After all the excitement of my very first AFA in Day One, I decided to do a bit more exploring and focus more on the booths. Day One was now a wrap, and Day two has now finally begun…

For Day Two of my C3 AFA Bangkok adventure, I decided to hang out at the Kotobukiya booth more. There, they were showing episodes of Frame Arms Girl, as well as conducting a survey. Not only did the booth offer a free viewing of the anime’s latest episodes, but they also gave away stickers and postcards to the people who completed the survey. I was happy with how friendly the Kotobukiya people were and got a few goodies in the process. Oh, and I also got my first Frame Arms Girl plastic model, Gourai. I wanted Baselard, but they sold out early on Day One.

Then I decided to head over to the stage area once again to see the first show of the day, Hatsune Miku Expo Japan Tour 2016. I’ve seen Miku Expo Shows on video before, but seeing it on AFA had a different feel. Maybe it’s the legions of fans shouting and waving their light sticks around which made it different, or maybe something else. But sure enough, the atmosphere is different, and you could feel the electricity with every Miku performance.

I then decided to go around and explore some more, and yes, I hung out at the Kotobukiya booth again in between. That place sort of acted as my resting point. As I went around, I felt that I saw plenty of figures for sale and it made me want to blow some money on them. Surely enough, I found myself lining up at the Bandai booth to buy an exclusive HG 1/144 Neon Bearguy. I then decided to head back to the stage area before I blow my money even more.

The next thing I caught was the Ultraman Zero Live Stage in Bangkok 2017 show. I admit, I didn’t understand what they were saying since they dubbed it in Thai, but I still enjoyed it. Seeing two of my childhood heroes, Ultraman and Ultra Seven, live on stage was breathtaking enough. And then, Ultraman Zero came along and then some more kaijuu. And even if I didn’t really understand the dialogue, I found myself getting on the edge of my seat. I watched them practice on stage before the event happened, but watching them perform it on costume live is a much different experience.

It was then time for the Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans stage presentation. There, Kengo Kawanishi, Yasuaki Takumi, and producer Tatsuyuki Nagai appeared on stage and greeted the crowd in Thai. As expected, the Thai crowd reacted accordingly. The crowd cheered the loudest for Yasuaki Takumi, who voiced Akihiro Altland in the anime. It turns out that his normal voice is far too different from Akihiro’s usual gruff voice. They then teased the crowd if the demand is high enough, there might be even more Iron-Blooded Orphans anime to come!

And after the boys of Tekkadan, we then had the lovely Yui Ishikawa on stage. Her lovely voice dazzled the audience, and she also talked about the long wait for the series. She admitted that even they (the cast) weren’t sure if season 2 was possible. However, now that Season 2 is here, she’s quite happy herself. They also showed a scene where Mikasa shined.

After Yui Ishikawa left the stage, I was getting really hungry, so I decided to buy some foods at a few stalls. It included a Lawsons stall, as well as one making anime latte. Needless to say, I blew my wallet once again, buying everything in sight, from Tonkatsu to Takoyaki to Tea. I guess I blew more money on food than figures, and I do collect them. But those fries were divine…

And after blowing almost all of my money, I decided to go to the Canon booth where there was a lot of commotion. And guess who was there? Pikachu of course! I got in line and got a picture with him, that’s for sure! But as I was exploring, I quickly glanced at the time, and it looks like I missed a few things on stage, including Reon Kurosaki and the Cosplay Singles competition. I guess I enjoyed myself at the booths a little bit too much. I deeply regretted that, that’s for sure. But as I headed there, it was the performance everyone waited for: MAY’N!

I do admit that I’m a bit reserved when it comes to live concerts. I don’t usually sing along and would rather sit back, relax, and enjoy the performance. But then again, the Akibatan guys handed me a glow stick and everything went out the window. I shouted, I jumped, I sang, and for the first time, I found out how to use a glow stick in a Japanese concert. It’s actually much more complicated than I ever imagined. Yes, I know, it’s no rocket science, but hey, it’s my first time. But once I got the hang of it, I broke loose! And yes, our old friend, May’n, was the perfect artiste for the task!

May’n finally ended the night with Lion where absolutely everyone went crazy. And as the people streamed out of the Royal Paragon Hall, I felt a bit of sadness that it was all over. Maybe next time I can go back. Hopefully…