Conventions are an important fixture and hub in every community. During a single weekend, fans have the chance to meet old friends or make new ones, all the while enjoying concerts, international guests, creative cosplays, and merchandise from their favorite artists.
This is the essence of a traditional fan gathering. Now imagine yourself navigating around, though not in the common gray walls of a pavilion…but for five days in an entire city. Yes, if you visit Italy in October, you can be part of a truly distinctive event: Lucca Comics & Games, the biggest European convention with more than 280,000 tickets sold in this year’s edition.
From October 29 to November 2, Anime Corner was part of the Lucca festival, and in this report, we tell you everything you need to know about the convention’s 2025 edition. Be advised: you may find yourself compelled to secure your booking for 2026!
What is Lucca Comics & Games?
Held annually in the medieval city of Lucca, Italy, the festival offers a fusion of every conceivable geek category. This is precisely one of the compelling aspects of Lucca: its sheer breadth, which we experienced firsthand in this edition.
How is such a combination possible? The explanation lies beyond the five-day duration. The historic city center is transformed, so every genre has its dedicated premises. Whole blocks are reimagined as a comic hub, a tabletop zone, and similar specialized venues. Of course, anime, manga, and Japanese culture claim their own prominent space, which we’ll discuss later.
To understand this unprecedented scope, we must look to its history. The origins of the convention can be traced back to 1966 as the Salone Internazionale dei Comics—it’s older than the San Diego Comic Con! Consequently, due to its long history, Lucca’s citizens are well-versed in receiving thousands of new visitors each year. Barbershops, stores, and even apartments rent out their premises to geek stores. If you arrive days before the convention, you will enjoy the festive atmosphere of people reorganizing the city.
This level of prestige confirms the festival’s stature in Italy’s cultural landscape. The cultural clout of Lucca Comics & Games is such that, for the first time, a documentary premiered in Italian cinemas this year.
The French Kiss
Under the theme of French Kiss, this year’s edition of the festival paid homage to France’s legacy, epitomized by the intimate and revolutionary symbol present across various pop media and cultures. In alignment with this concept, Lucca Comics & Games also adopted the principles of Liberté, Créativité, Diversité as a perfect corollary of the convention’s ethos.
For that reason, the festival commissioned French illustrator Rébecca Dautremer to design the official posters. The artist delivered a total of fifteen posters, combining kisses between fantastical creatures: a Werewolf, a Warrior, a Vampire Countess, a Monster, a Witch, and the Lukawa (a being inspired by Lucca’s atmosphere), a concept ultimately rooted in the Pirandellian drama.
To better understand this complex artistic undertaking, we visited Dautremer’s workshop inside the iconic Guinigui Tower of Lucca. There, we learned about the inspirations she took from her family experiences and her current works.
The Inauguration
On the first day, we attended the inauguration ceremony held at Lucca’s Teatro del Giglio. The ceremony’s guests included the festival’s director Emanuele Vietina, the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, and the French Ambassador to Italy Martin Briens.
During their presentation, Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli solidified plans for the future Comics Museum in Lucca, which further elevates the city as a cultural capital across Italy and the wider European landscape.
Further adhering to the French theme, the inauguration welcomed two prominent honorees: the mentioned illustrator Rébecca Dautremer and French film director Luc Besson (Léon, The Fifth Element, Dracula: A Love Tale). Both honorees enshrined their handprints in the Lucca Comics & Games Walk of Fame.
The message is clear: the festival transcends any city or region. However, the festival’s ambition does not stop there. The Japanese entertainment industry was formidably present during the five days of the event, too.
The Legacy of Tetsuo Hara
The festival’s formidable challenge for coverage (owing to the sheer volume of activities) is offset by the quality of its guests, such as Tetsuo Hara, co-author and illustrator of Hokuto no Ken (The Fist of the North Star).
For the first time in Lucca’s history, Hara-sensei graced the Italian festival, imparting different aspects of his legacy across conferences and panels. Naturally, he was included in the Lucca Comics & Games Walk of Fame, too. While Hokuto no Ken is one of the major influences in shonen manga, among his works are Hana no Keiji and Sōten no Ken.
In honor of his visit, Lucca’s church of Santa Maria dei Servi hosted the exhibition Tetsuo Hara: Like a bolt from the sky, solely dedicated to the sensei’s career. Fans could enjoy a journey through Hokuto no Ken‘s story, all while inside a medieval Italian church—a juxtaposition that simultaneously reflects Hara’s own Western influences.
The jewel of the crown was Hara’s The Savior in the Arena, a painting that further incorporates Keiichiro’s style in an Italian setting.
Akemi Takada: The Architect of an Enduring Aesthetic
Veteran enthusiasts of anime and manga will recognize illustrator Akemi Takada. She worked as a character designer on numerous anime productions and feature films such as Patlabor, Creamy Mami, Kimagure Orange Road, and Urusei Yatsura (1981). We were thrilled that the illustrator was included among the festival’s guests of honor.
The artist engaged in various fan-focused sessions and meet & greet in Lucca’s Japan Town—an entire precinct located outside the city center dedicated to Japanese culture. Fans could also enjoy the exhibition Akemi Takada: the fascinating fantasy path, which included various vintage works by Takada-sensei.
In recognition of her trajectory and influence, Takada-sensei was also included in the Lucca Comics & Games Walk of Fame. A totally deserved distinction!
Following this latest commendation, the illustrator’s schedule remains busy. For those who missed the opportunity, Takada-sensei is scheduled to appear at the upcoming Salon del Manga Barcelona this December 5 to 8.
A Transformed Perspective: The Scope of Lucca Comics & Games
With a staggering scale encompassing over 900 guests, 730 exhibitors, 1,500 events, and 12 exhibitions, Lucca Comics & Games is an unparalleled festival. Therefore, this scale clarifies why we cannot delve into other international guests from geek and pop culture. Yet, was this all the anime and manga content? The answer is clearly no.
Dedicated pavilions housed major anime-related companies such as Crunchyroll and TOEI Animation. Furthermore, the event featured interviews and panels with diverse Japanese creatives, alongside exclusive anime premieres. A single article proves insufficient to encompass its entirety
Prepare for more about our Lucca Comics & Games 2025 experience, which changed our perspective on conventions and culture in general. We trust that, like us, you feel inspired to visit Lucca in future editions with a renewed perspective.
All photos were provided by the Lucca Comics & Games staff.
Cover: Photos from Arzà Damaride and Tony Lamana.
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