Kumoricon 2025
By Kevin Hoskinson
Entertainment Editor | Pastrami Nation
Celebrating anime since 2003, Kumoricon in Portland Oregon is an annual tradition for many in the Pacific Northwest. There is no shortage of nerdy events taking place year round in Oregon, but this is a special one. Its emphasis on anime and Japanese culture sets it apart from the rest and gives way to one of the most unique and fun experiences you can have at an event like this. After attending staples like Rose City Comic Con, Fan Expo Portland and Emerald City Comic Con, this was my first year attending Kumaoricon and you can feel the excitement in the air throughout the Oregon Convention Center. For many in this town, it represents more than just another nerdy event. With Portland making headlines throughout the United States as of late, it also served as an escape from the real world for a bit and into a world where your imagination can take flight.
While it’s not as big as other cons in the area, Kumoricon certainly leaves a mark. It takes up half of the show floor that Rose City does in the same building but it didn’t feel like it. It was jam packed with vendors, artists, celebrities, fans and cosplayers. Even in the main event hall that is normally empty, booths were set up promoting local businesses and other nerdy events up and down the west coast. Out here they also had a VTuber meet and greet with some of the biggest VTubers stopping by to say hi to fans, absolutely free of charge. Unlike other Cons, their celebrity guests were referred to as “Guests Of Honor”, to distinguish them from your average meet and greet. They were super accessible and willing to talk to anybody, which was a cool change of pace.
Their guests of honor this year consisted of voice actors, musicians, industry professionals and professional cosplayers. On the voice actor side, there were performers from properties such as My Hero Academia, X-Men ‘97, Elden Ring, Black Clover and much more. One highlight for me was being able to chat with voice actress Karlii Hoch, who voices Harley Quinn in the Batman Ninja films and The Suicide Squad Isekai. Another highlight was my son meeting one of his favorite musicians, None Like Joshua. He took his time to chat and offered to take a picture with us for free. That’s the kind of event this was, for the fans.
On top of the guests there was plenty of other stuff to see and do. Cosplay was everywhere you looked and they were absolutely incredible. The art of cosplay and how much work goes into it will never fail to amaze me. There were plenty of panels, covering the gamut of cosplay, anime, manga, culture, sumo wrestling (really!) and much more. They had LARP battles you could take part in or you could learn to waltz or a new k-pop dance workout. There was plenty to do to keep yourself busy and never a dull moment. It’s one of those events where you want to wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of snacks, you are going to need them with the amount of stuff there is to do.
All around it was a really great time and one I could see myself going back to again and again. The volunteers working the event legitimately seemed like they wanted to be there and took their jobs very seriously. They were looking out for every guest in that building and each other, which is exactly what Portland is all about. It felt nice to be surrounded by fellow nerds and escaping the realities of life. It’s a really fun staple of the Pacific Northwest con scene and I highly recommend checking it out.
