Aniplex of America to Bring Sword Art Online Special Guests for US Premiere Screening Event

SANTA MONICA, CA (May 17, 2014) – Aniplex of America Inc. has just announced that multiple guests from the animation series Sword Art Online will be attending Anime Expo 2014 in Los Angeles as Guests of Honor: Reki Kawahara (Author) and abec (Original Illustration and Character Design Concept). Both guests will be participating in panels, autograph sessions and special events throughout Anime Expo weekend. Please see the Anime Expo schedule for official times.

Immediately following the worldwide announcement in France by Producer Shinichiro Kashiwada, Aniplex of America has also confirmed that the US Premiere Screening Event of Sword Art Online II will be held at Anime Expo. This event is scheduled for Friday July 4th and will include a variety of Sword Art Online contents. The US event will coincide with the other premiere events taking place in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

Sword Art Online II is scheduled to begin airing in Japan on July of this year. Details regarding streaming schedules and platforms will be announced at a later date.

For more information on Sword Art Online please visit www.SwordArt-OnlineUSA.com

Sword Art Online Featured Guests

Reki Kawahara
Reki Kawahara made his debut with his published work Accel World (published by ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko) in 2008,
which won the 15th Dengeki Bunko Prize. Along with Accel World, he has been writing his popular work Sword Art Online (SAO) since
2002. The accumulative number of his books sold has exceeded ten million copies and is still increasing. The Animated TV Series of Sword Art Online broadcasted in Japan in 2012 and instantly became a big hit. This will be Kawahara's first visit to Anime Expo.

abec
Original Illustration and Character Design Concept of Sword Art Online.

About Aniplex of America Inc.

Aniplex of America Inc. (Santa Monica, California) is a subsidiary of Aniplex Inc. (headquartered in Tokyo, Japan), a group of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. and a leading provider of anime content and music production and distribution in Japan. Aniplex
of America has launched fan-favorite Blu-ray and DVD releases such as Bakemonogatari, Durarara!!, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the Garden of Sinners, Sword Art Online, Blue Exorcist, Fate/Zero, Blast of Tempest, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Oreshura, and
Vividred Operation. The company's ever-growing line-up of shows includes our most recent titles KILL la KILL, MEKAKUCITY ACTORS, The irregular at magic high school, Mushi-Shi (The Sequel), Nanana's Buried Treasure, Nisekoi, World Conquest Zvezda Plot, Magi: The Kingdom of Magic, Samurai Flamenco, Silver Spoon, and Oreimo 2.

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