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Blue Exorcist Creator Kazue Katō to Appear at Anime Expo
posted on by Karen Ressler
Viz Media and Aniplex of America announced on Thursday that Blue Exorcist manga creator Kazue Kato will be a guest at this year's Anime Expo. This will be her first North American appearance.
Katō will appear at panels for both Viz Media's Shonen Jump and Aniplex of America, and also hold autograph sessions.
Katō won the Tezuka Award in 2000 for her Boku to Usagi (The Rabbit and Me) manga from Shueisha's Akamaru Jump, and she serialized her Space Traveller Robo & Usakichi manga from 2005-2006 in Kodansha's Shonen Sirius. She began her Blue Exorcist manga in 2009, and it has since inspired a television anime, anime film, and several stage plays. Viz Media publishes the manga in English, and Aniplex of America released the anime adaptations.
Anime Expo will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year from July 1 to July 4. The convention will also host Vampire Hunter D and Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano; Your Lie in April manga creator Naoshi Arakawa; singer Michi; voice actress Chika Anzai; voice actor Junichi Suwabe; Monster Musume creator OKAYADO; Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto creator Nami Sano; BONES studio president Masahiko Minami; Castlevania: Symphony of the Night designer Koji Igarashi; Macross creator Shoji Kawamori; P.A. Works CEO, founder, and producer Kenji Horikawa; FLCL 2 guests Kazuya Tsurumaki and Mayumi Shintani; voice actor Tetsuya Kakihara; minori producer nbkz (Nobukazu Sakai); CLOCKUP illustrator Shigeo Hamashima; Anju Inami, Rikako Aida, Nanaka Suwa, Arisa Komiya, Kanako Takatsuki, and Ai Furihata from the Love Live! Sunshine!! idol group Aqours; and One-Punch Man anime director Shingo Natsume, voice actor Makoto Furukawa (Saitama) and opening theme song performers JAM Project.
Other musical guests include Eir Aoi, Luna Haruna, Minami, Sphere, T.M. Revolution, Yoko Ishida, DJ Kazu, FLOW, and OLDCODEX.
The convention will also host a P.A. Works 15th Anniversary Exhibit at this year's convention in the Entertainment Hall, presented by Kenji Horikawa. Additionally Anime Expo will host a "Cowboy Bebop Jazz Cat Experience" performance event.
