Tag Archives: otakon

Katsura Sunshine is coming to Otakon 2025 as a Guest

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Katsura Sunshine

Katsura Sunshine will be a guest at Otakon 2025. Sunshine is the world’s only professional Rakugo storyteller performing entirely in English.

Rakugo is a 400-year-old form of Japanese comic storytelling — a one-man show where the performer sits on a cushion and brings dozens of characters to life using just a fan, a hand towel, and brilliant delivery.

Trained in Osaka under legendary master Katsura Bunshi VI, Sunshine has performed all over the world and appears regularly on Broadway in New York. His shows are funny, fast-paced, and accessible — no prior knowledge of Rakugo or Japanese culture is needed.

After the show at Otakon, he will stick around for a live Q&A session, where Sunshine will share how a Canadian guy ended up becoming a master of Japanese comedy.

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Kanako Ayano is coming to Otakon 2025

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Kanako Ayano will be a guest at Otakon 2025. She is an anime producer at Furyu Pictures.

Some of her known works are “Yuru CampΔ The Movie” and “Kinokoinu.” She is also the producer of the upcoming series, “The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess.” Ayano’s own dark history is that she caused her middle school field trip to go into panic with her claims that she could see ghosts.

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Kanako Ayano

Hiroaki Sakurai is coming to Otakon 2025

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Hiroaki Sakurai

Hiroaki Sakurai will be a guest at Otakon 2025. He is a freelance scriptwriter and episode director.

Starting with titles such as “Cyber Team in Akihabara the Movie” and “UFO Baby,” he has also worked as the director on numerous anime series, such as “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K,” “The Demon Girl Next Door,” and “Mewkledreamy.” His most recent work as a director is the upcoming series, “The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess.”

He is excited to make his return to Otakon since his last appearance in 2000.

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Hiromi Wakabayashi Joins the Guest Roster for Otakon 2025

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Hiromi Wakabayashi

Hiromi Wakabayashi will be a guest at Otakon 2025. He is a creative producer and scriptwriter at Studio Trigger.

Previously a member of Studio Gainax, Wakabayashi has been involved in several works with Hiroyuki Imaishi, most notably “Gurren Lagann,” as production designer. He also contributed to “Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt” as the head of story, writer, and episodic director.

After transitioning to Studio Trigger, Wakabayashi has been actively involved in the production of “Kill La Kill,” “Promare,” and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” as creative director and music editor. He is currently the head of story and co-director for Trigger’s latest, “New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt.”

Other recognizable works include: “Battlesaurs: Toy Story That Time Forgot” (producer), “Space Patrol Luluco” (creative director),”Darling in the Franxx” (creative producer), “Promare” (creative director, music selection); and “Star Wars: Visions, “The Twins” (original idea, script, art director).

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Sushio Has Been Added to the Guest List for Otakon 2025

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Sushio

Sushio will be a guest at Otakon 2025. He is an animator who works as a character designer and animation director at Studio Trigger.

Among his works are “Gurren Lagann” (animation director, key animation); “Kill la Kill” (character design, chief animation director); and “Promare” (animation director). In recent years, he has also worked as an original artist on “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” (key animation); and “Dungeon Meshi” (key animation).

He has provided illustrations to many artists, including the bands Momoiro Clover Z, Bump of Chicken, Mowmow Lulu Gyaban, and BiSH, and has also worked on costume design for the girl group Gang Parade, expanding his range of expression beyond the boundaries of anime.

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

MindaRyn has been added to the Otakon 2025 Guest Roster

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MindaRyn

Otakon will feature singer MindaRyn at Otakon 2025.

MindaRyn is a Thai-born J-pop singer who has gained international recognition for her powerful vocals and passion for anime music. She first rose to fame by covering anime songs on YouTube, quickly amassing a large following for her expressive performances and clear, emotive voice.

In 2020, she made her official debut under Lantis with the single “BLUE ROSE knows,” the ending theme for “By the Grace of the Gods.” Since then, MindaRyn has become a rising star in the anisong scene, contributing theme songs to several popular anime series, including “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” and “Arifureta.” Her unique blend of J-pop and heartfelt anime storytelling has made her a beloved figure among fans worldwide.

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Taketeru Sunamori is coming to Otakon 2025

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Taketeru Sunamori

Author and composer Taketeru Sunamori will join Otakon 2025.

While in graduate school, Sunamori posted original voice drama works on the Internet while researching music and acoustics. He attracted attention as a “New Generation Multi-Creator” by holding a screening event at the Apple Store Ginza and began his professional activities as one of the leading artists of the online music era.

In 2013, he made his major debut from FlyingDog with “Kakusei Love Survivor.” At the same time, he released a novel version of the same work through Dengeki Bunko. This was the first time that someone debuted as a musical artist and a light novelist at the same time. Since then, he has been active as both an author and a composer, crossing the boundaries of genres.

In 2015, he formed the music unit “Mirai Kodai Orchestra.” He has been active mainly in the field of video games, including music for Square Enix’s “Grimms Notes” and serving as music director and conductor for the Colopl’s “White Cat Project” concert. His representative song “Wasureji no Kotonoha” became virally popular after its release, and now the song has been played over 100 million times.

As a DJ, he performed on stage in all five continents during the two-year anime song “World Tour” in 2018 and 2019 (a total of 100 stages in 18 countries).

In 2022, he released a novelized version of “Legend of Mana” through Square Enix. He is also well-versed in J-POP culture overseas, having served as an advisor to the International Otaku Expo Association since 2017 through his relationship with Takamasa Sakurai.

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Moon Inho has been added to Guest Roster for Otakon 2025

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Moon Inho

Manhwa (or comic) artist Moon Inho will be a guest at Otakon 2025.

Moon Inho has been drawing manhwa for children for the past 20 years. His works include various children education manhwa such as “Hanja Sohwansa Jaryung” (“Hanja Summoner Jaryong”), “Tales Runner Suhak King Wang Zzang” (“Tales Runner Math Great, Awesome, Best”), “Iyagi Mabubjunsa” (“Story Magic Fighter”) Series, and “Kids Science Magazine: Dong-a Oz’s Alchemist series,” to name a few.

Currently, he works at HM Cooperative, Korea’s first manhwa social enterprise, to promote regional revitalization through manhwa.

He has been working on a special project that will be announced at Otakon 2025.

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Anime Producer Ena Hamabe Added to the Otakon 2025 Guest Roster

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Ena Hamabe

Ena Hamabe will be a guest at Otakon 2025. She is affiliated with Infinite, a Japanese animation planning and production company.

As a producer, she has been involved in a wide range of projects across various genres, including “The Devil Is a Part-Timer!!,” “The Aquatope on White Sand” and “Yuri Is My Job!”

She is currently taking on the challenge of producing the anime adaptation of “This Monster Wants to Eat Me.”

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Hidenori Matsubara is an Otakon 2025 Guest

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Hidenori Matsubara

Character designer and animation director Hidenori Matsubara will be a guest at Otakon 2025.

Matsubara was born in 1965 in the Toyama Prefecture and is currently affiliated with Studio Khara.

After joining Gainax, he contributed to works such as “Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise,” “Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water,” and “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” He is the character animation designer for “Gundam Gquuux,” and he served as character designer and chief animation director for titles including “Sakura Wars” and “Ah! My Goddess,” as well as character designer and animation director for the TV anime “Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo.” Continuing his work on a wide range of projects, he took on the role of character designer for the film “The Princess and the Pilot” and contributed to “Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition” as animation director, design works artist, and key animator.

He also served as character designer and animation director for the films “In This Corner of the World” and “In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World.” Most recently, he was animation director for the “Mob” segment in the 2022 musical animated film “Adam by Eve: A Live in Animation.”

Otakon 2025 will be held from August 8-10, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

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