California residents and anime fans from around the world are ready to swarm the Los Angeles Convention Center again this upcoming July 1-4th. Boasting a flock of 350,000+, Anime Expo has become one of the premier places for anime fandom, with numerous events and activities to sate your appetite.
A slate of movie and show premieres are happening this year, The First Slam Dunk being one of the most notable, having won this year’s prize of Best Animation of the Year from Japan Academy. It’s quite an accomplishment, placing The First Slam Dunk alongside other winners, such as Mirai, Weathering with You, The Boy and the Beast, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Some of the other premiers include Fate/Strange Fake – Whispers of Dawn, TRIGGER, the 1000th episode of One Piece, Gridman Universe, and a slew of other not-to-be-missed titles!
Being a fan of Japanese media can be difficult, knowing that you will probably never meet your idols… but at Anime Expo you can! A renowned artist of the Final Fantasy series, Yoshitaka Amano, is making his way across the pond as a guest of honor, providing complimentary autographs to his soon-to-be enamored fans. The hilariously quirky Yoko Taro of NieR and Drakengard fame is sure to amuse the audience with his in-person hijinks. Dozens of other guests of honor, creators, voice actors, and musicians will be making an appearance, so do be sure to check out the enormous list on the official site for more information.
What would a con be without panels? Hosting their own panels, there are big names such as Bandai Namco, ATLUS/SEGA, Kotobukiya, eigoMANGA, VIZ, KADOKAWA Animation, Toei Animation, and more, showing off their latest and greatest, while potentially answering your burning questions. Then there are the lesser known–but still totally cool–panels at which you can learn Taiko drumming, get pro tips on your future, extravagant cosplay ideas, participate in fighting game trivia, or even bask in the atmosphere of the “Outlandishly explain your extreme fetish,” panel that you’re totally not going to. ::wink::
After the onslaught of entertainment, the panels, movies, shows, meet-and-greets, exhibitor’s hall, artist alley, concerts, maid/butler cafes, AX Masquerade, and so much more, you’d think there’d be nothing else (that was totally a ton of stuff!), but one would be remiss to forget that simply being at Anime Expo is special: interacting with the cosplayers, and seeing characters from different series playfully acting together, and just being in awe with your fellow anime fans. That’s simply the best.
