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| Yes folks, as the summer convention set winds down, it's time to look back at what went on. This year, as the first official con to be attended by @anime!, we have for you a quick visual look at some of the activities that went on July 16 through the 18th at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers and the Anaheim Convention Center for Anime Expo 99. We have pictures, acquisition announcements and a special fan perspective review of two of the high points for AX99, the concert of pop sensation Iijima Mari and the piano recital of anime composer Kanno Yoko. So, let's get on to the pictures! |
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Welcome to Anime Expo! This is the sight that convention attendees were greeted with as they arrived at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers. The banner pointed the world toward the festivities happening on the 2nd floor. Here, people mingle waiting for Main Programming to open for the Opening Ceremonies. |
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Opening Ceremonies came and it was time to be introduced the guests of honor. Anime Expo had an unprecedented 14 Japanese guests for AX99.
After the introductions, the traditional first segment of the Daruma ceremony was performed by pop singer Iijima Mari. The wish for AX99? Success. And at the end of the weekend, that wish will have been fulfilled. |
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To wrap up the Opening of Anime Expo 99, the crowd was favored with a little piece of culture as the dance team from the University of California at Irvine performed. Anime Expo had high-stepped into gear! Time to let the fun begin. |
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A trip outside gave you a glimpse of the other half of the venue, the Anaheim Convention Center. Within the convention center walls would be the area most frequented at any anime convention, the Exhibit Hall. |
And boy, was the Exhibit Hall frequented! This is a shot of the LOOOOOOONG line of fans waiting to break into the goods and find that last laserdisc or that garage kit that was so long missing from their collection. Even hours before the Hall opened, the line was there. It just goes to show that merchandise is a big draw to an anime con. |
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Merchandising action at its best! Here's a shot of the goings on inside the AX Exhibit Hall shortly after the doors officially opened. |
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And what's an anime con without people in costume? Here we have some Japanese cosplayers from the Bandai Entertainment/Animevillage.com booth. On the left we have Merle from The Vision of Escaflowne and on the right is Lime from the Saber Marionette series. |
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Here are some of the cosplayers taking time-out for photo ops in the hotel lobby. A wide variety of costumes were found during AX99. Here we have characters from Escaflowne, Vampire Princess Miyu and Final Fantasy VIII. |
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You can't ever seem to keep this away from an anime con. It's a Sailor Moon posse ready for action! |
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This is one of the reasons that anime cons are so cool to attend. Even though anime is usually thought of as an adult medium, there are plenty of things out there for the younger generation. Here we have a father and his two Sailor Senshi daughters. |
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It's industry folks! Here we have convention personality Toshi Yoshida and manga editor Bill Flanagan from Viz Communications letting the world know about what's coming to the store shelves in the coming months and to answer those burning questions from the fans during the Viz industry panel. |
Overall, Anime Expo 99 was a great success. Over the three days, the convention packed in over 6100 people and has plans to greatly expand for AX2000. The size demands on AX have prompted several changes for the coming year. The next AX will feature a new venue and the addition of an extra day of fun and activity. The festivities for next year will take place June 30-July 3, 2000 in the Disneyland Hotel and Convention Center, once again in Anaheim, California. Check out the official Anime Expo website at http://www.anime-expo.org/ for information on AX2000 and we'll see you there!
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