Koichi Ohata

Director Guest of Honor
Pacific Media Expo is happy to welcome back to the United States an old friend from the early days of Anime Conventions. Koichi Ohata will be appearing as a Director Guest of Honor.

Mr. Ohata started his career as a mecha designer. He worked on classics such as Gunbuster, Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, MD Geist, Dangaioh, and Borgman. He quickly proved his skills as a director working on titles like Genocyber, MD Geist, and now the hit FUNimation series Burst Angel.

Seiji Mizushima

Director Guest of Honor
Mr. Mizushima has directed a number of hit shows including Dai-Guard, Slayers Next, and Shaman King (which appears during the 4Kids TV programming block on the Fox network). He has built a loyal audience through the TV series Fullmetal Alchemist, shown in the U.S. on Cartoon Network during Adult Swim. He was also the director of the critically acclaimed Fullmetal Alchemist movie that debuted in Japan in July 2005.

Naoko Matsui

Voice Actress Guest of Honor
Ms. Matsui is one of the most prolific voice actresses in the industry.

Her character roles include Rem from Dream Hunter Rem, Inez Fressange from Martian Successor Nadesico, Dorothy Catalonia from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Roux Louka from Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Rally Vincent from Riding Bean, Katsumi Liqueur from Silent Mobius, Pai Chan from Virtua Fighter, Akane from Kimagure Orange Road and Hanben from Wild 7 Another.

Ms. Matsui has also appeared in numerous other titles, including Naruto, Ranma 1/2, 3x3 Eyes, Case Closed (Detective Conan), Mobile Suite Gundam 0083, Windaria and Urusei Yatsura.

Masaki Asai (APSY)

Modeling Guest of Honor
Mr. Asai was born and raised in Osaka where he was surrounded by Japan's largest garage kit companies. At the age of 18, he made his debut as a modeler at Volks. Two years later, he joined the modeling studio Heavy Gauge. He soon became a freelance modeler and created models for Samurai Showdown (SNK) and Variable Geo (TGL). In 1999, Mr. Asai released Mister Nou (Tiger Mask) with Kaiyodo. That same year, he joined Toytribe and sculpted Vash the Stampede and Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Trigun).

Mr. Asai soon began making limited edition bonus extras for manga and DVD's such as Chii (Chobits) and Nadia (Secret of Blue Water). His other figurines included characters from Hitsuji no Uta (The Lament of a Lamb, Sheep's Song), and Tengoku (Heavenly Prison). In 2003, Mr. Asai sculpted Ray Kyaseal (Phantasy Star Online). He has also created minor production resin kits for the following figurines: Ayanami Rei and Souryu Asuka Langley (Neon Genesis Evangelion); Kiriko Cupie (Votoms); Keroro (Keroro Gunso, Sergeant Frog); Saber (Fate).

Mr. Asai will be bringing samples of his work to Pacific Media Expo for display. They will be hosted within the Gallery of Fantastic Art exhibition in the Exhibit Hall.

Rex Navarrete

Comedian Guest of Honor
Rex Navarrete, the Premiere Filipino American Comedian, is arguably one of the most successful Asian American comedians in the United States. After his groundbreaking comedy albums in 2003, "Badly Browned", "Husky Boy" and "Bastos", fans saw the release of his very first live comedy DVD, "HELLA PINOY". Shot in San Francisco, this extensive video project showcases over a decade of the work for which he is well-known, and it is also the first solo DVD live comedy show to feature a Filipino American standup comic. Rex's second and upcoming DVD, "Badass MADAPAKA!", is scheduled for release in October 2005.

Rex will be performing two live shows exclusively for members of PMX, on Saturday and Sunday night at 7:00 PM in the Long Beach Convention Center, Room 104.

Daisuke Moriyama

Manga Artist Guest of Honor
Mr. Moriyama is the creator behind the critically acclaimed and widely popular Chrno Crusade manga, now being distributed by AD Vision Comics. The Chrno Crusade anime has been a best seller in the United States and is also distributed by AD Vision Films.

The works of this imaginative artist are available for exhibit, sale, and auction at PMX.