ANIME EXPO 2006
Date:July 1-4, 2006
Location:Anaheim Convention Center; Anaheim, CA
Attendance:32,930 paid attendees (40,647 total)

– this convention had the greatest Naruto and Bleach gatherings
that I had ever seen—the atmosphere created by all the cosplayers was very
different from those same gatherings a year later where everything appeared
flooded. This was the first con where I met Vegan Sarah (dressed as an
amazing Orihime). There are two pictures here of people we had yet to meet:
Kit (who is dressed up as Itachi) would later join our group and trek
up to Anime Vegas 2007 and Ani-magic 2007; and Melody Gore (the cosplayer
with the tattoos), who I got formally introduced to two years later at
Anime Expo 2008 by YuffieBunny—Melody was kind enough to let us interview
her along with YuffieBunny. It just shows how intertwined the con circuit
is, and how taking a picture of a cosplayer can, two years later, allow
you to go up to that person and say “I recognize you, I have a few pictures
of you on my computer.” without sounding creepy.

Notable Guests:
Laura Bailey (Voice Actress)
CLAMP (Manga Artists)
Toru Furuya (Voice Actor)
Noboru Ishiguro (Director / President, Artland)
Yutaka Izubuchi (Mecha Designer)
Koge-Donbo (Manga Artist)
Tomoki Kyoda (Director)
Mana (J-Rock Musician)
Seiji Mizushima (Director)
Hiroshi Nagahama (Artist)
Atsuko Nakajima (Animator / Director)
Mick Takeuchi (Manga Artist)
yozuka* (Band)