Anime Expo 99

AX Girl designed by Guest of Honor Akitaka Mika.

16-18 July 1999
—An EX Staff Report

ANAHEIM, CA — Again, they came. For the eighth year in a row, Anime Expo rolled out the red carpet for fans, guests, and industry for what has become the biggest anime spectacle this side of the Pacific. Counting 14 Guests of Honor, not including previous guests returning on their own which is fast becoming an AX tradition, Anime Expo 1999 is only getting bigger.
Held July 16-18, off its customary July 4 weekend, AX '99 returned to the Anaheim Hilton and Towers touting the largest Guest of Honor roster at an anime convention ever: character designer Abe Hisashi (PETSHOP OF HORRORS, DEVIL HUNTER YOKO), mechanical designer Akitaka Mika (GALAXY FRAULEIN YUNA, NADESICO), animator Hamasaki Hiroshi (various Madhouse productions), singer and voice actress Iijima Mari (MACROSS), voice actress Iizuka Mayumi (TENCHI IN TOKYO), illustrator and mechanical designer Izubuchi Yutaka (PATLABOR, GASARAKI, LODOSS), composer Kanno Yoko (MACROSS PLUS, COWBOY BEBOP), character designer Kamimura Sachiko (CITY HUNTER, ARSLAN), character designer Kawamoto Toshihiro (GUNDAM 0083, COWBOY BEBOP), director Kikuchi Yasuhito (EL HAZARD TV, JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE), Matsushita Hiromi (SAILOR MOON, WATARU), director Ochi Hiroyuki (ARMITAGE III, SOL BIANCA: THE LEGACY),character designer Tadano Kazuko (SAILOR MOON, SAILOR MOON R), and character designer Takami Akio (STEAM DETECTIVES).
In addition, former Guests of Honor Ishiguro Noboru, President of Artland Studios, artist Ohnishi Nobuyuki, and voice actor Kamiya Akira returned to Anime Expo on their own this year. Mr. Kamiya even brought over 140 students from the school in Japan where he teaches voice acting.
The industry came as well, bringing film and video premieres, and announcements about new licenses, upcoming releases, and re-releases of old favorites. A strong showing from Japan was visible, with representatives from Tokuma Shoten, Artland, Madhouse, Sunrise, Bandai Visual, Pioneer LDC,

A welcome sign by the Hilton, and two views of the registration lines.

and Xebec Studios to name a few. And of course, the American companies were out in force as well, as obvious from the ADVision bags given out to attendees and the giant Pioneer Pokemon banner hanging in the hotel lobby.
Doors opened Thursday night and again Friday morning for registration. For the first time ever, at-con registration was available Thursday night, which was traditionally reserved for pre-registration badge pick-up only.
Long registration lines are one of the biggest difficulties of any convention. Once a problem for AX in 1997, AX Registration restructured and reorganized to combat the problem and, in 1998, it seemed lines were a problem of the past. The beginning of Anime Expo 1999 came as a rude awakening. The unwanted familiar sight of long lines returned as registration waits grew to three hours or more.
Fans cited the lack of lines in 1998 as a reason why they did not pre-register and just showed up at the door this year. Another factor was the unexpectedly high attendance on Friday, normally the second lightest day, as opposed to the usually busy Saturday. A shift in AX attendee demographics may have attributed to this: younger people with more free time. Whatever the reasons, the lines were there on Friday but by Saturday morning, the lines were moving so swiftly as to be non-existent.