Here we go with a summary of the Manga and Anime Zone! Check out what will be happening there this year.

Once again, meet our guests!

From the Polish yard

A lot of fantastic encounters await you at the upcoming event in the manga and anime zone. We have invited both distinguished guests from the fandom, such as Jordan Dębowski, Przyjaciel Chlebka, and Aqua, as well as academic guests – Łukasz “Shamp” Reczulski, Konrad Jankowski, and Paweł Dybała. They, and others too, will conduct interesting lectures, workshops or even panel discussions for you, but you’ve surely already found it all out by looking into our program. 😉

Pokemon fans can’t miss meeting Hanna Kinder-Kiss, the voice actress who has lent her voice to Ash Ketchum for more than twenty years! As a reminder – she will be available to you during three different program events:

• a lecture entitled “What can Pokemons teach us?” | [7] Manga and Anime Room 1 | Sunday, 12:00 – 13:00

• A Q&A session | [7] Manga and Anime Room 1 | Sunday, 13:00 – 14:00
• An autograph signing session | PCC | Saturday, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m

Music – on stage!

After mulling over the lectures by our guests from the university or thriving on the more (pop)cultural attractions by the speakers, there must come a time to have some fun! Still in the Asian style, of course. Take a look at what we have prepared for you this year!

BURNOUT SYNDROMES

Founded in 2005, the three-member formation from Osaka. The music created by its members was recognized by the “Production I.G” animation studio, resulting in using their singles in the credits for the second (“FLY HIGH!!!”), third (“Hikariare”) and fourth (“PHOENIX”) seasons of Haikyu!!!. The band also recorded “Good Morning World!” – the opening to the anime Dr. STONE and the ending of Gintama, entitled “Hanaichimonme.”

You will meet them at the following program events: 

• The Concert | [PCC] Earth Hall | Friday, 21:00 – 22:00
• A Q&A session | [PCC] Large Auditorium | Saturday, 18:30 – 19:30
• An autograph signing session | PCC | Saturday, 19:30 – 20:30
• A photo session | PCC | Saturday, 20:30 – 21:00

MindaRyn

Originally from Thailand, the singer encountered anime at an early age, eventually moving to Japan to record songs for animations there. In November 2020, she debuted the single “BLUE ROSE knows,” the ending to the anime By the Grace of the Gods. She also later recorded tracks for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest, ULTRAMAN BLAZER and many other series. In particular, she received a lot of publicity for her opening to the second part of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime – Season 2.

To meet her, look forward to the following attractions:

• The Concert | Outdoor Stage | Sunday, 14:30 – 15:30
• A Q&A session | [PCC] Large Auditorium | Saturday, 16:30 – 17:30
• An autograph signing session | PCC | Saturday, 14:30 – 15:30
• A photo session | PCC | Saturday, 15:30 – 16:00

B1/ Wonderz

A group of six people who work resiliently to bring fun and smiles to people’s faces. They cosplay, dance, act out scenes. They base their work mainly on songs from the game “Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage” (Japanese: “Project Sekai”), but not only that. In addition to “Project Sekai,” their YouTube channel also features appearances from such series as “Oshi no Ko” and “The Quintessential Quintuplets.” They don’t show typical idol concerts on stage – it’s a whole performance, into which they put their amateur acting skills and engage the whole audience. They owe their presence at Pyrkon to their distinction at the Hikari Idol Contest, where they showed off many of their talents.

You will find them during:

• The Show | Outdoor Stage | Friday, 17:00 – 18:30

Szymi Szyms

He is a 27-year-old rapper, originally from Lidzbark Warmiński, but he lives and records in Koszalin. He has a distinctive style based on biting punchlines and  no hang-ups in his braggadocio. He honed a solid skills on underground stages and in countless recordings regularly hitting the web. His lyricism orbits around life’s themes and is very personal, laced with an emotional braggadocio that is impossible to forget.

To his credit, he has a platinum single, “Yakuza,” recorded with OsaKa.

Night owls are welcome to attend his program events:

• Concert | Outdoor Stage | Sunday, 01:00 – 02:00

Out of this world

In the Manga and Anime Zone, dare to dive into the world of virtual reality. This year two VTubers will visit Pyrkon! And here they are:

Noir

An artist who sings and performs music for the virtual band NoWorld, founded in May 2019. She broadcasts music from the “NoWorld” and hosts broadcasts as a Vtuber.

At the beginning of her career, she worked mostly behind the scenes, but through her work as a Vtuber and meeting many people, she realized she had two dreams: to show NoWorld’s music to as many people as possible, and to do work related to anime and games.  For this reason, in 2022 she decided not only to create lyrics and music, but also to sing herself.

Miori Celesta

Independent VTuber streaming in English and Korean on YouTube. She is best known for her cover of the Kikuo song “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me.” During her live broadcasts, she presents a variety of content, such as ASMR, video games, karaoke, piano improvisation and casual conversation.

Chibi Manga and Anime Zones

Those who attended the previous Pyrkon know that the heart of the Zone is the so-called Chibi Zones! These are places where other lovers of Japanese (pop)culture share their knowledge and run fantastic attractions. This year there are Chibi Zones from the following groups:

• AnimeLogia
• Koło Naukowe Porównawczych Studiów Cywilizacji UJ
• Nododon
• Polski Dubbing NanoKarrin
• Rzucaj Nie Gadaj – Azjatycki Horror
• Szczeciński Klub Azji
• Vtuberkowy
• Wyspa One Piece
• Dalekowschodnie Koło Naukowe UJ
• Nami Azarashi
• Zespół edukacyjny Muzeum Manggha 
• J-Games
• Fotostudio
• Japonica Creativa & Zhongguo
• Azjatycka Karczma

How about the Cinema?

Among the many activities, workshops and panel discussions, the most noteworthy is the screening of the film “One Piece Film: Red” in our Pyrkon Cinema. It is one of the latest productions in the iconic “One Piece” series.

The film recounts the adventures of Luffy and his crew, introducing exciting new plots and characters. This is a must-have item for any “One Piece” fan, so don’t miss the opportunity!

There are many more attractions, and the ones mentioned above are just a few examples and suggestions for an answer to the “What are we going to do today?” question. Pyrkon is fast approaching, so plan your time well. See you there!