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We’ve been on the path of bringing you all a variety of all things horror. Through film festivals, screenings, conventions and other event coverage, our readers have all the action at their fingertips. Extending our coverage past what some might find as the norm for a horror site is both invigorating and filled with wholesome experiences.
This year, the Los Angeles Convention Center housed the 2019 Anime Expo aka AX, where thousands of Japanese pop culture fans gathered. PopHorror was delighted to participate and cover all the festivities. With the convention spanning over four days, there was so much to see and do. Here are some of the highlights.
Crunchy Roll
The world’s leading anime brand had an action-packed weekend at Anime Expo 2019 with 3 exclusive world premieres, 8 hosted panels and more than 10 special guests from Japan and the U.S.
Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda unveiled a preview of his new music video, “World’s on Fire.” He shared the trailer, behind the scenes characters images and also discussed his deep connection to anime, sharing “My music and anime have had a long history crossing paths, from the fan videos edited over Linkin Park’s music, to our original video for ‘Breaking The Habit.’ This new video for ‘World’s On Fire’ is a lighthearted video that focuses on a female protagonist as she learns to control her unique power.” Fun fact from the panel – Mike is also a big fan of Naruto anime music videos!
There will be a TV series based on the light anime novel, Isekai Cheat Magician. Nishimura Taichi is a typical high schooler, and Azuma Rin is a beautiful woman with the build of a model and excellent reflexes. The two live a normal high school life, until one day, they’re suddenly enveloped in a mysterious magic circle and transported to an unknown land. That world is full of terrifying monsters, beastmen, dwarves, elves, and many other races right out of a Tolkien fantasy. In order to survive in this new world, Taichi and Rin decide to become adventurers, but when they take the aptitude test, they discover they both possess cheat level magic.
ZombieCON
Produced by Big Squid Productions, ZombieCON had its second preview screening at Anime Expo 2019. This film may be indie and low budgeted with a 3-7 person operation, but don’t let its size fool you. The tagline “Cosplayers stuck in a zombie apocalypse of anime proportions,” is grabbing the attention of fans and film festivals around the globe. With the film set to be fully complete by late summer, the creators are hopeful in bringing it to theaters in 2020. Be sure to check back with PopHorror for more on ZombieCON.
Alita: Battle Angel
Fans took to Anime Expo 2019 to celebrate the upcoming home entertainment release of Robert Rodriguez’s lauded film, Alita: Battle Angel. Fans got to engage with some amazing flash-point moments, including the Manga Lounge, Alita: Battle Angel Cosplay Meet-Up, and the Manga Wall.
Orbital Era
The talented and influential Katsuhiro Otomo has created fan favorite works, such as Akira (1988), Steamboy (2004), and Short Peace (2013). His new movie, Orbital Era, will be Otomo’s third animated feature film where he will write the original concept and screenplay, as well as create the design and direct the film. The plot takes place in the near-future on a space colony under construction. It is an action/adventure story following the lives of some young boys surviving in this peculiar environment and society as they are tossed around by fate. “The reality found in mankind’s future” will be depicted through their perspectives. The first key-visual, which Otomo created especially for this announcement, is already inciting excitement, not only among his devotees but from anime fans all over the world.
Attack on Titan TACTICS
DeNA teamed up Anime Expo 2019 to give fans the first chance to play the English version of Attack on Titan TACTICS. The mobile app, which is based on the popular franchise, is a free-to-play tactical role-playing game where players use traps and weapons to attack Titans. The anime series is based on the manga, which showcases humanity over 100 years ago, when enormous, humanoid Titans were the natural predators of mankind. Survivors built a wall to deter attacks. However, the Colossal Titan, which was much larger than any other, breaches the outer wall, allowing all Titans to invade. Main character Eren joins the military and vows to rid the world of the Titans. Click here to pre-register.
COSPLAY!!!
What convention would be complete without some badass cosplay? We got to see some intricate, finely-detailed, spot-on renditions of fan favorite characters. We’ve put together a collection of our favorites, as well as some other things that caught our attention. Check out our Instagram page for highlights with more photos.
Final Thoughts
I admit, I felt a little overwhelmed with Anime Expo 2019, because I’m not the most familiar with this genre. However, upon arrival up until the closing moments, the staff and other attendees were welcoming, friendly and supportive. One thing I adored was being in the mix of it all. The fandom for anime is strong, and, with any genre, the love for it was felt so heavily, and it was like being a part of a family. The convention was organized and accommodating for just about every element of their fan base. It was tiring… but I enjoyed every bit of it. To the organizers, thank you for having us!
