May 22, 2008
News for Anime Expo 2008:
Yoko Ishida to return to Anime Expo
Anime Pop Star Returns to Nation's Largest Anime and Manga ConventionAnaheim, California (May 22, 2008) --Anime Expo® 2008 in conjunction with Geneon Entertainment, is ecstatic to announce the return of the highly popular Anime Pop Star Yoko Ishida to this year's Anime Expo® 2008 held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.
Ms. Ishida will be performing with Anime Expo® 2008 Guest of Honor Jyukai at their official concert held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.
Ms. Ishida began her musical career after receiving a Grand Prix Award in an anime singer contest. Soon after, she made her professional debut with the song "Maiden's Policy" in the hit TV animation Sailor Moon R. Yoko continued to sing anime theme songs and produced other hits such as "White Destiny" (Pretear - The New Legend of Snow White TV opening theme), "Sugar Baby Love" (Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy TV opening theme), "Towa no Hana"/"Eternal Flower"( Ai Yori Aoshi TV opening theme), "Ienaikara"/"Because I Can't Say it" (Petite Princess Yucie TV ending theme) and many others.
On February 26, 2003, Ms. Ishida released her first album titled "all of me," which included five anime theme songs. Following the release of her hit series "Para Para Max," she attended Anime Expo® 2004 and has headlined the Anime Fusion Tour that toured in over six locations on the east coast in 2005 and several other west coast locations in 2006. "Hyper Yocomix 3," the long awaited third addition to the "Para Para Max" series, is set to release on June 25, 2008, and her sphere of activity is widening both in Japan and abroad.
Current list of official Guests of Honor include up and coming director Masahiro Ando, legendary American voice actor David Hayter, famed Pokemon director Masamitsu Hidaka, the dynamic duo known as Jyukai and the new Japanese "It-Girl" Shokotan in Anime Expo® 2008's amazing line up of Guests of Honor.
Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org.
Free shuttle services for all hotel attendees will be provided. Regular non-hotel attendees will have access to utilize the free shuttle services during designated hours as well. All schedules and routes will be posted in the lobby of each shuttle hotel. Frequency of service is pending local traffic, road conditions and can change without notice. Also, no shuttle service provided to the Holiday Inn City Center and the Figueroa Hotel (both are within walking distance of the Los Angeles Convention Center).
Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.
This year's Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television. Platinum Sponsor is Imagi Studios. Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online. Patron Sponsors are Central Park Media and COPIC Markers.
About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation's largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 - July 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).
About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property - Anime Expo®. More information can be found at its website (www.spja.org).
The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Anime Expo®/SPJA's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in the Company's assumptions or otherwise. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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