Looking back on Day 2 of Anime Expo, there was a lot done! Not only did we lighten our wallets and fatten our swag bags in the dealers hall, we caught some epic papercrafting next to the Soul Calibur stand at Arby’s. There was also some truly inspired cosplay that was on display there as the crowd grew larger entering into the weekend!
Funimation rented out the whole Lucky Strike bowling alley for their event “Destination Funimation.” Free food, free drinks, prizes, panels, and exclusive meet and greets happened through the whole alley. Internet celebrities, voice actors, and the Power Rangers. Sharing a slice of pizza and wings with the pastel troupe was a rare treat! Prizes like DVDs, posters, shirts, and card games were given out, but when we left and spun the prize wheel we received…Tissues…A truly premium prize.
Premieres abound at this show, with the industry pros releasing the best of the best. Studio Trigger premiered their reinvention of an a Tokusatsu show from the 90s, the new SSSS.GRIDMAN. JoJo’s Bizarre adventure traveled to Italy in the David Production Inc.’s premiere of Part 5 and related material. Not to be left in the space dust was Sunrise’s release of episode six of the acclaimed Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. It’s never been a better time to be an older anime fan with shows bringing back childhood treasures left and right!
In the exhibit areas, we got a chance to play Jump Force, the new tag team 3D fighting video game from Shonen Jump and Bandai Namco. Goku, Naruto, and Zoro fighting villains such as Frieza and even friends like Luffy is a spectacle. Though as this game is still in its early stages, there does feel like there’s much that can be done with it, as the controls still need some tightening up and the roster is a little thin.
Closing out the night was a special event where the latest episode of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin was premiered. The panel that followed covered some of the aspects of getting the series to America, the fanbase, and how it’s grown in the states over the last few years. Once they completed a raffle and talked about the future, the chant begun. The audience raised their fists in unison and spoke in a rousting, “Sieg Zeon!”, the rallying cry of the militant antagonists of the series. Displaying how unifying the series can be.
We’ll be posting photos and snippets from the event on twitter @robot_on_coffee and @alexdoesntcosplay. Also check out our instagrams as we collect AX2018 photos @robot_on_coffee and @alexdoesntcosplay!
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Convention – Anime Expo
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