Mang’animes, a weekend of Japanese pop culture at the exhibition center in Nîmes

Les cosplayers portent les costumes de héros et d'héroïnes d'animés et de jeux vidéos. Archives Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

Des ateliers shiatsu ou cuisine japonaise, de la K-Pop, un concert de Bernard Minet ou des défilés cosplay… Embarquement vers le Japon et la culture manga samedi 20 et dimanche 21 avril au parc des expositions à Nîmes. 

Upon entering Mang’anîmes, visitors cross a Zen garden, a Japanese bridge and can hang a message on a wishing tree. Embarkation towards the Empire of the Rising Sun… For several years, manga culture has become a real phenomenon, bringing together the generation who grew up with Goldorak, Dragon Ball and the Dorothée Club and the young readers who play Pokémon and devour Naruto.

A social phenomenon

Created in 2017, the Nîmes salon celebrates a culture that has become, for some, an art of living. "The manga evokes social issues, with derision, openness, with respect for differences. There is a lot of imagination and freedom in the manga, of transmission which makes it timeless", explains Jérôme Lauzel, the organizer of the event. Beyond the success in bookstores, each year, around 500 events take place in France around manga.

During two family days, the Nîmes convention multiplies meetings and discoveries. Children and adults will be able to participate in pokeball, Just Dance, makeup, shiatsu, sweet or savory Japanese cuisine and of course manga, with Shaos, author of the series Ose who is one of around twenty French mangakas and will give two conferences to share his passion.

Anime voice actors, cosplay and shows

Several guests will allow you to discover behind the scenes. This will be particularly the case with the actor Patrick Préjean, known for his supporting roles in French comedies of the 1970s and who participated in the dubbing of numerous cartoons. He is notably the voice of Winnie the Pooh in Disney studio films and will share his know-how during conferences in the company of ;Arthur Pestel, actor specializing in dubbing.

Cosplay parades, where fans wear the costumes of heroes and heroines from cartoons or video games, are part of the unmissable, as are the meetings around the K-Pop hosted by the Crocodile Crew from Nîmes. Mang’animes will also allow you to discover and learn about lightsaber combat. We can also come across R2D2 on site, but we may prefer to take the road aboard the Delorean, straight out of Back to the Future.

Discovery and introduction to lightsaber combat with Ludosport.

Several shows punctuate the weekend. Guitarist Ulysse San covers anime theme songs like One Piece or Dragon Ball. Magician Pierr Cika presents a hypnosis show. And the nostalgic will find Bernard Minet and Eric from the group Les Musclées for a unique show, for parents who want to transmit and share their buried emotions with the children.

Enough to make you want to take a plane to Tokyo? That's good. After tasting gyozas, ramens and onigiris, it will be possible to meet the influencer Gero Japan who presents conferences "Preparing your trip to Japan".

Discovery of Japanese cultures with the Mang'anîmes salon. Midi Libre Archives – MiKAEL ANISSET

Saturday April 20, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday April 21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Exhibition center, 230 avenue du Languedoc, Nîmes. 14 €, children 8 €, family pass 39 €, two-day pass 22 €. 04 66 84 93 39.

All the program

Saturday April 20, 10am-7pm

10 h : inauguration.

10 h 15 : blindtest by the Crocodile Crew of N&icir;mes.

11 h : conference on dubbing with Patrick Préjean, Arthur Pestel, hosted by Mareen.

11 h 45 : random K-Pop by the Crocodile Crew from N&icir;mes.

12 h 30 : conference by mangaka Shaos, designer of French manga Ose.

13:h: demonstration and introduction to the lightsaber, with Ludosport.

13 h 45 : scrollé cosplay with Dothytrunks.

15 h 15 : Ulysse San guitar show.

16 h : conference "Preparing for your trip to Japan", by Gero Japan.

17 h : K-Pop competition by the Crocodile Crew from Nîmes.

Sunday April 21, 10am-6pm

10 h 15 : presentation of the day.

10 h 30 : conference on dubbing with Patrick Préjean, Arthur Pestel, hosted by Mareen.< /p>

11 h 15 : random K-Pop dance by the Crocodile Crew from Nîmes.

12 h : demonstration and initiation to the lightsaber, with Ludosport.

12 h 45 : conference by mangaka Shaos, designer of French manga Ose.

13 h 15 : hypnosis show show by Pierr Cika.

14 h : scrollé cosplay with Dothytrunks.

15 h 15 : concert show Bernard Minet and Eric des Musclés.

16 h 15 : K-Pop show by the Crocodile Crew from Nîmes.

16 h 45 : conference "Preparing for your trip to Japan", by Gero Japan.