Guests
At every edition several Special Guests are eager to meet you. Immortalise your meeting with them by buying a photo or autograph in the Guest Area. Attend one of the Q&A panels at the Main Stage and ask your burning questions.
Guests
ACTORS / VOICE ACTORS
Actors & Voice Actors from your favorite Anime, movies or series at Heroes Made in Asia!
Danny Chung
Voice of Baby Saja in K-Pop: Demon Hunters | Songwriter for BLACKPINK (‘How You Like That’, ‘Lovesick Girls’, ‘Pink Venom’, ‘Shut Down’) | Lyricist for JENNIE (‘You & Me’, ‘SOLO’) | Performer on ‘How It’s Done’ & ‘Soda Pop’ (K-Pop: Demon Hunters OST) | Producer at THEBLACKLABEL
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Selfie €42,50
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Autograph €42,50 (print included)
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Selfie with combo autograph €55,-
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Autograph on premium item €65,-
Vincent Regan
Monkey D. Garp in Netflix’s One Piece live-action series | Ser Rickard Thorne in House of the Dragon | Atlan in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Duke Hammond in Snow White and the Huntsman | Captain Artemis in 300 | Eudorus in Troy | King Cepheus in Clash of the Titans
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Selfie €25
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Autograph €55 (print included)
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Selfie with combo autograph €72,50
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Meet & Greet €70
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Duo meet & Greet with Craig €140
Craig Fairbrass
Zeff in Netflix’s One Piece live-action series | Gaz & Simon “Ghost” Riley in Call of Duty | Pat Tate in Rise of the Footsoldier | Delmar in Cliffhanger | Colin in EastEnders | Dr. Carson Beckett in Stargate SG-1 | Pearson in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
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Selfie €25
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Autograph €55 (print included)
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Selfie with combo autograph €72,50
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Duo meet & Greet with Vincent €140
Kira Buckland
Jolyne Cujoh in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean | Mitsuri Kanroji in Demon Slayer | Kuki Shinobu in Genshin Impact | 2B in NieR:Automata | Mary Saotome in Kakegurui | Rebecca Bluegarden in Edens Zero | Ameri Azazel in Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun | Setsuna in Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon | Alix Kubdel in Miraculous Ladybug | Beatrice in Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World
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Autograph €40 (print included)
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Autograph on POP €60
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Selfie €30
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Selfie with combo autograph €60
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Meet & Greet €60
MANGAKA'S, ARTISTS & WRITERS
Meet famous artists and writers from all over the world at Heroes Made in Asia. You can also sign your favorite manga, comic, artwork or book by them.
MANGAKA'S, ILLUSTRATORS, ARTISTS, WRITERS
GOU TANABE
Born in Tokyo in 1975, Tanabe-sensei received the Jury’s Special Award in the Afternoon Four Seasons Awards in 2001 for his work Sunakichi (judge: Kaiji Kawaguchi). In 2002, he was awarded Honorable Mention in the 4th Enterbrain Entertainment Awards for his adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s Twenty-Six Men and a Girl.
His notable works include Saudade (story by Karibu Song) and Kasane (based on Shinkei Kasane-ga-Fuchi by Enchou Sanyutei / composition by Hiroaki Takeda).
Since his 2004 manga adaptation of Outsider, Tanabe has continued to passionately tackle the works of H.P. Lovecraft, earning widespread acclaim from around the globe for his outstanding quality and deeply immersive visual storytelling.
shintaro kago
Shintaro Kago, born in Tokyo 1969, is a Japanese manga artist. He creates comics and illustrations with themes such as eroticism, black humor, absurdity, and surrealism. His style has been called “Fashionable Paranoia” in the West.
He frequently breaks the fourth wall, and he likes to play with the page layout in extreme ways, being considered one of the most virtuoso comic artists in the World.
yoshi yoshitani
Yoshi Yoshitani is the Eisner Nominated creator of the Tarot of the Divine and Beneath the Moon, as well as illustrator on the graphic novels Zatanna and the House of Secrets and I Am Not Starfire.
Past clients include Disney, DC Comics, Vault, Image, Dreamworks, and Netflix. When not attending comic conventions, Yoshi likes to research world mythologies, listen to audiobooks, and talk about multicultural identities.
NURIA SANGUINO
Nuria Sanguino, born in Barcelona in 1994, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Her passion for illustration led her to study Graphic Art at the renowned Escola Joso, where she specialized in comics.
Since 2020, Nuria has been working professionally as a webcomic creator, building a dedicated audience with her expressive style and emotionally driven storytelling. She is currently publishing her series Love 4 a Walk on WEBTOON, where her signature mix of drama and romance shines through in every chapter.
inma r.
Inma R. is an artist from Spain known for her distinctive style and her focus on creating Boy’s Love (BL) manga. She is the author of Wild Beast Forest House and The Violinist and the Nerd, two BL series that began on WEBTOON and have since reached readers worldwide in multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Alongside her long-form work, Inma has contributed to several shorter projects for well-known European manga publications. She has created work for the Spanish magazine Planeta Manga as well as for Manga Issho, a magazine published across Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.
ZACK DAVISSON
Zack is an award-winning translator, writer, and lecturer. He has translated classic manga like Kitaro, Space Battleship Yamato, and Devilman, as well as modern works such as Satoshi Kon’s Opus, Record of Lodoss War, H.P. Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulhu, and Cat + Gamer. He is also the author of The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai, The Art of Star Wars Visions, and Manga: A Visual Guide. His works have been translated into multiple languages.
CARLES DALMAU
Carles Dalmau (Girona, 1997) is a multimedia cartoonist creating art ranging from comics to concept art. He is currently the lead artist for the independent video game studio Massive Monster, where he has worked as an artist on the awardwinning title “Cult of the Lamb”.
He is the author of “Lucid Lucy”, “Calamari Kebab”, co-author of “Brainrot”, “Soma” and “Pilgrim” and illustrator of the “Magic Animals” book series. Throughout his career, he has worked as a concept artist and illustrator for various animation and video game studios.
In addition, he is the creator of the official mascot of Manga Barcelona and was the author of the poster of the 27th edition of the same event.
JUDIT MALLOL
Judit Mallol is an author and artist living in Barcelona. She’s been drawing since she was able to pick up a pencil and hasn’t stopped since.
She worked for Ubisoft as a character designer for phone games while she finished her degree in Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona. She’s been illustrating children and middle grade books since 2018, not only in Spain, but also in United Kingdom and United States.
Her most recent works are the illustrations for the spanish collectors editions of Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.
She also recently published her first artbook “Carousel. The art of Judit Mallol” in both spanish and english. It compiles all her personal and professional art up to now, along with exclusive art for the book and tons of tips and tricks to navigate the art world.
MERITXELL GARCIA
Meritxell Garcia is an experienced and versatile Art Director with a background in both graphic design and illustration. Meet her and her adorable webtoon “Gecko Chan” during HMIA on March 21 & 22!
Over the years, she has built an impressive portfolio by working as an Illustrator and Concept Artist across various industries, including video game companies, animation studios, advertising agencies, and as a faculty member at Escola Joso (School of Art) in Barcelona.
She has also contributed to several books (Editorial el Pirata, Norma Editorial, Planeta Comic, Salvat) and is the author of the popular comedy webtoon “Gecko Chan.”
COSPLAYERS
As you may know, cosplay is a key element of Heroes Made in Asia and a large number of our visitors attend the event dressed up as their favorite character form a game, movie, Anime or series. They meet up with other cosplayers during the Cosplay Catwalk and Cosplay Contest. At Heroes Made in Asia you can also meet other cosplayers like cosplay judges from all over the world. These artists have earned their stripes in cosplay already. You’ll get the chance to meet them personally!
Sakuraflor
Cosplay Host
Sakuraflor, also known as Saku, has been part of the cosplay and creative community for over 10 years. During that time, she’s earned numerous awards for her work on stage and behind the scenes, and collaborated with major names in gaming and entertainment through live-action projects and events.
More recently, she’s expanded her creative world by writing her first original book, Dreambound, which is currently in development.
Alongside this, she’s brought her love for motorcycles into the mix with Sakurides, blending geek culture, riding, and community in her own unique way.
After a short break from hosting HMIA, Saku is excited to be back, reconnecting with the community she loves.
DobiCos
Cosplay Co-Host
Hi heroes! ✨
I’m Dobi, a Dutch cosplayer who loves sewing and all things anime, and I’ll be stage hosting Heroes Made In Asia together with the lovely Sakuraflor! 💫
You might know my work from projects with Riot Games, Bethesda, and bbno$, and I’m also a two-time Heroes Made In Asia 1st place winner 🏆🏆
I’ll have a booth right next to the stage, so come meet me, chat cosplay, and hang
Aokiji
Cosplay Judge
Aokiji is a French Cosplayer known for his meticulousness and many costumes from famous pop-culture series.
He has represented his country several times on the international stages (Japan, Hong Kong, …) but not only! He also has been requested as a jury member for prestigious international cosplay contests. Much appreciated for his friendliness in addition to the quality of his works, Aokiji is particularly valued in the cosplay community and often shows at conventions as a precious guest (invited in 30 countries so far). His community recently reached 55k followers on Instagram and counts more than 60 cosplays to his credits.
His hardwork and attention to details led him to work with Square Enix (Final Fantasy 15 – Gladiolus) and Riot Games (League of Legends – Rakan).
K-POP
Meet amazing K-pop talents at Heroes Made in Asia! Join energetic K-pop dance workshops, learn choreographies from your favourite songs and enjoy powerful live performances on stage. Discover new groups, take part in random dance play and connect with fellow fans in a vibrant K-pop community atmosphere.
jay kim
Jay Kim is an internationally renowned choreographer and dance trainer. He has worked with K-pop artists such as Luhan, Jay Park, The Boyz and more, and has taught workshops in over 154 cities across 64 countries.
He has previously worked as an instructor at:
- 1Million Dance Studio in South Korea
- Millennium Dance in Singapore
- Loen Entertainment and Forest Entertainment as a dance trainer
As a judge, Jay Kim has been part of major competitions, including:
- World of Dance (Turkiye, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia)
- Multiple editions of the K-pop World Festival (including Peru, Nigeria, Ireland, Latvia, Spain, the UK and Austria)
- K-pop contests in India, Sweden, Mexico and Central Asia
With his experience and international perspective, Jay Kim is the perfect judge to bring the K-pop Contest at Heroes Made in Asia to the next level.
Paula Catharina Wissmann
Dance has been a passion of Paula’s ever since she was a child. Thanks to K-pop, she became so inspired that she decided to turn her passion into her profession.
She completed a professional dance education and even moved cities to make her dream come true. Paula now works in the dance field as a performing dancer and teaches K-pop dance classes in Almere.
In her classes, fun and self-confidence are key. She loves discovering new K-pop music together with her students and helping them grow in confidence. Paula is really looking forward to being a judge at the K-pop cover contest.
Edie Ploeger
As a K-pop fan for 10 years and a K-pop teacher for 5, Edie definitely has experience with the genre. She graduated in performing arts and has been on stage herself many times. She has worked with many K-pop cover crews and is a current member of X-Dreamin’.
Edie cannot wait to see what the contest participants will bring to the stage!
Irene
Irene is a K-pop fan for over 10 years and has been teaching K-pop dance classes for 6 years at K-Motion. She followed dance training in Korea and even danced together with ChungHa for a TV recording.
Besides teaching, she is also the owner of K-Motion and organises workshops, showcases and now also the K-pop dance cover contest! Irene is incredibly excited to see everyone shine on stage. 💕
Justin
Hi! I’m Justin!
I’m a Dutch and English voice actor who is also working hard to become a Japanese voice actor. On top of that, I am part of the dance crew LUNARIX.
Justin has a love for many different forms of performing arts, and he is very honoured to be one of the hosts of the K-pop dance contest at Heroes Made in Asia 2026. He cannot wait to see all your stunning performances on stage!
CHEFS
Meet famous chefs from all over the world at Heroes Made in Asia. You can also follow food demonstrations in the new Food Theater! Learn how to make sushi or some tasty Asian snacks, and get insider tips from expert chefs.
Chef Miyuki Masuda
Hailing from Osaka, Japan, this chef currently lives in the United States where she’s Chef de Partie at the renowned Sushi Kashiba. What makes her story extra special? She’s completely self-taught and the first female chef ever at one of Master Chef Kashiba Shiro’s restaurants, a disciple of the legendary Jiro Ono (of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame). Her beautiful, seasonal creations have earned her a huge fan base on Instagram, and her local pop-up dinners are all the rage!
HOSTS
Confusion and Mahir, hosts of the Dango Discourse Animanga Talkshow, bring their love for anime, gaming, and Japanese culture to Heroes Made in Asia! Joining them is Justin, a voice actor passionate about anime and creating fun Dutch dubs. Together, they’re ready to make the main stage unforgettable!
Confusion
Confusion is one of the two hosts of the Dango Discourse Animanga Talkshow alongside Mahir.
In 2009, Confusion embarked on his anime journey, which quickly blossomed into a deep and lasting passion for Japanese culture. This passion expanded beyond anime to include Japanese music, pop culture, language, and a trip to Japan.
Confusion has spent years immersing himself in all things Japan including working in a Japanese izakaya for two years. Confusion brings the valuable insights that he has gained throughout the years to each episode of the show. Whether diving into the latest anime trends or exploring lesser-known cultural gems.
As co-host of the Dango Discourse Confusion offers a unique perspective and a contagious enthusiasm that fuels every conversation.
Mahir
Mahir is the second hosts of the Dango Discourse Animanga Talkshow, alongside Con-chan. A lifelong gamer, he started with the SNES and N64 and has been a massive geek ever since, with a deep love for gaming, anime, cartoons & comics.
His passion for animanga began in 2006, evolving into content creation through multiple YouTube channels, Twitch streaming, and now Dango Discourse. He has even appeared twice on Daniël Lippens’ Twitch talk show.
Fueled by his love for anime and gaming, Mahir has even traveled to Japan & is traveling to Korea in May. Together with his co-host, he’s bringing fresh energy to the scene, building a welcoming and safe community for all kinds of fans!
Justin Sabio
Hey there! I’m Justin—A Dutch and English voice actor on a quest to become a Japanese one too!
I’m a gamer, freelance voice actor, and all-around performing arts enthusiast. Dutch is my first language, but I picked up English through gameplay videos and (shamefully) Minecraft roleplays. My love for voice acting started when I began mimicking video game characters and their lines.
Of course, anime played a huge role too! While I prefer original Japanese versions, I also appreciate how dubs are written and performed. That passion led me to bring the same fun to Dutch—creating dubs no one asked for but (hopefully) make some (un)fortunate viewers smile!
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