Voice Actor Readings Fuse With Cosplay Performance: A Report on 'Akaribi Festival,' a New Kind of 2.5D Reading

Comment From the Akaribi Festival Organizers

This was our first attempt at something like this, and we feel it turned out to be a wonderful event. Before the curtain rose, we heard many people asking, "What exactly is a 2.5D reading?" and "What are we going to see?" Once the performance was over, though, the overwhelming response was "I am so glad I got to see this in person," and we have already received a great many voices hoping for a next performance.

Until now, Akari no Moribito has delivered its story primarily through voice dramas. Seeing those characters stand on a real stage for the first time, in the form of the cosplayers — that freshness was something special for us as well. All around the venue, we saw fans who had never been familiar with cosplay circles delighting in the sight of their favorite characters recreated right in front of them. All of that was possible only because of the cosplayers' deep respect for the work and the craftsmanship built into every detail of their costumes. It was also striking to see exchanges that crossed the usual boundaries, with the voice actors asking the cosplayers questions such as "How did you recreate this pattern?" and "How did you make this weapon?" We believe this was a project that only World Cosplay Summit, where top cosplayers from around the world come together, could have made possible.

After the performance we also heard comments such as "I wanted to see the costumes up close" and "Maybe I will try making one myself," and more than anything we are glad that it became an opportunity to broaden interest in making things, not just watching them. We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who came and to everyone who supported this performance. We do not want the heat of this day to end here, and we hope to carry it through to our next performance, so please look forward to it.

Akari no Moribito 'Akaribi Festival': Voice Actor Reading × Cosplay Performance — A 2.5D Reading Theater Production
Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026
Venue: Aichi Prefectural Art Theater

(C) 2026 World Cosplay Summit. All rights reserved.
(C) 燈の守り人製作委員会