For the first time since its inauguration in 1970, the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC for short) hosted its first edition outside the United States. Last September, the beautiful—and hot—city of Malaga, Spain, had the honor of uniting fandoms from around Europe in a four-day event in FYCMA (Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga). Musicians, producers, actors, and cosplayers: the convention also included a long list of international guests, including major representatives of the Japanese entertainment industry.
But first, you may be wondering, what exactly is the San Diego Comic-Con Malaga? The SDCC Malaga is the European extension of the world’s most iconic pop culture event. Thanks to a joint effort between the company IMG Licensing, with the support of the public representatives of the Junta de Andalucia (regional government) and the Malaga City Council, Malaga hosted the first official SDCC-licensed event outside the United States.
Among the international guests were key figures from international pop culture: Jim Lee, Aaron Paul, Gwendoline Christie, Luke Evans, Jeph Loeb, Norman Reedus, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger as the guest of honor! More than 120,00 fans got the chance to meet their favorite artists.
At Anime Corner, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to be present at the full convention and report back to you with the anime highlights of the SDCC Malaga. Without further ado, let’s dive into first-time Japanese guests, exclusive panels, amazing cosplayers, and much more!
Day 1: An inauguration co-hosted by our favorite chef
The opening ceremony in the convention’s Hall M marked the first day, co-hosted by actors Taz Skylar and Daphne Keen. Yes, we are talking about our beloved Sanji from the One Piece live-action and the famous Laura/X-21 from the movie Logan (2017). What you may not know is that both actors are of Spanish origin. Skylar is from the Canary Islands, south of the Iberian Peninsula, while Keen was born in Madrid, the capital of Spain.
The message was clear: we want to show the world what Spain has to offer to the pop culture community. Both performers were really excited to be the co-hosts of the first SDCC outside the US, and their fans couldn’t help but scream in excitement, too.
Skylar’s participation, in particular, was a nod to the relevance of One Piece live-action. With a second season currently in production, the series has gained significant global traction among non-anime watchers. You can check its latest visuals and trailer here!
Bonus: Dragon Ball present!
Walking in the exterior, we found this inflatable Goku figure, a remarkable place for the legendary franchise to take photos with.
Day 2: The power of Nobuo Uematsu
From melancholic to upbeat, and from dark to heartwarming tones: such is the power of music composer Nobuo Uematsu. Famous for his scores in the video game franchise Final Fantasy, the Japanese composer performed a solo concert on the convention’s second night.
If we had to sum up the concert, in a word—immersive. Before the performance, the staff requested that the audience power off their phones for a fully uninterrupted experience. Armed with his keyboard, Uematsu transported us into an introspective space. The concert was so moving that many of us were on the verge of tears.
After the touching moment, Uematsu’s emotive music joined efforts with the expressive narrations of voice actress Rie Tezuka in a stage reading. The duo delivered amusing Japanese tales, which were a novelty for many in the audience—including me.
Following this, the presentation concluded with a Q&A hosted by Spanish pianist and artist Elesky. Notably, Uematsu’s playful personality shone in the panel. Among Uematsu and Tezuka’s numerous answers, what stood out for me was Uematsu’s perspective on modern music composition. As the composer stated, there were fewer options to work with in his time, so everyone had to make extra effort to be unique. We hope to see more of this duo in future Spanish conventions!
Bonus: cuteness overload
In the Exhibitor’s Hall, we found the Japanese toy franchise Sylvanian Families. This was its debut at a Spanish convention. Could we pray for future participations? People were eager for more!
Day 3: Star Wars and the Japanese touch
After actors and music, day 3 brought us anime. The main draw on Saturday, Hall M hosted a reunion of four directors from the Disney anthology Star Wars: Visions. Rodrigo Blaas (studio El Guiri), Paul Young (studio Cartoon Saloon), Takanobu Mizuno (studio Kamikaze Douga), and Masahiko Otsuka (studio Trigger) shared insights about their animation pieces—and an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming season 3 episodes.
Rodrigo Blaas started the panel with comments on Sith, his project for Visions‘ season 2. We could feel his excitement about being the Spain representative in the saga. He also took the opportunity to ask questions about the other directors’ outstanding works.
As is widely known, the Star Wars franchise had a strong influence stemming from Japanese culture. Seeing the diverse group of directors—from Spain, Ireland, and Japan—talk about their passion for the franchise since childhood was refreshing.
Notably, Masahiko Otsuka, in charge of The Elder for Visions‘ season 1, recounted how he was very into Star Wars in high school. The director tried to convey a blend of Star Wars Episode 4 atmosphere and the Japanese anime style on his project.
Meanwhile, Takanobu Mizuno, in charge of The Duel (Visions‘ season 1), stated that such a mix between Star Wars and Japanese animation style was hard to accomplish. The director focused The Duel on the Jidaigeki (時代劇) influence on the Star Wars original movies. Jidaigeki is the genre of the samurai period dramas that we often see referenced in anime and manga.
Both Japanese directors shared an exclusive preview of their animation projects for Star Wars: Visions season 3. Mizuno showed us The Duel: Payback, which follows his previous work narrative. On the other hand, Otsuka takes a new approach in The Smuggler. The audience was thrilled to watch both exclusives. Now, we are all counting down the days until the October 29 premiere on Disney+!
Day 4: The legacy of Production I.G.
The veteran anime studio Production I.G. headlined the convention’s last day. The studio visited Spain for the first time, in a panel featuring Justin Leach, Momo Inaba, Saki Yoshimoto, and founder and producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, with a bonus video message from anime director Mamoru Oshii.
Justin Leach led the panel, directing questions to Ishikawa, supported by translations from Yoshimoto. While the main focus was on the history of Production I.G., Ishikawa and Oshii shared their insights about the studio’s evolution and their different milestones.
The presentation started with the studio foundation. As stated by Ishikawa, in 1987, they wanted to create a place for all those “monster creatives”. Through the years, they evolved even further, from changing the usual service role of the animation studios to being direct investors. In that sense, the producer pointed out that “you only live once” and the importance of following your positions, which made the Production I.G. project possible.
Indubitably, the panel talked about the acclaimed anime movie Ghost in the Shell (1995), for which the studio is most internationally renowned. Ishikawa highlighted the good financial situation thanks to their investment in Patlabor and Neon Genesis Evangelion, which helped propel the studio toward the Ghost in the Shell project.
Another of the studio’s famous works in the early 2000s was the animation of Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Chapter 3). Highlighting their bold decisions, Leach and Ishikawa shared with the audience a funny anecdote about how they received the offer. Director Quentin Tarantino appeared at the door of Production I.G. offices one day, but nobody believed it was the real American filmmaker! After Leach’s insistence, Ishikawa finally approved the project, which he now considered a good decision.
Moving into internal strategy, Ishikawa also gave insight into the studio’s generational change. They used the anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002) as the training ground for younger creatives. The key people involved later became part of Wit Studios, which debuted with the anime adaptation of Attack on Titan (2013).
Despite the strategic division, Production I.G. continues to produce anime on its own, adapting famous works such as Kaijuu Nº 8 and Haikyuu. Inaba, who also speaks Spanish, emphasized the new roles the studio assumed in recent years: movies, musical videos, theater, and more. She even expressed her desire to collaborate with Spain in the future, since she likes the Spanish TV series Cuéntame.
Production I.G. is also part of the previously mentioned Star Wars: Visions. Ishikawa considers their participation in the anthology the greatest global collaboration made by the studio. The upcoming episode, The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope, is directed by Naoyoshi Shiotan, also director of the original anime Psycho-Pass.
The team expressed their desire to come again to Malaga, with Ishikawa hinting at the possibility of coming back next year to talk more about Kaijuu Nº 8. The audience was excited to learn more about a studio that developed many of their favorite franchises. With the words “Málaga en mi corazón” (in English, “Malaga in my heart”), Ishikawa sent his farewell to the fans. We’ll be expecting their future visits!
Thank you, Malaga!
Over the four days of the event, we could be part of the SDCC Malaga international atmosphere. While we focused on the Japanese guests, the event was big enough to encompass a wide range of fandoms. And notably, all the guests mentioned in this article received a warm welcome, which is a hallmark of the Spanish community. The convention is licensed for two additional years, promising an exciting future.
But before we conclude this overview, you may have noticed a glaring omission. What about the cosplayers? Stay tuned for a follow-up report!
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