Geek It! Spotlight: FIVE reasons why you should attend Madman Anime Festival 2016

For the first time in history, Madman Anime Festival will be kicking off its inaugural Madman Anime Festival this weekend on September 3rd and 4th. Celebrating 20 years of Madman Entertainment, Madfest marks the first anime convention in Australia to be hosted by a distributor. 

And while there are a gazillion reasons on why you should attend Madfest 2016, CtrlGeekPod has narrowed it down to FIVE reasons. Here we go!

1. SPECIAL GUESTS

Bringing the worlds of Sword Art Online, Evangelion, One Punch Man and more to Madfest, Madman Entertainment’s guest list is incredibly impressive. Special guests include:

• Shingo Natsume (One Punch Man Director)
• Makoto Furukawa (Japanese VA of One Punch Man‘s Saitama)

• Tomohiko Ito (Director of the Sword Art Online anime)
• Shingo Adachi (Character designer of the Sword Art Online anime)
• Atsushi Kaneko (Production staff member on Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale)

• Yuko Miyamura (Japanese VA of Evangelion’s Asuka Langley)
• Tiffany Grant (English VA of Evangelion’s Asuka Langley)

• Matt Greenfield (Co-Founder of ADV Films)
• Cristina Vee (English VA for Rei Hino in Sailor Moon)
• Sora Tokui (Japanese VA for Nico Yazawa in Love Live! School Idol Project).

But that’s not all! Cosplay mania has taken over Australia, and Madman have also announced five special cosplay guests: internationally renowned cosplayer TOMIA (South Korea), and Australian cosplayers SIERA, Pinky Lu Xun, Orochi, and AMENOKITAROU (A.K. Wirru).

Throughout the weekend, all of these special guests will be hosting panels, signing autographs and much more! And yes, this is only just highlight number 1!

2. SPECIAL SCREENINGS

As expected of Madman Entertainment, they will be showing exclusive AnimeLab screenings — a win for fans who want to take a break from the convention scene.

Not only is Madman showing the movie screening of μ’s →NEXT LoveLive! 2014 ~ENDLESS PARADE~!, but in an Australian first, fans will be able to watch the latest One Piece film, ONE PIECE FILM GOLD. 

Adding to this screening mix, international Vocaloid popstar IA will be coming to Madfest after a successful stint at SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show. Featuring her biggest hits such as We Gotta Run and Into Starlight, this is a unique Vocaloid experience that you do not want to miss!

3. SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS

Screenings is one highlight, but exhibitions are another highlight. For the first time ever in Australia, Madman will be showcasing a few exhibitions to the delight of many anime fans. Exhibitions include:

• TOKYO GHOUL ART EXHIBITION: Direct from the production studio, this exhibition features original storyboards, sketches and many more.
• DEATH NOTE: LIGHT UP THE NEW WORLD EXHIBITION:  With the new Death Note live-action film released later this year, fans will be able to get an exclusive look at some of the props being used in the film. This is a great way to celebrate 10 years of Death Note — a series that was once hailed, and still hailed, as one of anime’s best series to date.
• SWORD ART ONLINE MINI-GALLERY: Brought to you by Tokyo Otaku Mode and Aniplex, Madman Entertainment will be showcasing a unique Sword Art Online mini gallery.
• ITASHA CAR EXHIBITION: Instead of going all the way to Akihabara, fans will be able to check out awesome cars personalised by Australian anime fans. This will be a great way to see how fans display their passion for anime in the form of cars.

4. FOOD AND GOODIES!

When it comes to Japanese food and goodies, we’re all for it! Here’s what we’re excited for:

• Madman Maid Cafe: Bringing plenty of charm and cuteness, maids and butlers will be ready to serve you with food, cuteness, and performances.
• Degashi Shop: Yes, we love snacks, and Madman knows it! Offering a huge selection of Japanese snacks, fans will need to drop by the Dagashi Shop. Can’t go wrong with Japanese snacks!
• Exclusive Banpresto X Madman Anime Festival collectables: Available for the first time in Australia, and only at Madman Anime Festival 2016, Banpresto and Madman Anime Festival are teaming up to offer exclusive limited edition collectables! We wonder what they have in store for us…!
• Akiba Shopping Zone: Bringing Akihabara to Australia, Madfest will be having its own vendors hall. From Kaika, Anime Town to ShinTokyo, this is a great way to purchase and stock up on anime goodies for your collection!
• Creators Zone: Besides vendors, Madfest will be having its own Artist Alley called ‘Creators Zone’. Featuring some of Australia’s best illustrators, animators and cosplayers, this is the perfect place to check out everyone’s artistic flair and purchase fan-made goodies.

5. GAMING HEAVEN

And last but not least, gaming mania at Madfest! Here’s what will be showcased at Madfest:

• SQUARE ENIX: Best known for releasing many classic Japanese games including Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix will be bringing some game demos that we’ve been waiting for: FINAL FANTASY XV and KINGDOM HEARTS 2.8. Yes, you’ve read that correctly! Available to play for the first time ever in Australia, this is exciting news for Square Enix fans!
• BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT: Be one of the first in Australia to play some of the most anticipated titles of the year including Dragonball Xenoverse 2, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realisation, God Eater 2: Rage Burst and Tekken 7.
• BUSHIROAD: And last of all, the Australian Finals of the 2016 Bushiroad World Championship is coming to Madfest! For old and new fans, this is an exciting opportunity to check out the Australian card gaming scene. Some tournaments include Cardfight!! Vanguard, Future Card Buddyfight, and Weiss Schwarz.