At the helm of the inaugural Anime Expo New York, Mike Tatsugawa had to
announce that one invited guest of honor - actor Mayumi Tanaka - had to
stay home because of work. Others - directors Akitaro Daichi and Shinichiro
Watanabe, composer Yoko Kanno and producer Taro Maki - were shared with
the Big Apple AnimeFest and were busy at the film festival across the street. |
But on hand at the Anime Expo New York opening ceremonies were Toshihiro
Kawamoto, the character designer for Cowboy Bebop, a Big Apple Anime Fest
guest who noted that the Labor Day weekend event was his third trip to
an Anime Expo convention. |
The big name of the weekend was Yoshiyuki Tomino, a Big Apple Anime Fest
guest who joked that he was the oldest person at the convention. Tomino's
life work, the Gundam series, has been a major beneficiary in the rise
of anime fandom in North America. |
Takao Koyama joked that he was the tallest guest at the convention.
He also may have been the most prolific artistic creator, writing thirteen
Dragon Ball movies and episodes of Slayers and Urusei Yatsura. |
Koji Sugara, whose joke was that he was kidnaped from Japan and taken to
New York, designed the biomechanical mecha for Vision of Escaflowne. |
Another mecha designer, Atsushi Takeuchi, created mecha for Ghost in the
Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion. |
And Noboru Ishiguro, who directed Superdimensional fortress Macross and
Legend of Galactic Heroes, said this was his first time in New York. |
Ishiguro was selected to continue the Anime Expo daruma tradition that
concluded the opening ceremony. |
