If you happen to walk around the Detroit River on the weekend of Oct. 30 and see some young folks dressed in costumes with a Japanese flair, you've stumbled upon "Youmacon."
Kirk Pinho of Crain's Detroit Business writes that thousands of anime and gaming enthusiasts will come to Detroit Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 for the annual annual convention to mark its 10th anniversary this year at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center and Cobo Center.
The Youmacon website describes the event this way:
Youmacon is a popular culture event similar to most “Comic Cons”, however instead of focusing on comic books, Youmacon is a celebration of Japanese popular culture and its influence on our own culture over the past few decades. Common themes throughout the event are Anime (Japanese animation), Video Games, Japanese style artwork and comics, and the rising internet culture influenced by all of the above.
Youmacon brings a unique all-ages mix of interactive events, celebrity guest panels, and live musical performances to Downtown Detroit. One of its most popular events, “Live Action Mario Party”, emulates the video game experience – often filling the room to fire code capacity. Players participate in gameshow-like mini-games to help their teams advance and win.
The gathering is expected to attract about 17,000 people this year, Crain's reports.
