoyable! It was the 24th Seiransai 星蘭祭 organised by Waseda Shibuya Senior High School Singapore. Feels good to be back in school! ＼（＾▽＾）／

The facade which greets you as you enter the school! This year''s theme is "Four Seasons 春秋夏冬"! It has a very traditional festival-like feel to it!