Anime Detour

08/17/2026

We’re so excited to begin accepting applications for Artist Alley for 2027!

Click here to apply: https://www.eventeny.com/events/vendor/?id=54821

08/16/2026

We still have open staff positions! Head to our website to find the application and to read more about the current openings.

08/16/2026

Are you coming out to visit us the Lantern Lighting Festival at Como Park tonight? Be sure you get your tickets ahead of time as it might sell out!

08/13/2026

🚨 "RESERVATIONS HEAD" STAFF POSITION CLOSES TOMORROW, AUGUST 14th! 🚨

As the head of the Reservations Department, you will be in charge of negotiating with Anime Detour’s partner hotels in regards to setting up room blocks for our attendees and coordinating with the attendees in helping make those reservations.

If this sounds like the right fit for you, make sure to head to our website and apply ASAP!

You can view all open positions and find the link to our staff application here: https://www.animedetour.com/anime-detour-staff/

We look forward to working with you!

Anime Detour Staff Anime Twin Cities Board: Current Board of Directors Chair: J.C. Horvath Associate Chair: Michael Nicchetta If you are interested in joining staff, please fill out the application. You can learn more about any of our Open Leadership Positions by clicking the associate...

08/13/2026

You thought we were done? Not a chance! We’re welcoming Animo!

Animo (Anemone Mournian) | Japanese Game Music Vocalist & Lyricist

Animo is a Japanese vocalist and lyricist whose work spans video game music and Japanese entertainment.

Selected works include:

Side Kicks! beyond (2025) — Lyrics & Vocals
Identity V: Call of the Abyss VII (2024) — Vocals
BUSTAFELLOWS series — Vocals & Music Production
Trails in the Sky / Hoshi no Arika Zanmai — Vocals & English Lyrics

As a vocalist, Animo has performed across a wide range of Japanese video game music projects, including writing lyrics and performing vocals for Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan Super Arrange Version, featuring music by legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro, and performing an original composition by acclaimed game composer Yoko Shimomura.

Animo also contributed vocals to Nintendo’s The Last Story, directed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, with music composed by Nobuo Uematsu, and performed and wrote English lyrics for a special arrangement of “Hoshi no Arika” from Falcom’s Trails in the Sky.

Beyond music, Animo is also a writer and interviewer, conducting official Square Enix interviews with Yoko Shimomura and Toby Fox for projects including Super Mario RPG and LIVE A LIVE, as well as contributing liner notes to official video game soundtrack releases including Suikoden.

08/12/2026

We’re keeping up the momentum! Please welcome our next guest Chihiro Fujioka!

Chihiro Fujioka is a legendary Japanese game designer, director and composer with a career spanning several decades. He began his career at Xtalsoft in the early 1980s before joining Square (now Square Enix), where he directed the classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). This groundbreaking title seamlessly merged the charm of platforming with deep role-playing mechanics, setting a new standard for crossover game design.

Following the success of Super Mario RPG, Fujioka-san co-founded AlphaDream, the studio behind the Mario & Luigi series. The games praised for their humor, art design and innovative battle systems are widely considered the spiritual successors to Super Mario RPG, carrying its legacy into the handheld generation and into the Nintendo Switch.

Beyond game development, Fujioka-san is an accomplished drummer and live performer, regularly appearing with Nobuo Uematsu (composer of Final Fantasy) as a founding member of the progressive rock band Earthbound Papas and conTIKI. His rhythm-driven creativity extends from music to gameplay design, reflecting his belief that games and music share the same heartbeat.

In recent years, Fujioka-san has pursued solo music projects, releasing two albums: Flowers of Magic and Echoes of Magic.

https://x.com/ChihiroFujioka

08/07/2026

The summer is heating up and so are our guest announcements! We are very excited to welcome Kazuyuki Kurashima to Anime Detour 2027!

Kazuyuki Kurashima is one of Japan’s most respected game artists, character designers, and visual creators. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, he has helped shape the visual identity and personality of numerous iconic games. His work is widely praised for expressive character design, imaginative worldbuilding, charming pixel art, and emotional depth that resonates with players across generations.

Kurashima began his career in the early 1990s, contributing character and monster artwork to titles that would later become beloved worldwide. Among his notable early works are Live A Live, a cult classic renowned for its distinctive narrative structure and visual style, and Super Mario RPG, where he was responsible for monster character design and visual supervision.

After leaving Square, he joined the influential creative group Love-de-Lic, formed by former Square developers, which introduced a new wave of experimental expression to the Japanese game industry.

https://x.com/kurashimakaz

08/03/2026

Only 234 days until Anime Detour 2027...but who's counting?

Until we get to see you all again, we'll just keep reminiscing on photos from earlier this year, like these ones featuring some amazing cosplays we saw around the convention.

Are you already working on your cosplay for next year's convention, or are you more of a con cruncher? 🤔

📸:

07/10/2026

Be sure to come visit the Ambassador Table while we are at Kitsune Kon for discounted 2027 Badge pricing!