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Anime Expo Hosts P.A. Works' CEO Kenji Horikawa, FLCL 2 Guests Kazuya Tsurumaki & Mayumi Shintani
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Anime Expo and P.A. Works announced via press release on Saturday that it the convention will host P.A. Works' CEO, founder, and producer Kenji Horikawa (pictured at right) at this year's event. The convention also announced it will host FLCL 2 guests Kazuya Tsurumaki and Mayumi Shintani.
Horikawa will present a P.A. Works 15th Anniversary Exhibit at this year's convention in the Entertainment Hall. The exhibit will include production artworks and production items for such anime as True Tears, Angel Beats!, Hana-Saku Iroha, The Eccentric Family, SHIROBAKO, Charlotte, and Kuromukuro. The exhibit will also feature P.A. Works' collaborations with various local governments in Japan.
P.A. Works has also launched an official English website, Facebook page, and Twitter account. The press release for the announcement noted that "at the same time as the Anime Expo 2016 exhibit and internet streaming of “Kuromukuro” begins, P.A.WORKS will launch its official English website, Twitter, and Facebook." The company did not give any more specifics for any steaming of Kuromukuro outside of Japan.
Production I.G vice president and producer Maki Terashima-Furuta will host a FLCL 2 panel with Adult Swim's Jason DeMarco, as well as original FLCL creator Kazuya Tsurumaki and Haruko's voice actress Mayumi Shintani. Tsurumaki also directed His and Her Circumstances, served as the animation director for Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and as an assistant director on Neon Genesis Evangelion. He is currently working on the Rebuild of Evangelion four-part film series.
Shintani has also played Nonon in Kill la Kill, Tsubasa in His and Her Circumstances, and Midori in Space Patrol Luluco, among other roles.
Adult Swim's Toonami block announced in March that it will co-produce 12 new episodes of FLCL with Production I.G. The 12 episodes will be a sequel to the 2000-2001 original video anime, and will be split into two seasons.
Anime Expo also announced on Saturday that it will host Dynamite Tommy, the former vocalist of the visual key band COLOR. He is appearing alongside KOMACHI 2266531 Dark Lolita, a "Gothic Lolita-style brand for plus-sized women." Dynamite Tommy also served as a planner on the Baki the Grappler television anime series.
The convention additionally announced on Saturday that it will host a "Cowboy Bebop Jazz Cat Experience" featuring music, storytelling, and visual performances. The performance will feature the Alice Underground jazz ensemble, and will feature some of the anime's English voice cast members.
Anime Expo will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year from July 1 to July 4. The convention will also host Vampire Hunter D and Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano; Your Lie in April manga creator Naoshi Arakawa; singer Michi; voice actress Chika Anzai; Monster Musume creator OKAYADO; Castlevania: Symphony of the Night designer Koji Igarashi; Macross creator Shoji Kawamori; minori producer nbkz (Nobukazu Sakai); CLOCKUP illustrator Shigeo Hamashima; Anju Inami, Rikako Aida, Nanaka Suwa, Arisa Komiya, Kanako Takatsuki, and Ai Furihata from the Love Live! Sunshine!! idol group Aqours; and One-Punch Man anime director Shingo Natsume, voice actor Makoto Furukawa (Saitama) and opening theme song performers JAM Project.
Other musical guests include Eir Aoi, Luna Haruna, Minami, Sphere, T.M. Revolution, Yoko Ishida, DJ Kazu, FLOW, and OLDCODEX.
