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Thursday, September 02, 2010

The magic of JAFAX has returned this year with JAFAX 15: Rise of the Machines.
For those unaware of what JAFAX is, it is a small Anime/Japanese convention in Allendale, Michigan, at Grand Valley State University. It started in 1995 by Rob Grimes who wanted to share his love of animation and all things Japan with West Michigan. It's a two day event and the best part about it, it's free! No admission fees or registration. JAFAX 9 was the first with a theme and it was Anime Luau.

It's like any other con with showrooms, panels, guests, cosplay fashion shows, contests, The rooms for anime shows vary from year to year. There is always a theme room, an adult themed room, two different series rooms. subbed, classics, fan subs, staff choice, live action and anime roulette.
Guests include Robert and Emily DeJesus which operate Studio Capsule and they have done animation and illustration for Marvel Comics, PlayStation Magazine, Hasbro, Guitar World Magazine, 989 Studios, Ohayo Con, and many more. Dragon Spirit Studios, they are a studio that does japanese animated art. James Dawsey he is the author and illustrator of Shadowchasers. Tiffany Grant is a voice actress that worked

Anime Expo has announced that it will host Tokyo expatriate blogger and Mirai Fusion founder Danny Choo at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles.

Choo is best known for cosplaying in Tokyo as an Imperial Stormtrooper from the Star Wars films. In March, Choo revealed that he had set up the anime production studio Mirai Fusion. Later that month, Choo revealed the title of the anime that Mirai Fusion has been planning: Chinka (鎮火 or literally, "put out a fire"). The anime takes place in a mountain town plagued by the legendary arsonist Akaneko. A girl named Chinka with the superhuman ability to smell out fires appears and assists the local fire brigade to find the true identity of Akaneko.

FanimeCon 2010 has announced that rock band FLOW will attend the convention as a guest of honor. They will perform a concert on May 28 and participate in a Q&A panel and autograph session.

FLOW has provided theme songs for anime series such as "Naruto," "Code Geass," and "Eureka Seven."

FanimeCon 2010 is being held at the San Jose Convention Center on May 28-31, 2010. Other guests of honor include LM.C and Halko Momoi.

Anime Expo has announced that the female idol group AKB48 will be performing at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles. Producer and songwriter Yasushi Akimoto founded AKB48 in 2005 as an idol group permanently stationed in Tokyo's Akihabara otaku shopping district. AKB48 will perform a concert at the Nokia Theater on July 1. The members will also hold attendee panels, meet-and-greet sessions, and autograph sessions during the convention.

FanimeCon has announced that it will host the J-Rock band FLOW at the May 28-31 convention in San Jose, California. FLOW has performed theme songs for Naruto, Naruto Shippūden, Code Geass, Eureka Seven, Persona -trinity soul-, and Heroman. The band will be performing on Friday, May 28, as part of the FanimeCon's 2010 MusicFest.

FanimeCon will also host Rune Soldier Louie illustrator Mamoru Yokota, Gainax studio co-founder and executive director Hiroyuki Yamaga, voice actress and singer Halko Momoi (Ai Yori Aoshi's Chika Minazuki, My Bride is a Mermaid's San Seto, Tales of the Abyss' Anise Tatlin), the J-rock band LM.C, and game creators Daisuke Ishiwatari and Toshimichi Mori.

FanimeCon has announced that it will host Rune Soldier Louie illustrator Mamoru Yokota at the May 28-31 convention in San Jose, California.

Yokota provided the illustrations for the Rune Soldier Louie light novels, and then later provided the character designs for the anime adaptation. Yokota also worked as a producer for both the Air movie and Toei Animation's Kanon television series, and also worked as an animation director for the Death Note television series.

Anime Expo has announced that it will host Japanese singer-songwriter MELL at the July 1-4 event in Los Angeles. The singer's voice can be heard on the soundtracks of such anime series as Black Lagoon, Hayate the Combat Butler, Rideback, Shakugan no Shana, and Sky Girls. She also wrote the lyrics for many of the theme songs she sang.

FanimeCon has announced that it will host Gainax studio co-founder and executive director Hiroyuki Yamaga at the May 28-31 convention in San Jose, California. Yamaga has visited the convention every year since 1997. He wrote and directed Gainax's first feature film, The Wings of Honneamise (Royal Space Force), and has since been involved in almost every Gainax anime since then, including Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden. He also wrote the Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket video anime series for Sunrise. He recently co-developed the Gurren Lagann anime franchise and produced the Shikabane Hime: Aka television series.

FanimeCon will also host voice actress and singer Halko Momoi (Ai Yori Aoshi's Chika Minazuki, My Bride is a Mermaid's San Seto, Tales of the Abyss' Anise Tatlin), the J-rock band LM.C, and game creators Daisuke Ishiwatari and Toshimichi Mori.

Anime Expo has announced that it will host six Japanese DJs at the July 1-4 convention in Los Angeles. Anime Expo will host DJ CHUCKY, M-Project, m1dy, GUHROOVY, NO+CHIN, and DJ Schwarzenegger. These DJs will be performing for Anime Expo's dance events on both Friday and Saturday night. DJ CHUCKY has created music for the game series Beatmania IIDX, and GUHROOVY has been featured in Beatmania Gottamix, Beatmania IIDX, GuitarFreaks, and DrumMania.

The six DJs will join previously announced guests: director Shinichi "Nabeshin" Watanabe (Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemy, Tenchi Muyo GXP), voice actress Yuu Asakawa (Love Hina, Azumanga Daioh, Bubblegum Crisis 2040), animation director and co-founder of the BONES animation studio Toshihiro Kawamoto (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain), and J-rock band SOPHIA.

FanimeCon announced on Sunday, their first musical guests of honor: visual kei band LM.C (Lovely-Mocochang.com). The band will perform at the convention's MusicFest on Sunday, May 30 in the Civic Auditorium. They will also host a Q&A panel and autograph session on Monday, May 31.

FanimeCon 2010 will take place at the San Jose Convention Center on May 28-31, 2010.

LM.C is releasing their third album, "WONDERFUL WONDERHOLIC," on March 3 in Japan, with worldwide release dates scheduled after that. On April 3, they will travel to Moscow to begin their second world tour, which is taking them to nearly a dozen countries in Europe and Asia, before their national tour across Japan in May

Sources: FanimeCon, LM.C official site

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