UlasanAnime.com – The 2014 Anime Expo (AX) was a vibrant event, despite a seemingly thinner guest list from Japan. The convention was packed with attendees, offering opportunities to see notable figures from the Japanese anime industry in person. The author recounts an amusing interaction where a representative from Native was discussing preferred bust sizes with an Amimami producer.
Further highlighting the unique encounters, Hiro Takeuchi was seen with Yamakan again. Yamakan’s panel was essentially a Wake Up Girls (WUG) panel, a fitting choice given his deep involvement with the IP. The experience was akin to watching personal videos from the Acen concert as snippets were played during the panel.
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A memorable evening involved a dinner with Luna Tsukigami, described as a “pretty cool Miki P” with the credentials to match. The gathering was also enhanced by the presence of a Miki cosplayer who provided significant assistance.
This year’s travel to AX was a novel experience, as the author utilized a rental car. Day 0 was somewhat spontaneous, marked by hanging out with new acquaintances, and the culinary experiences were as delightful as ever, including a memorable dim sum meal.
The author aimed for a balanced experience, engaging in activities with various group sizes, including solo pursuits and press-related engagements. While there was a desire to conduct more press interviews, circumstances did not fully allow for it.
Among the various premieres at AX, the author was most anticipating “Ninja Slayer.” However, this clashed with a crucial focus panel featuring Yuzu-nee and Amisuke. Although initially planning to leave the seiyuu panel midway for “Ninja Slayer,” the Yuzu-nee/Amisuke panel proved to be exceptionally engaging, causing the author to completely forget about “Ninja Slayer.” The panel’s dynamic was compared to an episode of “Amisuke’s Tokyo Encounter,” but with both Yuzu-nee and Amisuke embodying high-tension comedic “boke” roles, and notably, without Sugita to moderate their antics. It was considered one of the top-tier seiyuu panels in terms of quality.
Conversations with an attendee of the “Ninja Slayer” panel suggested it was a typical Wakabayashi-style presentation. The attendee was present to showcase the series. The author managed to obtain a promotional poster, which would be included in a future loot showcase if it could fit into their luggage.
In terms of personal accomplishments at AX, the author felt they “totally failed” in the Exhibit Hall category. Saturday marked the first day with sufficient time to explore the hall, but it was overwhelmingly crowded and felt arduous. The day was spent moving from one event to another, including an amusing “IM@S and Love Live” battle event at the Daisuki booth. The author mused that a Kuniyoshi cosplay would have been fitting had they known about the event beforehand.
Autograph scoring was also perceived as less than ideal. The author missed an opportunity with Butch and only managed to get one autograph from Trigger. However, a significant achievement was securing autographs from both Yuzu-nee and Amisuke. The interaction with Yamakan yielded a Miyu sticker. A bonus was encountering Uki Satake and receiving an autographed board from Minami, the president.
A brief respite was taken before further reflection for a comprehensive wrap-up of the event.
