Displaying items by tag: FanimeCon

Unexpected, unpredictable yet successful are words that I would use to describe this year's FanimeCon. Nearing its twentieth year, Fanime is one of the most popular destinations for anime fans in, near and outside of Northern California during the busy Memorial Day weekend. With the inclusion of Clockwork Alchemy, which is a Steampunk-centric mini-convention, Fanime has continued to attract more and more fans for the yearly gathering. Of course, rapid growth does not always go off without a hitch and for this year, it was no exception.

As a FanimeCon attendee who's been attending the convention for the past decade, one of my favorite events has always been attending their MusicFest event featuring musical acts from Japan. This year's festivities included J-ROCK band ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D and the J-POP band 7!! and who performed on Saturday May 25th, 2013.

This year's FanimeCon had an exciting line of guests and panels including Japanese designer Shigeto Koyama. He has worked on popular series such as Heroman, Panty & Stocking, Gurren Lagann, Evangelion, and Eureka Seven. Check out what he had to say as we discussed a little about his work on the popular mecha anime Star Driver along with some of his current works that he was unable to talk to us about during our previous interview!

If there is one thing that Fanime 2012 will be remembered for, I am going to bet the general registration line is high on many people’s lists. While I understand that there was a power outage on Thursday, it was still a great test of patience to wait in line for five and a half hours simply to hand over your money to get in on Saturday. There were more than a few families who in the end decided to forego the line and simply spend the day outside the convention. It was my first Fanime, and I am sure that given the mass of people who waited in line with me, pre-registration was likely an afterthought for newcomers. If nothing else, the staff and volunteers were for the most part gracious, though it does nothing to change the disaster that was their pitiful logistical effort. To be fair, the Fanime staff didn’t want a power outage, but poor planning meant that a lot of people who toughed out the line ended up wasting the better part of the day. If I was a parent, such a poor show of forethought would certainly dampen my enthusiasm on making Fanime an annual family outing. If nothing else, Fanime can pat itself on the back for having hammered home the point that pre-registration is the better route.

For fans of manga and anime, announcements from both Aninplex USA and Viz Media at Fanime 2012 were sure to please, though both definitely cause a bit of hurt on their wallets. With upcoming releases that will excite old and new fans, both Aniplex and Viz have a little something for everyone.

As a recurring Guest of Honor at FanimeCon since 1997, GAINAX founder Hiroyuki Yamaga has been entertaining and informing attendees for fifteen years. Currently serving as the executive producer and project planner for EA's Rock, the company’s first live-action sentai comedy series, Yamaga-san's extensive resume includes serving as executive producer for FLCL as well as the Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth movie. This year is of particular interest as it marks the company’s 25th Anniversary since their commercial debut of the film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise.

Japanese fashion designer, Gashicon was at FanimeCon 2011 which was held earlier this year at the San Jose Convention Center from May 27-30, 2011. Gashicon is also best known for her Hangry & Angry character brand which includes a comic published in the popular Cure Magazine and various merchandise such as clothes, plushies, and other accessories. See what she had to say in our video interview as she also gives us a quick tour of her booth at the show!

FanimeCon 2011 has come and gone, but the images of some of the awesome cosplayers live on in photos! Stop on by our gallery and check them out!

Enter FanimeCon 2011 Cosplay Gallery

Japanese pop sensation Yuya Matsushita made his first American live performance in San Jose, California at the anime convention, FanimeCon 2011. Matsushita is probably best know for his music featured in several anime series including Durarara! and Black Butler. More recently, he has made appearances in Japanese television dramas and movies. See what this young rising star had to say about his rise to stardom!