Anime Milwaukee was the official location for the filming of Wicked World Otaku. Written and directed by Japanese artist Ayumi Tanaka, the survival-horror film is an original story inspired by classic Japanese pink films and b-movie thrillers. Visitors were encouraged to watch the actual shooting of a movie and be cosplayer background extras.
Industry celebrities in voice acting, writing, and illustration included: Todd Haberkorn, Russell Lissau, Alan Evans, Trevor Mueller, Kyle Herbert, Sonny Strait, Lauren Landa, Brina Palencia, Ashley Erickson, Gabriel Bautista, and Kelly Main.
“Anime Milwaukee did fantastic this year. As far as attendance is concerned, we got more than we expected, and it went beyond our regular growth trend,” said Vic Walter, AMKE’s media director. The final tally puts 2016 visitors at more than 9,300.
Walter added that results from a fan survey were still being compiled, but it showed “about 25.5 percent of the attendees are new to our event, and that about 68 percent of them heard about Anime Milwaukee from a friend.”
Anime Milwaukee (AMKE) was founded at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by the Japanese Animation Association in 2007. The March 11 – 13, 2016 event will have an impact for the downtown economy of 2.2 million dollars.
Anime Milwaukee celebrates the culture of Japan. Fascination with Anime has skyrocketed into a multibillion dollar industry through the internet. It has a devoted fan base that transcends age and gender, and relishes its complex plots dealing with emotions, relationship struggles, and adventurous quests.
The 2016 convention offered another year of robust programming that featured informative fan and guest panels, a costume contest, 24hr video game and table-top game rooms, children’s programming, the Hoshi no Yume Maid Café in the Hyatt Regency’s Polaris restaurant, a Japanese Lolita fashion show, a rave dance, karaoke, Pokémon events and related fan entertainment.
