Our first interview for 2025 is one of its organizers AnimeCon. We thank them very much for answering our questions and for the photos they gave us. Below you can read their answers on questions relating to AnimeCon:Run Thessaloniki VI.
The interview was taken by COMIX & PhantomDuck.
1) This year, AnimeCon unlike last year is done for two days and in double space. Could you tell us more about the changes and what else will we see at the event this year?
The huge love of the world that embraced the event last year was beyond our expectations. Seeing the impact the event had last year we promised that we would increase both duration and space so that we could accommodate more visitors, activities and be all more comfortable.
This year, we increased the artist alley and hosted 100 manga & anime artists from Greece. We created Hobbyist Alley, with 20+ crafters & prop makers, that brought another breath to this category, because their creations and constructions were unique, and we set up a Cosplay Alley exclusively for cosplayers who wanted to expose their creations to the public. Finally AnimeCon's Shopping Alley: RUN Thessaloniki increased with more entries from stores and companies focusing on both Japanese Pop Culture and Japanese and Asian Cuisine.
Since we had more space, we hosted more activities, workshops and speeches. From Bonsai Workshops to Manga Workshops, display of martial arts and J-Pop Dance Classes on Stage, unique competitions and presentations you can't find elsewhere.
Our biggest attraction was Cosplay Room based on anime Kuroshitsuji ( C ( ( () in the city.Black Butler), edited and constructed from scratch by Epsilon Custom Sabers & 3D Props team. The room was a faithful reproduction of Ciel's office by the anime Kuroshitsuji and was manned with cosplayers who wore uniforms from the anime for greater immersion of visitors. The Cosplay Room was the diamond of the event and was enjoyed by all visitors whether they were aware of the anime or not.
Finally, we should point out the cooperation with the Embassy of Japan in Greece, which this year offered us the opportunity to officially air licensed anime films at Japan Anime Marathon Day under AnimeCon: RUN Thessaloniki VI.
Our aim to work with anime studios in both Japan and other countries has come to fruition within the event and is our goal to keep its institution Anime Marathon Day and our future events.
2) Can you tell us a few words about Japan Anime Marathon Day? It is an original idea to screen anime films during the festival.
Japan Anime Marathon Day was launched in 2014 in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Greece and the Thessaloniki Film Festival. Our goal was to disseminate animes in Greece through these actions and collaborations with free film anime screenings and collaborations with anime studio, so as to offer the public screenings of favorite anime films that would hardly be shown in Greek cinemas. In this way, one can watch anime movies along with other anime fans and feel the complete film experience.
(3) You announced that the Japanese mangaka, Eldo Yoshimizu, will attend. It is extremely rare to see a Japanese guest at festivals in our country and we want to congratulate you on that. Did you face any particular difficulty you would like to share with us?
It was a great honor to have Mr. Eldo Yoshimizu as our guest of honor. Our joy when he accepted our invitation to participate in AnimeCon: RUN Thessaloniki was enormous. We knew the creator through his works and,mainly, RyukoSo our enthusiasm to meet him in person was even greater. There was no problem, no difficulty in communicating and involving the creator in the event. We would say exactly the opposite, because he was very excited to meet Greece, our culture and the manga audience!
(4) It is very interesting that this year we will be able to chat online with the Japanese anime producer & director, Kenji Itoso. How hard it was to find and coordinate such a «meeting» With the Japanese producer?
Due to Japan Anime Marathon Day, we managed to create contacts with anime studio in Japan. Both producers and the creative team behind these studios are very difficult to discover, but also accept such invitations, due to their pressured daily schedule and strict deadlines that must be kept.
However, Mr Kenji Itoso was not only willing to spend some time from his program to chat with the public online, but his joy was even greater that in Greece his work was shown through this institution.
The main difficulty in these cases is mainly the time difference between Greece and Japan so that online speech can be properly coordinated.
(5) Last year we had the pleasure of seeing in person and chatting with the animationr Levant Kotil and this year with Chris ThoenesWe are glad that such efforts continue. Is there any particular animator you would like to call in the future?
We believe that as AnimeCon it is our obligation to make known to the audience the creators behind favorite anime series. Unfortunately, many times we forget the people behind the studios, and we take for granted their work or judge the result without considering the art of animators.
Our goal is to bring the creators into contact with the public so that the public can learn the creator, the difficulties and the challenges he meets daily. This year we had the opportunity to host talented Chris Thoenes and it was a great pleasure and honor when he accepted our invitation, because he is one of the most important animators of the current anime generation. We have a long list of animators names we want to host at the event and, of course, in the future we would like to host animators from Japan.
(6) This year you hosted many Greek and international guests of all specialities, from actors and cosplayers to mangaka and animators. You also provide space for people through manga artist alley, hobbyist alley, as well as benches to exhibitors. Is there any area in which you put extra weight?
All participants are an important part of the event. If the audience and visitors are the heart of AnimeCon: RUN Thessaloniki that gives the pulse, then participants and exhibitors are the trunk of AnimeCon: RUN Thessaloniki that support it. What we focus on is mainly to keep a thematic uniformity in the nature and character of exhibitors and participants, which is always their association with Japanese Pop Culture, Art and Tradition.
(7) Is there anything you'd like to do this year but you didn't make it and you left it for next year?
There is too much left for future events and there is even more in the plans to implement. There are so many fresh ideas that every year we try in a way to realize even a small part of them.
Thank you so much for the interview!
AnimeCon returns on 4-5 October 2025 at the Convention Center «Ioannis Vellidis» (Thessaloniki)!
