Friday — 18th August, dawned bright and sunny as C3 AFA Jakarta 2017 welcomed thousands of Indonesian anime, gamning, cosplay, and anisong fans! Yes, literally thousands of fans started lining up for the event, as early as three hours ahead of the opening time. Armed with parasols, sunblock, and lots of patience, they chatted with friends or made new ones in the queue as they waited for the gates to open.

Meanwhile, event organizers and exhibitors were putting their finishing touches on their booths in the exhibition hall: the itasha slated for display were getting one last polish, the ladies of the BLIBLI booth were having a pep talk, and the Kotobukiya booth was running tech tests for its all-day Frame Arms Girl marathon. We were lucky to sneak in some nice photos of all of them before the crowds arrived!

Speaking of booths, one of our favorites was the luxurious Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic exhibit, which featured life-sized standees of major characters Sebastian and Ciel, as well as the rest of the cast of the animated film. We also liked the neighboring Sosro Fruit Tea Sensation lounge, which featured comfy bean bags and charging stations — much to the delight of the con-goers (and their exhausted parents).

At the heart of the exhibition hall was the Canon Akiba Stage — one of the areas con attendees look forward to the most! The stage played host to a plethora of activities, including the Creators Hub Art Duel (featuring guest cosplayer and digital artist MG), Meet & Greet sessions with all the Cosplay All-star Network special guests, and the ANiBEATS: Local Heroes concert.

Just off the stage is the Canon Experience Zone, where attendees could get photos taken at their many themed rooms, and have them printed for free as souvenir! The folks at Canon are super creative and there’s a new surprise every time they are at C3 AFA! The most popular theme room this year was one based off a classic videogame from the 80s! Total nostalgia bomb!

And that’s only for Day One! Check out our reports for Day Two and Day Three as well!