Bar-le

Collectible Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, Star Wars stormtrooper enthusiasts, manga figurines, K-pop demonstrations – there is no doubt that the world of pop culture, especially Japanese, is once again making its presence felt in Bar-le-Duc. Among the big favorites are Japanese anime and Disney, of course! Their stories, their worlds, their songs, and their costumes. Some have been immersed in it for a long time, like Émilien Tumpich, one of the organizers, or Han Jones, a passionate Harrison Ford fan who has become an actor and cosplayer of his idol’s characters (Indiana Jones) but also of Captain America. “I had contracts with Walt Disney Company to do premieres in India, in China,” he explains. Cosplay is a bit of a mixture of theater, imitation, and costume creation. Criteria that will be particularly scrutinized during the cosplay contest, organized over the weekend, and hosted by cosplayer, actor, and singer Han Jones. In the presence of Barisian Aori Cosplay.

Voice Dubbing Stars

As usual, the Japan Paradise weekend is accompanied by quality guests, all recognized for their voices and iconic roles. These 4th and 5th of April, we can count on Maeva Méline, who voiced Disney’s princess Rapunzel or the heroine of Pixar’s Brave, as well as in Winx, and who has sung in the group of Mozart: the Rock Opera. Emmanuel Dahl, the understudy of Emmanuel Moire in the musical comedy Le Roi Soleil (who also lent his voice to the songs of Rapunzel and Hercules), will also be there, as well as Arnaud Laurent, a dubbing actor in films like World War Z or American Sniper, and in animated films like One Piece Z (Koby), Fairy Tail (Natsu Dragnir), Food Wars, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Attack on Titan. Another voice in anime dubbing is Chantal Baroin, the voice of Ezra in Fairy Tail or Jessie in the Pokémon movies. When it comes to Walt Disney classics like Can You Feel the Love Tonight (The Lion King), Pocahontas, or the role of Megara in Hercules, French official singer Mimi Félixine completes the list of event guests.

A Concert Full of Nostalgia

If all these people will be present for autographs for fans, they will all come together on stage on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. for “a magical concert” that Han Jones has envisioned: “We will trace the history of Walt Disney Company” with the different characters interpreted by their official French voice, and with the prerecorded participation of three French dubbing monsters: Richard Darbois (Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story or the genie in Aladdin), Benoît Allemane (N.B. deceased in 2025), the French voice of Morgan Freeman, and Donald Reignoux (Titeuf, Andrew Garfield, Adam Brody, Malcolm). This concert aims to be “intergenerational”, sweeping from Snow White to Encanto (one of the latest Disney animated films). “The goal: to reconnect with your inner child and your nostalgia,” adds Han Jones.

Pre-sales available at www.billetweb.fr/japan-paradise-bar-le-duc1. Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with privileged access from 9:30 a.m. for pre-sale passes. Food available on-site.