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Illustrator Acky Bright, Macross Creator Shōji Kawamori, More Attend Anime Expo

The staff of Anime Expo started announcing more Japanese guests on May 1 for this year's convention. The convention will host manga creator and illustrator Acky Bright, and director and mechanical designer Shōji Kawamori. MangaGamer will bring voice actress Sayaka Ōhara and scenario writer Ryukishi07 (Higurashi: When They Cry, Umineko When They Cry franchises) to the convention.

Illustrator Acky Bright is a self-taught manga artist. He founded the design studio Brightworks in 2002. He was one among six artists chosen by Museum of Modern Art curator Paola Antonelli to demonstrate Japanese art to travelers to Japan. The Narita and Haneda Airports installed his manga-style video starting from February 2021. Bright has designed merchandise for Hasbro's Transformers franchise. He has collaborated with BMW of Germany on a manga titled Heroes of Rivalry featuring e-sports teams Cloud 9, FNATIC, FunPlus Phoenix, G2 Esports, T1, and OG Esports. Most recently, Bright drew the illustrations for the WcDonald's limited-time campaign of McDonald's.

Bright was also a guest at last year's Anime Expo convention.

Shōji Kawamori is perhaps most famous for being a key creative planner in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series. He designed most of the franchise's iconic transforming "variable fighter" mecha, and oversaw most of the main installments in the franchise, including the latest, Macross Delta.

Kawamori has also created the Aquarion, AKB0048, and Arjuna series, and was chief director on Jūshinki Pandora at Satelight, the anime studio for which he serves as a board director. He has contributed mechanical design work to Patlabor: The Movie, Patlabor 2: The Movie, Eureka Seven, Outlaw Star, Ghost in the Shell, and more. He is credited as the original creator of The Vision of Escaflowne, Basquash!, and Nobunaga The Fool. He has worked in anime production as a director, screenwriter, mechanical designer, and storyboarder.

Veteran voice actress Sayaka Ōhara has voiced several notable characters including Erza Scarlet in the Fairy Tail series, Beatrice in Umineko When They Cry, Karla Mitchum in the Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, and Milly Ashford in the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion anime series and films. Most recently, she voiced Yanagi in Hikari no Ō, and Esel Bornine in The Legendary Hero is Dead!.

Ryukishi07 founded the 07th Expansion doujin circle with the help of his brothers and debuted the Higurashi: When They Cry game series, which has inspired several anime, manga, live-action adaptations, spinoffs, and remakes. He is also the writer for Umineko When They Cry, Rose Guns Days, and Harem Royale - When the Game Ends. He wrote the scenario for the Okamikakushi - Masque of the Wolf anime and was one of the scenario writers for the Rewrite game.

Anime Expo previously announced that it will host Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo and Studio Ghibli art director Youichi Nishikawa.

The One Piece 25th Anniversary Symphony Orchestra will take place at the Shrine Auditorium on July 6 during the event as part of its North America Tour. The concert will require separate tickets from the convention, and Anime Expo badge holders can purchase tickets at a discounted rate. Customers not attending the convention can still see the concert.

Anime Expo 2024 will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 4-7.

Last year's Anime Expo was held last July in Los Angeles.

Source: Anime Expo's X/Twitter account