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Anime Expo to Host Pop Team Epic Producer Kotaro Sudo, 22/7 Idols/Voice Actresses
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Anime Expo announced on Monday that it is hosting Pop Team Epic anime producer Kotaro Sudo. The official website for the 22/7 idol unit also revealed on Tuesday that four idols and voice actresses from the group will attend.
Sudo will be available for an autograph session, as well as a screening of the HIDIVE version of the Pop Team Epic anime. He will answer questions about the show at the screening.
The Pop Team Epic television anime premiered on January 6. HIDIVE, Funimation, Crunchyroll, AsianCrush, and Amazon Prime Video all streamed the anime as it aired in Japan. Adult Swim's Toonami block will air Pop Team Epic beginning the night of June 30 at 12:00 a.m. (effectively the morning of July 1).
The anime is based on a surreal four-panel manga that centers around two 14-year-old girls, the short Popuko and the tall Pipimi.
The 22/7 idol unit members who will attend the event are idol Sakura Fujima (voiced by Sally Amaki) and voice actresses Sally Amaki (seen left), Mei Hanakawa, and Reina Miyase. They will appear at Aniplex of America's booth, and details of the appearance will be announced later.
AKB48 founder and producer Yasushi Akimoto is producing the 22/7 idol group. The group based on the concept of "idols who cross dimensions" has eight anime idol characters, with their respective voice actresses performing as idols in the real world. A different character designer is handling each member's anime design. Sony Music Records and Aniplex received 10,325 applications for the idol group and held five rounds of auditions. The group began streaming music videos in 2017, and its character videos began streaming in English last month.
The convention will also host Devils' Line English cast member Adam Gibbs and director Kyle Jones for an autograph session and a Q&A. Additionally, Doreiku The Animation English cast members Christine Auten and Patricia Duran and director John Swasey will appear for an autograph session and a Q&A.
This year's Anime Expo will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 5 to July 8, with a pre-show event on July 4.
