The launch opened with special remarks from Consul-General Ishikawa of the Consulate-General of Japan in Brisbane. He spoke about the power of literature and manga to connect people across borders and highlighted the deep cultural ties between Japan and Australia. Introducing the Japanese narrative structure of kishotenketsu , he shared thoughtful reflections—along with a touch of humor—on how storytelling creates new perspectives and possibilities. He also raised a timely question about creativity in the age of AI: does AI replace human creativity, or does it expand it?
We were honored to welcome our keynote speaker, Professor belne of Kaishi Professional University, who will celebrate 50 years as a manga artist in 2026. Professor belne shared her personal journey—from discovering manga at the age of six and being inspired by Osamu Tezuka, to decades of creative practice, Comic Market workshops, and sustaining artistic initiatives through crowdfunding during the pandemic.