Anime NYC powered by Crunchyroll and SUNRISE have announced that Yoshiyuki Tomino, creator and director of the Mobile Suit Gundam television series, will participate in this year’s Anime NYC as an official guest. This will be Mr. Tomino’s only U.S. appearance to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of one of Japan’s most long-running and influential anime franchises.
Anime NYC is New York’s largest anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention. It will welcome over 40,000 attendees when it returns to the Javits Center for its third year on November 15-17, 2019. In addition to Mr. Tomino, it will showcase major names from across the anime world including Riichiro Inagaki and Boich, creators of hit manga series Dr. STONE, and Lantis Matsuri 2019 at Anime NYC, a mega concert with Japanese musicians JAM Project, TRUE, ZAQ, and Guilty Kiss from Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours.
The original Mobile Suit Gundam television series debuted on April 7, 1979 and told a unique story about the horrors of war and towering humanoid weapons called “Mobile Suits”. The success of Mobile Suit Gundam would go on to inspire over 20 television series, 10 movies, and a toy line centered around “Gunpla” model kits. Over 500 million Gunpla models have been sold around the world, and Gundam is one of the top 15 highest-grossing media franchises on the planet. A live-action Gundam film is currently in development at Legendary Entertainment.
The Gundam saga is produced by SUNRISE, a storied anime studio also responsible for such hit titles as Cowboy Bebop, Code Geass, Escaflowne, Tiger & Bunny, and Love Live! Sunshine!!
Central to Gundam is Director Yoshiyuki Tomino. His realistic approach to war and robots defined Gundam and redefined storytelling in the anime industry. Gundam’s impact continues to this day and has influenced countless popular titles including Evangelion, Macross, Patlabor, Code Geass, Full Metal Panic, Knights of Sidonia, and VOTOMS. Mr. Tomino has remained involved across Gundam’s 40 year history, and he has personally created and directed many of Gundam’s television series and feature films including Zeta Gundam, Gundam ZZ, Char’s Counterattack, Gundam F91, Victory Gundam, Turn A Gundam, and Gundam Reconguista in G.
Mr. Tomino will appear at Anime NYC for panel discussions, autograph sessions, and special events. He will be part of the large-scale Gundam 40th Anniversary festivities at Anime NYC.
These festivities include the final US contest for the 2019 Gunpla Builders World Cup, an annual international competition featuring Gunpla model builders from across the planet. The U.S. Gunpla Builders World Cup winner will go on to compete in Tokyo against model makers from Japan, Australia, Italy, France, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
“MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 40th Anniversary” Trailer
“We couldn’t be more proud to welcome Yoshiyuki Tomino to New York City,” said Peter Tatara, Anime NYC’s Event Director. “Mr. Tomino created a story beloved by fans across Japan and all over the world, and we’re honored to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Gundam saga together with him!”
Anime NYC will continue to announce more guests throughout the summer and fall, and attendees can look forward to the latest from sponsors, partners, and publishers including Crunchyroll, Animate, Aniplex, BANDAI NAMCO Arts, EVA Air, Funimation, GKIDS, HIDIVE, Kinokuniya, Kodansha Comics, Sentai Filmworks, SUNRISE, Tokyo Otaku Mode, Vertical, VIZ Media, and Yen Press. Fans wanting to learn the latest can follow Anime NYC on Facebook and Twitter. Tickets to this year’s Anime NYC are available now.
ABOUT YOSHIYUKI TOMINO:
Mr. Tomino was born in 1941 in Odawara, Japan. After graduating from the Nihon University College of Art Cinema Department, he went to work for Mushi Production where he worked on the anime TV series Astro Boy. He then went freelance and drew storyboards and directed numerous Japanese animation projects. His major directorial efforts include Triton of the Sea, The Unchallengeable Daitarn 3, Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Runaway Ideon, and Gundam Reconguista in G. He has also written lyrics for the theme songs of some of his projects himself and has written novels. Further, he is president of the Anime Tourism Association. He won the Leopard of Honour at the 2009 Locarno Film Festival and the Golden Romics Award at Italy’s 2017 Romics Festival.
ABOUT ANIME NYC POWERED BY CRUNCHYROLL:
Anime NYC powered by Crunchyroll is New York City’s anime convention! A showcase of the best of Japanese pop culture in the biggest city in America, Anime NYC brings anime fans and publishers together for three days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan. This year’s event takes place November 15-17 in New York’s Javits Center, and we invite you to join over 40,000 fans for a celebration of Japanese animation, manga, cosplay, movies, food, fashion, travel, technology, toys, and games in the heart of NYC! For more, visit http://animenyc.com/