News

Due to certain unavoidable conflicts, we regret to announce that Erica Lindbeck will not be appearing at Sakura Con 2022. 

Erica Schroeder (A.K.A. Bella Hudson) Erica is one of New York’s premier voice actresses. She has provided the voice for over 150 characters in the world of animation for television, film and video games over the past 15 years.

Erica is known for being active in the autistic community, supporting her fan’s challenges and triumphs. She has voiced over 10 characters in the 5 YU-GI-OH series, making her the only voice actress to appear in all 5 series, including such characters as: Mai Valentine, Akiza Izinski, Dark Magician Girl, Rally Dawson and Cathy Catherine. Over the years she has voiced over 50 characters and various Pokemon on POKEMON including: Nurse Joy, Fantina, Bianca, Grace, Meloetta, Pidove, Panchum, Sylveon, Tapukoko, and many more. Other notable roles include: Monkey D. Luffy in ONE PIECE, Blaze the Cat and Wave the Swallow from the SONIC video games, the legendary Emma Frost in Joss Whedon’s Stop Motion Comic ASTONISHING X-MEN, Faragonda, Icy the Witch, Piff, Daphne, Galatea, Squonk and Critty from WINX CLUB, Lyserg from SHAMAN KING, Rai and Komorka from TAI CHI CHASERS, Bridgette Verdant (Lettuce) from MEW MEW POWER, Olgariki from GO GO RIKI, Shiho from AH! MY GODDESS, Scarlet Claw in CUTIE HONEY, from the makers of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE, The Spirit of the Mountain (role shared with Sean Schemmel), in THE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE A BEAR, The Witch in the Cannes Film Festival’s LITTLE LONG NOSE and many more titles. Select newer roles and releases include: YOUR NAME, GUNDAM SEED and GUNDAM DESTINY (role to be announced), Melissa Trail in YU-GI-OH Arc V, Akemi in ZETMAN, Yurika Yamagiwa in PSYCHIC SCHOOL WARS, Zarafa in ZARAFA, Nagako Aoki in MAI MAI MIRACLE and her newest role to hit Saturday morning, Astoria Rapunzel on Nickelodeon’s fantastical REGAL ACADEMY.

The second seasons is now airing on Nick Jr. Erica recently recorded a song as the character of Elita in Signe Baumane’s new animated feature with Cameron Monaghan and Emma Kenney of SHAMELESS and Matthew Modine of STRANGER THINGS, coming out in 2018 titled, MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE. She also just starred as Betsy in an episode of the award winning podcast, THE TRUTH, featured on suchshows as ALL THINGS CONSIDERED and THIS AMERICAN LIFEamong others. Erica is currently working on Dan’s Green’s much anticipated audiodrama, CROSSING THE GODS as Dominea. Erica recently took over the role of Wobbuffet for POKEMON SUN AND MOON. In addition to the several POKEMON, SONIC and ONE PIECE video games she has worked on, Erica has also voiced characters in several other video game titles such as: SHADOW HEARTS: FROM THE NEW WORLD, WHITE DAY, LITTLEST PET SHOP, DUNGEON HUNTER V, JUST CAUSE 3, SUPER SMASH BROS., INSECTICIDE, and many more. As a theater and musical theater actress, Erica has also appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally and sings on the original cast recordings of JANE EYRE, SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL and a bunch of other concept albums. Erica has won a SALT award for MY MOTHER’S LESBIAN JEWISH WICCAN WEDDING and an Outstanding Acting Performance Award in the 2014 ZED FEST FILM FESTIVAL for the television pilot, ZOM-COM, playing opposite Dan Deluca and Sonic actor, Jason Griffith. Her greatest gift to this world is her role as mother of her two babes.

You can see what she’s up to on her fan page: https://www.facebook.com/Erica-Schroeder-164914246916696/. 

You can find her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ericaschroedervoiceactress/ 

You can see more listed anime titles and roles at: http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Erica-Schroeder/

Kyle McCarley grew up (but not really) in Kansas and moved to Los Angeles at age 18 to study acting. After getting hooked on playing World of Warcraft with his buddies, he co-wrote, co-directed, and voiced several characters in a fan-made online radio play loosely set in that universe. Once he finished his Theatre degree at the University of Southern California, he decided to further pursue that passion in the form of a career in voice acting. Kyle’s voice can now be heard in anime, video games, cartoons, audiobooks, live action dubs, TV and radio commercials, industrial ads, and even a talking toy plunger.

Notable anime credits include Mikazuki Augus in Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama in Mob Psycho 100, Narancia Ghirga in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Red Blood Cell AA2153 in Cells at Work: Code Black, Koku in B: The Beginning, Ryo in Devilman Crybaby, Joe Shimamura, a.k.a. 009, in Cyborg 009: Call of Justice, Aoba Kuronuma in Durarara!!x2, Shinji Matou in Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Ryota Watari in Your Lie in April, Helbram in Seven Deadly Sins, Claudia Hodgins in Violet Evergarden, John Steinbeck in Bungo Stray Dogs, Iruka Umino in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Gran in Granblue Fantasy: The Animation, Kirii in Blame!, Joichiro Nishi in Gantz: O, Silas Norman in The Asterisk War, and Ikuya Ogura in Ajin: Demi-Human.

Featuring, KOHSHI (Vo), KEIGO (Vo), TAKE (Gt), GOT’S (Ba), IWASAKI (Dr)

FLOW is a mixed-genre rock band.

With the strength of their catchy melodies and wide range of musicality woven by their two vocalists, FLOW is especially well known for their work with anime, including the opening theme “GO!!!” of “Naruto,” “COLORS” of “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion,” and many more. 

Since 2006, FLOW has been actively sharing their music around the world, having performed 62 live shows in 19 countries so far.

FLOW’s song “Sign,” which is an opening theme for “Naruto Shippuden” currently has over 94 million streams on Spotify, with their full discography totalling at 400 million streams worldwide!

Sakura-Con is excited to announce our mascot contest for 2023 is officially open!

From now until May 13th 11:59 PST submit your artwork for a chance to see your artwork represent Sakura-Con 2023!

For rules and how to submit visit the Mascot Contest page!

Raised in rural Pennsylvania, Griffin moved to LA in 2010 with an English degree, an acoustic guitar, and some beginner’s luck.  He booked his first voice over audition ever for San Diego’s Balboa Park and landed a small co-star appearance on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place.  Two years later, Griffin quit his ‘survival jobs’ as a valet and began voice acting full time. 

His most notable roles include Tartaglia from Genshin Impact, Doppio in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Muichiro in Demon Slayer, Akira Fudo in Devilman Crybaby, Tadano in Aggretsuko, Colt Grice in Attack on Titan, Ryota in Kakegurui, Jintan in Anohana, Todd Snap in  New Pokemon Snap, Shinichi Kudo in Case Closed, Ritsuka Fujimaru in Fate: Grand Order, and many, many others.  Griffin is also known for his memes on social media and his band New New Girlfriend.  He’s always down to engage with his fans, so stop by and say hello!

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn –

“Dear Sakura-Con attendees, I’m so sorry, but due to my overwhelming work schedule I won’t be able to attend Sakura-Con this year. I was really looking forward to coming to Seattle to be with you all and I know you’ll have an amazing con together. It breaks my heart that I can’t be there. Hopefully I’ll be able to see you at some future event. Stay safe, have fun and keep supporting each other. I love this community and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”

Hisashi Kagawa is best known for being the character designer of SaiKano: She, The Ultimate Weapon, One Piece: Defeat The Pirate Ganzak!, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Toriko TV, and Dream 9 Toriko x One Piece x Dragon Ball Z Super Collabo Special.
Some of his other works as an animation director includes Pokémon (1997), Angelic Layer (2001), Fresh Pretty Cure (2009), Soul Eater (2008) and Toriko (2011). He also lent his talents to Sailor Moon, which include Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon Super S, and the opening for Sailor Stars. His major episodes included Makoto Kino’s, Black Lady’s and Haruka Ten’o’s first appearances and the past of the Silver Millennium. He also was a character designer and animation director for the Sailor Moon S movie.
Most recently, he has worked as the Chief Animation Director for the Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai anime series.

The new Convention Center maps are now available in the

Hotels & Travel > Locations page.

See the Locations page for more information.

Junichi Hayama is a Japanese animator with more than 30 years of experience. He began his career in animation in 1983, and he trained under Masami Suda on Fist of the North Star. He served as director, character designer, and chief animation director on the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood anime film. His other animation director credits include Be-Bop-Highschool, Kyō, Koi o Hajimemasu, InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler, Yu-Gi-Oh! TV anime series was the Key Animator for the 2016 Yu-Gi-Oh Movie, Dark Side of Dimensions. 
Most recently, he worked as an Animation Director and Key Animator on the ONE PIECE FILM: RED Movie.