This year’s AnimeJapan message is “Here is Everything about Anime.”
Manga Planet typically focuses on the world of manga. But, since many of our fans like anime as well, we swung by AnimeJapan 2018 to see the latest developments in Japan’s animation industry.
What is AnimeJapan?
AnimeJapan, one of the largest anime events in the world, takes place annually at Tokyo Big Sight. Organized by the AnimeJapan Organization with support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, The Association of Japanese Animations, and The Association of MANGA Publishers, AnimeJapan promotes Japan’s animation industry to domestic and foreign fans and business investors. Unlike other well-known “otaku events” such as Comiket, this is an industry dominated event. The first two days of AnimeJapan are Business Days where investors and industry figures arrange meetings and discuss the future of anime. Public Days occur during the last two days and fans can visit exhibition booths, watch special anime stage events, and buy goods. Think of Jump Festa but not limited to Jump titles.
Many animation students and people aspiring to enter the anime industry come to Anime Japan because the event also holds business seminars and creative seminars. Schools like the Tokyo University of Technology and Toho Gakuen Film Techniques Training College have booths to recruit students who want to enter the anime industry.
AnimeJapan 2018 occurred from March 22 to March 25 and marked the fifth anniversary of the exhibition. According to data released by the AnimeJapan organizers, AnimeJapan 2018 had 152,331 attendees, a 105% increase from last year.
Thanks to our friends at AnimeJapan, we had the opportunity to take photos of AnimeJapan 2018!
AnimeJapan 2018 Photo Report: Square Enix
Square Enix, the publisher behind popular series like Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, had an impressive presence.The Square Enix booth announced the Pandora Hearts Cafe and the Barakamon Cafe and exhibited signed illustrations from Satsuki Yoshino (Barakomon) and Jun Mochizuki (Pandora Hearts).The Barakamon Cafe will be at the Ikebukuro Anipara Cafe from June 12 to July 29, 2018. For more information: https://twitter.com/barakamon_cafeThe Pandora Hearts Cafe will be at the Ikebukuro Anipara Cafe from April 4 to June 10, 2018. For more information: https://twitter.com/pandora_vanitas?lang=enThe Square Enix booth displayed a small Tales of Wedding Rings exhibit. Tales of Wedding Rings will have a VR experience this spring.At the exhibit, we could see pages from this popular fantasy manga. Yen Press has released Tales of Wedding Rings in English.Maybe, the mangaka for Tales of Wedding Rings, drew and signed a special illustration of Hime.
AnimeJapan 2018 Photo Report: Aniplex Museum
For AnimeJapan 2018, Aniplex created the Aniplex Museum, an exhibit with illustrations, cutouts, and exclusive content from top anime series. Here we can see art from the 2017 anime film Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?At the Aniplex Museum, the DEVILMAN crybaby area not only presented the key visuals for the anime but also a figure of Akira and the DVD set.Did you cry while watching the latest anime adaptation of Go Nagai’s Devilman?Aniplex gave guests a preview of the DEVILMAN crybaby COMPLETE BOX with a small exhibit on the keyframes from the anime.Akane Shimizu’s Cells at Work! also made an appearance at the Aniplex Museum. David Production will animate this series slated for a July 2018 release.Fujita’s popular web manga, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, is slated for an anime debut on April 12, 2018. If you look closer at the Aniplex Museum exhibit on Wotakoi, you can read comments readers left for the manga.An excited reader from Australia left an excited comment for Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku.Yuiko Tokumi’s Slow Start manga aired as an anime from January to March 2018. Staff and many other people involved with the series signed this e-ma at the Aniplex Museum.Hashigo Sakurabi’s Dakaretai Otoko 1-i ni Odosarete Imasu, a popular Boys Love manga, will become an anime this year. The Aniplex Museum let fans take photos of Junta Azumaya and Takato Saijyo cutouts.Yayoiso’s ReLife also had a corner at the Aniplex Museum.Naruto, Boruto, and Sasuke even made an appearance at the Aniplex Museum. Did Sasuke peak in his teens?The Aniplex Museum showcased signatures from Lynn, the voice actor playing Sakura Yamauchi, and Mahiro Takasug, the voice for Boku in the upcoming anime film Let Me Eat Your Pancreas.Kirara Fantasia, a fantasy role-playing with characters from many of Houbunsha’s manga series, celebrated their 100’s day anniversary with a life-sized Kirara lego figure.
AnimeJapan 2018 Photo Report: Shogakukan
Shogakukan’s booth featured a special exhibit on Akimi Yoshida’s Banana Fish.Banana Fish will be adapted into an anime by MAPPA and premiere in July 2018.The anime adaptation of Banana Fish will air during the Noitamina block and will also be available on Amazon prime both in Japan and overseas.Fans could see reproductions of Banana Fish prints focusing on Ash and Eiji, the main characters.Shōjo Comic originally published the series from 1985 to 1994. This manga is credited for influencing the Boys Love genre.Yuuma Uchida will voice Ash Lynx, shown here, in the anime.Kenji Nojima will voice Eiji Okumura, shown here with Ash.
AnimeJapan 2018 Photo Report: TV TOKYO
Onoda Sakamichi and Minami Sangaku were quite fashionable at the TV TOKYO booth.The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. cast also look fresh and fly at AnimeJapan.At the TV TOKYO booth, fans could see scripts from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.Was it a fashion show at the TV TOKYO booth?
AnimeJapan 2018 Photo Report: Creation Seminar
As written before, AnimeJapan has Creation Seminars geared for people who are or want to be in the animation industry. For the “How to create Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin” Creation Seminar, Sunrise Producers Osamu Taniguchi and Sunrise CG Producer Kiichiro Inoue talked about the process of creating a cel style CG animation. At the seminar, Taniguchi confessed Sunrise animators use gunpla to draw Gudams.
More AnimeJapan to Come
Manga Planet will keep reporting on AnimeJapan in the coming days! Stay tuned for our reports.
