On Monday, Otakon 2023 staff unveiled their exciting guest for this year’s event – Shoji Kawamori, an esteemed anime director and mechanical designer. Kawamori is widely renowned for his pivotal role as a creative planner in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series. He gained acclaim for his ingenious designs of the franchise’s iconic mecha, known as “variable fighters,” which are capable of transforming. Additionally, Kawamori has overseen the development of numerous significant Macross installments, including the latest addition, Macross Delta. Notably, he pursued his education at Keio University alongside Macross character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto and screenwriter Hiroshi Ohnogi.
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Kawamori, known for his extensive contributions to the world of anime, has crafted remarkable creations such as Aquarion, AKB0048, and Arjuna. At Satelight, the renowned anime studio where he also serves as a board director, he played a pivotal role as the chief director of Jūshinki Pandora. Throughout his illustrious career, Kawamori’s expertise in mechanical design has left an indelible mark on notable works like Patlabor: The Movie, Patlabor 2: The Movie, Eureka Seven, Outlaw Star, Ghost in the Shell, and more. Furthermore, he is revered as the brilliant mind behind The Vision of Escaflowne, Basquash!, and Nobunaga The Fool, credited as their original creator. Displaying his multifaceted talents, Kawamori has excelled as a director, screenwriter, mechanical designer, and storyboarder in the realm of anime production.
In addition to his influential work in the anime industry, he also made notable contributions to Sony’s Aibo robot dog variants and played a crucial role in the designs of Takara’s Diaclone Car Robot toys. These toys later evolved into beloved characters such as Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ironhide in Hasbro’s iconic Transformers line. His creative talents extended beyond toys, as he was responsible for the original mechanical designs in the Armored Core franchise and the Devil Breaker weapons featured in Devil May Cry 5. Recognizing his remarkable expertise, SMALL WORLDS, the company behind the world’s largest indoor theme park of scale miniatures, appointed him as its esteemed chief creative officer.
Otakon 2023 is set to take place from July 28 to 30 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This year’s convention will showcase esteemed manga artist Kyoko Aiba and Macross artist Hidetaka Tenjin, along with composer Ryū Kawamura. Among the other notable guests are voice actress Junko Iwao, mechanical designer and director Shinji Aramaki, composers Yasuharu Takanashi and Shota Nakama, as well as the sensational rock ensemble -yaiba-, who will deliver a captivating performance. On March 3, the event unveiled its COVID-19 policy, which adheres to local and federal guidelines, relieving attendees of the mandatory requirement for masks and proof of vaccination.
Source | Press release
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