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Otakon to Host Sword Art Online Designers Shingo Adachi, Tetsuya Kawakami
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The organizers of Otakon announced on Wednesday that Sword Art Online character designers and animators Shingo Adachi and Tetsuya Kawakami will attend this year's convention in Baltimore, Maryland. The event will mark the first U.S. convention appearances for both Adachi and Kawakami.
Adachi has worked as a character designer and animator on several Megaman (Rockman) franchise anime works, including Megaman Star Force, Rockman.EXE Beast+, Rockman.EXE: Hikari to Yami no Program, and Ryūsei no Rockman Tribe. He also designed characters on Wagnaria!! (Working!!) and oversaw the animation on episodes of Motto To Love Ru, Shuffle!, and other anime.
Kawakami designed characters in Shigofumi - Letters from the Departed before signing on as a chief animation director and sub-character designer for Sword Art Online. He's also worked as an animation director on A Certain Magical Index, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, The IDOLM@STER, and Oreimo.
Kawakami and Adachi join previously announced guests composer Yoko Kanno, hip-hop group Home Made Kazoku, singer T.M. Revolution, and Madhouse anime studio founder Masao Maruyama.
Otakon will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland on August 9-11. The convention is also hosting voice actress Maile Flanagan and voice actor Vic Mignogna. The convention is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.