Nintendo Shows Major Presence at ‘Manga Barcelona’

• This article was translated using AI.

Manga Barcelona celebrated its 31st anniversary in 2025. It is an event dedicated to Japanese manga, held every December in Barcelona, Spain. For 2025, an illustration by Kamome Shirahama, known for the manga Atelier of Witch Hat, was used as the key visual. Long lines formed at the booths selling <a href="https://comicvibe.com/sideshow-brings-the-cold-with-new-dc-comics-mr-freeze-statue/” title=”Sideshow Brings the Cold with New DC Comics Mr. Freeze Statue “>comics translated into Spanish and figurines of popular Japanese characters. In the center of the event was a particularly large area, where Nintendo was making a big push for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Manga Barcelona is held at the Fira Barcelona Granain

A 10-minute drive from Plaza Catalunya in the heart of Barcelona, in an area filled with business offices and industrial parks, is the Fira Barcelona Gran here from December 5th to 8th, 2025

There was a long line before the doors even opened. From those just wearing haori coats to those with full makeup, many people were enjoying cosplay. The most common costumes seen were of course “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.” Other costumes included Rize and Power from “Chainsaw Man,” the Scout Regiment from “Attack on Titan,” and Arale from “Dr. Slump.”

The event is one of Spain’s largest exhibitions specializing in Japanese manga, anime, and culture, and will celebrate its 31st anniversary in 2025. Local manga publishers and others will exhibit and sell Spanish-translated versions of old and new Japanese manga works, figurines of popular characters, and anime-related goods. Another feature of the event is that there will be corners where you can experience Japanese culture, such as cooking, kimonos, and calligraphy.

The most popular booth was a local comic publisher selling Spanish-translated comics. The entrance and exit were separate. In addition to the latest works, there were also nostalgic titles.

Additionally, every year creators from manga, anime, music, cosplay and other fields are invited as guests from around the world, including Japan.

In 2025, Yoko Kanno, known for providing music for works such as “Cowboy Bebop” and “Macross F,” and Aina the End, whose hit song “Kakumei Douchuu – On The Way” is for “Dandadan,” will hold live concerts and fan meetings.

Other attendees at the fan meeting included anime director Shinichiro Watanabe, known for “Cowboy Bebop” and whose latest work, “LAZARUS,” was released in 2025; manga artist Tsutomu Takahashi, known for works such as “Jiraishin” and “Sky High”; and Kazuki Nakashima, a resident writer for Gekidan Shinkansen who has written many screenplays for anime, including the animated film “Promare.”

Long lines formed at the entrance to the venue every day, even before it opened. Many people, from adults to children, were dressed in cosplay. According to official information obtained later, the total number of visitors in 2025 was 167,000, and the number of exhibitors was 304, maintaining the same level as the previous year.

At first glance, Manga Barcelona seems unrelated to games. However, if you actually visit the venue, you will see companies familiar with games. Naturally, games are now inseparable from anime and manga.