Barcelona is a great city with a wide variety of entertainment, and obviously Manga and Anime were not going to be the exception. From specialized cafes to bookstores packed with Japanese manga or thematic anime film cycles in cinemas. These are 5 of the plans you cannot miss if you are an otaku visiting Barcelona:
1. The best anime party in Barcelona: Atomic Pixel Party.
Founded in 2017, it has almost 10 years of history organizing the most spectacular anime themed parties in Barcelona. If your Spotify is filled with anime Openings like Naruto, One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Kimetsu no Yaiba, or Oshi no Ko, you cannot miss Atomic Pixel Party. They are usually organized every 4 months, although they also tour all around Spain.
2. An otaku cocktail bar with DJs and concerts: Akihabar BCN.
The only genuinely otaku bar in Barcelona. The upper floor is themed like a Japanese Izakaya, while the lower floor is styled as a subway car from the Tokyo Metro. At Akihabar BCN they frequently organize anime openings parties, Kpop, Vocaloid, Nightcore, Metalcore, and Emo events. Above all, some of their signature themed drinks and wide selection of Japanese liquors stand out. Without a doubt, if you are a fan of Japanese culture and anime, this is a place you cannot miss. Especially if it coincides with an Anime Openings, Nightcore, or Vocaloid party.
3. The biggest Manga convention in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula: Manga Barcelona.
With almost 170,000 attendees over 4 days, it is the largest space dedicated to this culture in Barcelona and all of Spain. Held once a year, it covers everything from the most important Manga publishers to live concerts featuring Japanese singers and international guests, such as renowned Mangaka. It takes place every year at the beginning of December.
4. The most famous Manga publisher in Catalan and Spanish: Norma Comics.
They have published some of the most popular manga to date: Chainsaw Man (Tatsuki Fujimoto), Jujutsu Kaisen (Gege Akutami), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Hirohiko Araki), or even Kaguya-sama: Love is War (Aka Akasaka). If reading physical copies is your thing, Norma Comics is the place for you.
5. Do you like figures or miss Japanese gashapons? Bandai Namco Shop BCN is your place.
They have hundreds of figures in various sizes and from different anime like Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, or Shin Chan, and if you want to try your luck, they also have over 100 different gashapons. As a bonus, if you are looking for Gunpla, you can find it here too.