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California's AM2 to Host Designers Akihiko Yamashita, Miho Shimogasa
posted on by Egan Loo
The Japanese pop culture convention AM2 announced on Friday that it will host the character designers Akihiko Yamashita and Miho Shimogasa as Guests of Honor at its July 1-3 event at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
Yamashita designed the characters in Giant Robo and its Gin Rei spinoff, Princess Nine, Relic Armor Legaciam, Strange Dawn, Tide-Line Blue, and Zegapain. He also directed the "Chū-Zūmo" anime short for writer Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. As an animation director or supervisor animator, he worked on many of the features films from Studio Ghibli, such as The Cat Returns, Tales from Earthsea, Howl's Moving Castle, Arrietty the Borrower, Ponyo, Spirited Away, and the upcoming Kokuriko-Zaka Kara film.
Shimogasa's character design work has appeared in Battle Spirits: Shōnen Toppa Bashin, Battle Spirits: Shōnen Toppa Bashin, Cutey Honey Flash, Gokudo, Gravitation, Kocchi Muite Miko, NightWalker, Psychic Academy, and Ultra Maniac. She was also an animation director on several Sailor Moon projects: Sailor Moon Super S, Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, and Sailor Moon SuperS Plus - Ami's First Love.
In addition to these two guests, AM2 is hosting Kanon Wakeshima, An Café's Kanon, heidi., Gashicon, IBI, MINT, Sadie, and SCANDAL.
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