Arbor Anime

Event Summary

Date(s): Saturday, August 15, 2026
Time: 11:00am-5:00pm
Venue: Downtown Branch of AADL
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Event Description

AADL is holding a 1 day celebration of anime and manga. Enter the Cosplay Contest (by 2p), take photos at the photo op, buy some merch at artist alley, or make your Anime Arbor mascot swag!.

Don’t forget about the panels and Q&A sessions with our special guests! This year, Anime Arbor is proud to welcome voice actor Kayli Mills and cosplay experts Akakioga, AlpacaAsh, Jazzthebat, and Halcybella.

Special Guest: Kaylie Mills

Kayli Mills

Kayli grew up in multiple towns in the LP of Michigan. As a child she was frequently relocated,
but in middle school she found comfort and friendship in creating song covers, writing and voice
acting online. After years of chasing her dream, you can hear her as colorful cast of characters
including Keqing (Genshin Impact), Rapie and Alice (NIKKE), Alice (Sword Art Online), Emilia
(Re:Zero), Clara (Welcome to Demon School: Iruma-kun), Quna – Speaking and singing (PSO2)
and many more!

Beyond being a voice actor, Kayli is also a professional writer, lyricist and singer with a
certification in audio engineering and a Youtube channel with a following for her cover songs.
She has also sung and appeared in a music video for a single released by J-pop singer Yun*Chi.
She is a part of the virtual idol group Interlunium, an 11 member group that releases original music and story.
She even designed her own character, Akira!

Schedule:

11a-5p – Artist Alley – First Floor Lobby
11a-4:30p – Cosplay Photo Area – Kids Story Corner – submissions for the Cosplay Contest are accepted utnil 2p.
11a-4p – Drop-in Mascot Keychains – Secreet Lab
11a-4p – Drop-In Heat Press – Secret Lab – Decorate Tote Bags with Arbor Anime designs
noon-1p – Special Guest Talk with Re:Zero Voice Actor Kayli Mills – 4th Floor Program Room – moderated Q&A
1-2p – Special Guest Signing Kayli Mills – First Floor Lobby
2-3:30p – From Construction to Contests: All About Cosplay! – Lower Level Program Room – special guest panel:
- Jazzthebat is an Atlanta-based costuming professional with twenty years of experience. Outside of conventions, her costuming work has appeared in art galleries, cosplay photoshoots, and the feature film Black Panther 2.
- Halcybella, also known as Bella Lebaron, is a Utah-based cosplayer with years of experience in costume making. She has done professional cosplay for Electronic Arts, PlayStation, Ubisoft, and many more entertainment companies.
- Akakioga is an Ohio-based cosplayer with years of costume contest judging. She has recently appeared as a cosplay guest for Anime Expo, and her work has been featured by Blizzard Entertainment, Obsidian Entertainment, and Microsoft
- Alpaca Ash is an award-winning Texas-based cosplayer. She recently appeared as a cosplay judge for Holiday Matsuri, Dreamhack Atlanta, and World Cosplay Summit.
- Meet Alpaca Ash and Akakioga throughout the day and Jazzthebat and Halcybella from 3:30-4:30pm in Artists Alley!
4-5p – Cosplay Contest Awards Ceremony – 4th Floor Program Room – Variety of winners including Judges’ Favorite, Best Overall Kids Costume, Overall Teen Costume, and many more.