North America’s Largest Anime and Manga Convention! The Anime Expo 2017 Report

Anime Expo 2017 (AX2017), North America’s largest anime and manga convention, was held for four days from July 1^st (Sat) to the 4^th (Tues) at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Anime Expo is an established annual event centered on the Japanese pop culture of anime and manga (comics). This year, the event took place over four days and a total of approximately 350,000 people were in attendance.
At the venue, there were several exhibits and sale booths of Gundam products including Gunpla as well as various panels held by wonderful guests. Appearances from the English-dubbing voice cast of series such as Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans, the so-called “Gunpla Master” Meijin Kawaguchi, and voice actor Mr. Miyu Irino created a large stir at the event.

Without further ado, let’s go into the photo report of the event!

▲ In the Exhibit Hall, there were several displays of the latest Gunpla, NXEdge Style, and Shokugan products!

▲ Various products were also being sold, including limited-edition Gunplas, causing several fans to crowd the booths!!

▲ There was a waiting queue for a trial play of the PS4 game GUNDAM VERSUS just before its release in Japan!

■ Stage Appearances from the English-dubbing Cast! Gundam Panels!

▲ The Gundam Panel presented the development of the Gundam series in North America with Ms. Cherami Leigh, voice of Claudia Peer in the Thunderbolt English-dub, as one of the speakers!

▲ Sunrise Board Member Mr. Shin Sasaki, Ms. Cherami Leigh (She also voiced Kudelia from Iron-Blooded Orphans), Mr. Kyle McCarley (voice of Mikazuki Augus), Producer Masakazu Ogawa, and the crowd of fans that filled the venue!

▲ Producer Ogawa surprised the two voice actors with autograph boards and they were ecstatic!

▲ The audience had burst into surprise when it was announced that the limited-edition Gunpla “HG 1/144 GUNDAM BARBATOS+SMOOTHBORE GUN [METALLIC GLOSS INJECTION]” would be included with the Limited-Edition Iron-Blooded Orphans Blu-ray/DVDs that would be sold by FUNimation in North America in 2017!

■ An Appearance by Meijin Kawaguchi at the Gunpla Panel! The GBWC North California Preliminaries!

▲ A Gunpla Panel entirely focused on Gunpla was also held as a trial for the first time in AX’s long history. Loud cheers erupted from the audience when Meijin Kawaguchi came up on stage wearing sunglasses!

▲ The “Gunpla Builders World Cup (GBWC) America North California Preliminaries” was also held at the event. After strict judging from Meijin Kawaguchi and Producer Ogawa, winning builds were chosen from amongst many great works!

■ A Guest Panel and Autograph Signing by Mr. Miyu Irino!

▲ Mr. Miyu Irino, a popular voice actor who is the voice of characters such as Saji Crossroad from Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Akito Hyuga from Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, also was a guest at the event. He held an individual panel and autograph signing, receiving a warm welcome from fans at the event.