Reki Kawahara, the exalted author of the massively popular series Sword Art Online and Accel World and self-proclaimed “solo player in the game of life,” is soon to be making his first high-profile appearance for the benefit of western audiences.
Kawahara has been announced as a Guest of Honor for Sakura-Con 2013, one of America’s more popular anime conventions, taking place from March 29 to 31 in Seattle, Washington.
The 38-year-old writer broke into the Japanese light novel industry in 2008, and has seen both of his works receive recent anime and game adaptations.
Kawahara’s scheduled presence at Sakura-Con along with other Sword Art Online-related guests, including the songstresses of SAO’s 2nd OP and ED themes, Eir Aoi and Luna Haruna, has led the convention to be unofficially labeled “SAOkura-Con.”
Indeed, the convention’s Saturday event lineup also boasts a SAO-themed concert and the exclusive English dub premiere of SAO.
A Q&A session with Kawahara is to follow the premiere, where the audience may ask the most pressing issues concerning his masterpiece, such as the reasons behind the top-selling status of the light novels, various episodes of females in distress, dubious termination of Aincrad, and possiblity of an anime sequel to SAO.
Sankaku Complex should also have the opportunity to pose the author some questions, so some light may finally be shed on what Kawahara’s stance is towards all the gaping plotholes in the anime fans keep moaning about.
Other guests of Sakura-Con 2013, overshadowed by the headliner Kawahara, include Katsuyuki Motohiro, Naoyoshi Shiotani, and Joji Wada, the directors and producer of the dystopian anime Psycho-Pass, which was written by Gen Urobuchi of Madoka fame.
Also in attendance will be Atsuko Ishizuka, the director of Korean food anime Sakura-sou no Pet na Kanojo, although it seems doubtful she will be keen on fielding any questions about Korean food…
They REAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLY need to make gun gale anime
Soo are they going to arrest him or kick him out the country because he draws little-girls?
Don’t forget this is a nation that acts like pixels are real people! They might find his exposure of art “disturbing”
Anyone else wish they didn’t live so far from Washington right now? I am.
And I’m gonna be there to see it. Cannot WAIT!
After that, I’m going to go to the Funimation booth to heckle their shithttp://www.sankakucomplex.com/2013/03/15/tomodachi-ga-sukunai-next-meaty-matsuri/ty translations and horrible dubbing.
Should we create a thread that only people who actually READ the novel reply.