The largest event dedicated to oriental POP culture in Latin America, Anime Friends 2023 celebrated its 20th anniversary, bringing together 120,000 people in four days of celebration, in the Anhembi District, in São Paulo . According to the event, the program featured more than 50 attractions, including national and international artists, who delighted the public with lots of music, dance and unforgettable performances. And the best part, the 2024 edition of Anime Friends has already been confirmed for the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st of July next year .
Anime Friends 2023 – Event brought together 120 thousand people to celebrate 20 years
Check it out:
At the opening ceremony of the event, on Thursday (13), the mayor of the city of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, was present; councilor João Jorge; the consul general of the Japanese Consulate in São Paulo, Ryosuke Kuwana; in addition to the CEO of Maru Division , Juliano Aniteli; and the event director, Diego Ragonha.
Repeating the action started in 2022, thanks to the support of the São Paulo City Tourism Department, on the first day of the event (13), free tickets were offered, with the aim of bringing the São Paulo public closer to this great festival of oriental pop culture. Around five thousand public school students were able to enjoy the attractions for free. Some buses also transported the public free of charge from the Portuguesa-Tietê Station to Anhembi.
“It was four days of great celebration. For us, it was a joy to celebrate 20 years of this party that is so special for fans of oriental POP culture and also for São Paulo. Anime Friends, today, is one of the biggest events on the city's official calendar”, says the CEO of Maru Division, Juliano Aniteli.
Major artist on the main stage
Therefore, on the Main Stage, among the international highlights, the Japanese band Flow moved the Anime Friends audience, with a powerful show in celebration of their 20 years of career. The band Scandal, owner of anime such as Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and the film “Pokemon: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction” also left the public ecstatic in the Anhembi District.
Singer Nano, who lent her voice to more than 20 games and anime, and violinist Yurika, famous for her covers on the internet, also came to Brazil for the first time and enchanted the public. However, other highlights were the band Burnout Syndromes and Survive Said the Prophet, which is responsible for iconic soundtracks for anime such as Banana Fish and Vinland Saga.
Fans of tokusatsu series – live-action superheroes with special effects that have always been a rage in Brazil – also celebrated. Mai Oishi, Change Phoenix from the Changeman Lightning Squad series; Makoto Sumikawa, Spielvan's Lady Diana; and Kiyomi Tsukada, the eternal Anrí from The Fantastic Jaspion, came to the country for the first time. They shared experiences about their careers, behind-the-scenes stories and answered questions from the audience.
Thus, Japanese actors Takumi Tsutsui , the unforgettable ninja Jiraiya, Takumi Hashimoto, who played the character Manabu in the same series; and Hiroshi Watari were also at the event once again, celebrating two decades of success.
About the event Arena
At Arena Anime Friends 20 years, the artists talked and shared experiences with the public. And on the Anime Stage, several chats about characters, music and anime also marked the program.
Finally, to celebrate the passion for otaku culture, the audience prepared to shine in individual and group performances. The Cosplay contest, a trademark of Anime Friends since 2003, was one of the highlights of the event with creative interpretations and costumes identical to the original works. Furthermore, at the K-Pop Arena, in addition to professional presentations, visitors to the event put on a show in lively dance and singing competitions, which excited those present.
Source: Anime Friends
Also read:
