Guests (2019)
Guest of honor
Hirano Aya
Consul General Izawa
Cosplay
TWIN Cosplay
Doll Damage Cosplay
Gaming
missharvey
Photography
Droo
Martial Arts
Club d’Aïkido de la Capitale
Club Shinkendo Québec
Northsaber
GUEST OF HONOR
HIRANO AYA
Hirano Aya is a voice actress and singer most known for her roles as Fairy Tail’s Lucy Heartfilia, Death Note’s Misa Amane, Lucky☆Star’s Konata Izumi and The Melancoly of Haruhi Suzumiya’s Haruhi Suzumiya. She also voiced characters from School Rumble, Nana, Macross Frontier, Gintama°, Kimi ni Todoke and Dragon Ball Super, to name but a few.
In 2007, she won the Voice Acting Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards and the Best Newcomer Award at the 1st Seiyu Awards, followed by the Best Lead Actress at the 2nd Seiyu Awards in 2008.
Hirano Aya also has a talent for singing and recorded many songs under her characters’ personas. She also released a few albums under her name throughout her dubbing career: Riot Girl, Speed Star and Vivid.
In the past few years, Hirano Aya has also been active in other spheres: theater, acting, and variety shows.
CONSUL GENERAL IZAWA
Mr. Osamu Izawa was born in Tochigi Prefecture, and from an early age felt the need to travel abroad and explore new surroundings. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987 and moved to Aix-en-Provence where he spent two years learning French. Then, he worked in Algeria and later in Paris, before his area of expertise shifted to Security and Defence, taking him to Thailand and Australia before his return to Japan. Since the start of his new appointment in Montreal, Mr. Izawa has actively promoted discussions and exchanges between Japanese and Canadians on several subjects, particularly regarding Japanese culture and ways of thinking. In his free time, Mr. Izawa enjoys discovering local cultural events in his jurisdiction, and has already visited a sugar shack with his family! He is accompanied in his posting by his wife and their 9-year-old son.
COSPLAY
TWIN COSPLAY
TWIN Cosplay is a cosplay duo consisting of Shema Arroyo and Juan Carlos both from Mexico. They started their career in the Cosplay scene 3 years ago. At that time, they had already established themselves as one of the most recognized cosplay duos in Mexico with a growing presence around the world.
Both have obtained multiple awards in different international competitions, including the World Cosplay Summit in Japan in 2015. They presented their project of The Legend of ZELDA: Majora’s Mask and received the title of world champions after competing against skilled cosplayers from 26 different countries.
Also, in April of the same year, they participated in the World Cosplay Championship: POLYMANGA in Switzerland. Their project of MONSTER HUNTER Generations allowed them to win the first place again against more than 12 countries.
Since then, they have also had the opportunity to participate as guests and judges of more than 100 events and contests in 30 countries around the world.
DOLL DAMAGE COSPLAY
Doll Damage Cosplay is the team that will represent Canada at the upcoming 2019 World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya, Japan.
Partners since 2015, Doll Damage Cosplay is a team in both cosplay and life. The first member of the team is Kaoru Doll who specializes mainly in sewing, embellishment, sculpture, painting and small details. The repetitive elements do not scare her, and one could even say that she has a taste for it over time. The second member is Damage Cosplay who specializes in armor making, costume reverse engineering, props and manual work. He is attracted by impossible ideas going against gravity or requiring a few more arms.
Their interests in movies and staging are mixed to create interesting choreographies during masquerades, where a pirouette or two are not totally unexpected. They experimented with different styles of presentation from dramatic to humorous. They each have their own taste for costume ideas, which allows them to always have fun doing them.
They have won several awards in presentation and confection. Since their beginning, they have grown through their experiences, research and the advice of their peers. They love to push their limits and try new techniques with each new project. Do not hesitate to come talk to them about everything and anything.
GAMING
MISSHARVEY
A five-time world champion in competitive Counter-Strike, and longtime female pro-gaming icon, Stephanie Harvey currently plays video games professionally for Counter-Logic Gaming. She is also DreamHack Montreal’s spokesperson as well as the OMEN by HP Canada Ambassador. She also worked as a game designer for Ubisoft Montreal, having notably been part of development for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and Far Cry Primal. Her 15 years in esports as a player and 7 years in the industry as a developer awarded her a Forbes 30 under 30 title and one of the BBC 100 women. She also won Canada’s Smartest Person Season 3 on CBC and was voted Quebec City’s personality of 2017 by ICI Radio-Canada Quebec television channel.
PHOTOGRAPHY
DROO
Since 2008 Droo has been capturing the art of cosplayers at his mobile studio at conventions. Droo has created the facebook groups “Cosplay~It Unites Us” and “Cosplayers of Canada” which are sources of sharing, positivity and social interaction for the cosplay community. He is an artist at heart and you can see more of his work on his Instagram and Facebook pages.
WEB CONTENT
LUDUC
Luduc is a YouTuber who has made his mark in conventions since 2011. In 8 years, he had the chance to interview big names such as: Nostalgia Critic, François Pérusse, Joueur du Grenier, Antoine Daniel, Frank Pitiot, Bob Lennon and a bunch of other convention guests. In 2015, he became master of ceremonies for events and then the masquerade. In 2016, he became a contributor to the Journal de Montréal. In 2017, he was mentioned in several media for the webseries he directed, “Versus”. Since 2018, he has been hosting the podcast talk show “Astine Potine” where he invites artists to talk about their career and the uneasy moments of life.
VALÉRIE LÉVESQUE
Valérie Lévesque is an author, content creator and speaker from Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean.
After several articles on her personal blog (valerielevesque.com) and bentos conferences / workshops throughout Quebec since 2015, she published a book, Les bentos de Valérie, on bentos and onigiris in September 2017.
She had the opportunity to present her book and workshops at the Japan Touch in Lyon in December 2017 and shine in the traditional media thanks to this niche culinary passion.
She now collaborates with the popular magazine Cool! since January 2018 with a monthly Kawaii themed culinary column. She also writes several articles on K-pop and Japanese popular culture.
Valérie now brings her thousands of Facebook & Instagram followers into her colorful and creative world! Anime / Manga, Conventions, K-pop, Geek subjects, Foodie … and a few (or more) slips on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. In short, all her passions can be discovered in the videos, photos and articles she posts!
She was the winner of the ‘Best Influencer in Quebec in 2018’ award by Creator HQ and has collaborated with several brands since 2015.
GAMES
J-F BIBEAU
Author of the satirical novel “Le Noël clandestin de Rodrigue Melançon”, creator of the comedy and traveling Youtube channel “Diplodocus comédie”, nothing stops J-F Bibeau in his unending creative quest. He can be seen zipping from one convention to the other as he entertains the crowds with his activities that range from quiz shows to improv games. He is also a gaming expert : owner of the company “Stratajeux”, writer of riddles and creator of escape games, always ready to share a board game with you or a bout of Magic.
MUSIC
ICE QREAM
Ice Qream is a singing and dancing group inspired by Japanese idol groups, whose mission is to popularize and educate people about Japanese idol culture, still little known in Canada. In order to achieve this goal, the members represent as best as they can the aura of a real group of idol, that fans can meet and see in concert. They also want to share their passion for singing and dancing, with the goal of inspiring other girls to follow their dreams. Each member is associated with an ice cream flavor that also indicates their member color, so that their fans can encourage them during concerts.
The members are:
- Vicky – Pink strawberry ice cream
- Coco – Lavender ice cream with black cherries
- Millie – Mint and chocolate chips ice cream
- Lili – Vanilla ice cream
- Nemi – Light orange caramel ice cream
- Fani – Ice blue ice cream with bubble gum
The group, which will celebrate its 5th birthday this year, wants to increase its presence at conventions and events in North America to make as many people as possible smile, as only idols (or ice cream!) can do!
Orchestre portable des jeux vidéo (OPJV)
The OPJV orchestra is a group of twenty passionate musicians who offer video game lovers a unique experience. As the name suggests, the ensemble will present musical arrangements of your favorite video games, such as Final Fantasy, Zelda, Undertale and many others. Under the direction of Sébastien Wall-Lacelle, the musicians of the OPJV will transport you to the worlds you have explored and will thrill your imagination with the melodies you know so much!
FASHION
SPACEBERRY CLOTHING
SpaceBerry Clothing, created by Kelly Rancourt, a 24-year-old fashion designer born in Ontario and established in the beautiful Montreal region, was born in 2016. Despite its young age, SpaceBerry Clothing has undergone a recent make-over and its creator is immensely proud to take advantage of the visibility of the 2019 Nadeshicon edition to share a new look.
Passionate about the ready-to-wear industry and inspired by Japanese fashion Harajuku, Kelly Rancourt studied fashion design at Cégep Marie-Victorin in Montreal. She perfected her techniques of sewing, making and adjusting patterns. After 2 years of hard work, she finally decided to continue her way independently to give free rein to her creativity. Kelly has since created her own works and, very quickly, her entourage showed a strong craze in buying her creations. After a few years, she decided to open her own online store on Etsy.
With its different clothing collections, SpaceBerry Clothing target a broad spectrum of consumers. Regardless of the age, size or gender identity of her clients, Kelly always finds the touch to satisfy the originality and uniqueness they are looking for. SpaceBerry Clothing specializes in alternative fashion. The nu-goth, pastel goth, uchuu kei and fairy kei styles are widely represented. The clothes are custom and tailored made.
SpaceBerry Clothing’s creations will be presented in the dealers room, but Kelly will also unveil her latest works during the fashion show!
VIOLETTE
Violette is an alternative fashion brand for women offering boldness, originality, femininity and elegance for all women wanting to explore their femininity with a touch out of the ordinary without sacrificing comfort.
The designer’s career began at an early age with drawing and costume making. The drawing is particularly central in the life of the artist because it is for her the medium that most easily transmits visions of the invisible in a tangible expression. After studying visual arts and then sewing, Violette honed her talents by working for different Quebec designers before finally dedicating herself full time to her own creations.
The designer finds her inspiration through various varied and powerful themes such as the boreal forest, the passage of the seasons, the sacred feminine, Antiquity, nomadism, the great empires, etc. The contact with the great Nordic forests has always had a great influence on the sensitivity of the artist: a beautiful and magical world, but also a rough one.
The main direction of the pieces of recent and upcoming collections is found in the rich Scandinavian and Slavic folklore without forgetting a touch of the Eastern world. Deer prints and Scythian symbols are hand printed using stencils, in a traditional way dating back more than a thousand years ago. The colors chosen for the pieces are all derived from a direct observation of nature and the effect of the passage of the seasons on fauna and flora.
Violette will present these creations in the dealers room and she will also present a collection specially selected for the fashion show!
CULTURAL
ASSOCIATION DE CHADO URASENKE TANKOKAI DE QUÉBEC
This association is part of the Tankokai non-profit organization of Kyoto, Japan. The team became an official association in 2011 and their mission is to make people discover the way of tea also known as Chado. In Japan, the way in which a bowl of tea is prepared has been particularly refined by cultural and aesthetic development. The Chado is conceived as a way of life, resulting in a true work of art, contributing to the artisanal development of Japan, but also changing the way Japanese people lived their everyday life.
A cup of tea prepared according to the principles of Chado is a ritual intended to restore the inner tranquility which is a fundamental need of mankind. It is a ritual of simplicity and sobriety in which everyone can find “the peace of a bowl of tea”.
KOMACHI MONTRÉAL
MARTIN SAVARD
Naturalist and overall fan of the outdoors, Martin also finds pleasure in learning about the countless human societies that populated the Earth. Exposed as a kid to the “Cool Japan” wave through the likes of Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight, Sally the Witch, Demetant Croaker and Captain Harlock, he would many years later open himself to oriental spirituality and start practicing Ki Aikido. However, it was but recently that he fell in love with Japanese pop culture, or more accurately with the lighthearted nature of Rakugo; telling the tales of daily life in the Edo period as well as otherwise forgotten legends, the sketches of Rakugo are performed by a single storyteller with the only help of a small cloth and a paper fan. It is Martin’s dream to keep acquiring more experience in this long-established artform, and maybe someday adapt the tales and legends of the Province of Quebec into a beautiful mix of cultures, full of both humanity and laughter.
MARTIAL ARTS
CLUB D’AÏKIDO DE LA CAPITALE
Club d’Aïkido de la Capitale is a dojo affiliated to the Canadian Association of Mochizuki Aikido(ACAM). Proud to sum up an experience of over 60 years in martial arts practice, the senseis teach Mochizuki Aikido, a Japanese martial art developed by the great Master Minoru Mochizuki.
Aikido literally means “the (do) path” of energy (ki) in harmony (ai). The techniques taught aim to respond to an attack (seizure, strike) by using the force (energy) of an aggressor against him. The aggression will be transformed into an imbalance in the partner and will be followed by a projection or an articular key.
Club d’Aïkido de la Capitale also teaches kobudo (weapons techniques) of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu school. Founded in 1447, it is one of the oldest martial arts schools in Japan. It is considered a national treasure. The techniques taught include the bokken (wooden saber), the bô (long stick), the naginata (halberd) and the iaito (saber). We are constantly honing our knowledge thanks to monthly workshops held by ACAM and annual clinics held by Master Yukihiro Sugino, who currently leads Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu.
CLUB SHINKENDO QUÉBEC
The Shinkendo is a Japanese sword school that offers a perfect combination of Japanese traditions and the modern vision of Toshishiro Obata’s martial arts.
Through various traditional styles of Japanese fencing, there are five major aspects that define the art of the sword: Suburi (Basic Exercises), Tanrengata (Katas), Tachi Uchi (Simulated Combat), Battoho (Taming) and Tameshigiri (Test cuts). But rare are the schools that bring them all together.
The Shinkendo teaches that all these concepts are closely interwoven with each other and are inseparable. Each technique practiced directly influences the learning of the other spheres of competence thus allowing to better grasp the subtleties and to deepen the concepts of the art of the Japanese sword. It is by studying and exploring these 5 spheres that we seek the true way of the sword (Shin-Ken-Do).
NORTHSABER
NORTHSABER, the only lightsaber school in the Quebec City area will turn you into a galactic warrior! Whether it is to surpass yourself, to experience the adrenaline of the fighting, to learn techniques or to do some exercise, our team will get you moving. Proud of our two years of existence, we have evolved and adapted to your needs. Come see us and discover YOUR school of lightsaber!
MANGAS & COMICS
DEZ
Etienne Desilets-Trempe, better known as Dez, is the creator of Frivolesque, a weekly online comic book (webcomic) launched in 2013.
Originally from Mauricie but living in Quebec City for sixteen years, Dez is passionate about comics of all kinds, cinema and retro video games. He likes to get involved in various geek events. He has been drawing since a very young age, but has only recently begun to take himself seriously.
Frivolesque, the comic strip on which he has been working for more than five years now, is updated every Monday and tells a little about the more or less incredible daily life of five unconventional girls. It is inspired, on one hand, by mangas of the “4-koma” type such as Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star or K-On and their clichés, and, on the other hand, the daily life of the author and the people around him.
ESBÉ
Simon Bergeron (aka ESBÉ) was born exactly the same day as his birthday. Artistically self-taught since a time when beige cars were legally allowed to drive with an imitation of wood on the sides, his idols have inspired him to take the pencil. Among these, we can mention Tintin, Gaston Lagaffe, Yoko Tsuno, Gotlib, Idées Noires, Asterix and Lucky Luke on the European side. Since then, his horizons have expanded, including influences such as Bryan Lee O’Malley (Scott Pilgrim), Akira Toriyama (DragonBall, Dr. Slump), Afro (Au Grand Air), Tsugumi Oba / Takeshi Obata duo (Death Note, Bakuman), Kaori Yuki (Royal Doll Orchestra) and the duo Tsukuda Yuto / Saeki Shun (Food Wars).
Formerly published by BerBer 13-13, ESBÉ is now an independent artist. Chapter 3 of his saga “The Broken Buddha”, a European and Quebec-based manga from Quebec, was successfully funded on the Ulule platform. The author has seen his comic journey beyond his dreams, especially with his third exhibition in Japan in 2018-2019 and his nomination to the Bédéis Causa Awards in 2016 in the category “Best First Publication”.
“The Broken Buddha Chapter 4” is currently in production and should be launched around 2019-2020. Exactly 21 chapters are planned to complete this epic saga.
NUNUMI
Nunumi (aka Christine Dallaire-Dupont) is participating to Montreal’s 3-D animation’s scene since almost 15 years. She contributed to numerous titles such as Ballerina, Snowtime!, The Suicide Shop and she played many roles including those of animator, character designer and storyboard artist. Over the past few years, she also evolved jointly as an author in the comic’s field. In 2017, her first publication titled Sky Rover has distinguished itself in Canada (Joe Shuster Award) and in Japan (Japan Media Arts Festival). Her next book, Un Billet Pour Nulle Part will soon be available in Quebec.