Joint Signing Session: Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX & Evangelion Series

Join the staff of EVANGELION and Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX for a joint signing session in the Sumiré area.
With :

• KAZUYA TSURUMAKI

  Kazuya Tsurumaki is a director and animator born in 1966 in Niigata prefecture.
  From the mid-80s to the present day, Kazuya Tsurumaki's work has nothing left to prove: he is the director of FLCL, the Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition series, and Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.
  He is Japan Expo 2025's Anime Guest of Honor.

  After starting out as an animator at Studio Giants, he moved to animation studio GAINAX, which was a major turning point in his career. He worked as a key animator on the TV series Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and directed the Nadia: Bonus Theater featurettes, which were included with the laserdisc box sets.
  Kazuya Tsurumaki then took his first steps directing the New GunBuster: Science Lesson featurettes included in the GunBuster laserdisc box set.

  He contributed to the TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion as an assistant director and was involved in design and setting development. Mr. Tsurumaki continued his role as a director for the Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition  series, including the latest installment, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021), while also contributing to the storyboard and design work.

  Kazuya Tsurumaki's first fully original works as a director were the groundbreaking FLCL and Gunbuster 2, which gained a cult following for their unique style and iconic characters.

  Now affiliated with khara, he participated as director, storyboarder, and character designer for the anthology Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition (khara/Dwango) and also directed The Dragon Dentist, which was broadcast on NHK BS Premium in February 2017.

  Today, Kazuya Tsurumaki is back in the spotlight, directing the currently airing Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX  series. This is the first collaboration between SUNRISE, the historic studio behind Mobile Suit Gundam, and the animation studio of Evangelion's creators, khara.

• MAHIRO MAEDA

  Mahiro Maeda is a director, illustrator, set designer, and animator, whose entire career has had a significant impact on Japanese animation.
  Key figure of GAINAX and co-founder of animation studio GONZO, Mahiro Maeda is now affiliated with the animation department at khara, and is attending Japan Expo 2025.

  While he was still a student, Mahiro Maeda first made his debut as an animator on The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, then on Hayao Miyazaki's movie Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and, after participating on the short film Daicon IV, joined animation studio GAINAX. He became actively involved with GAINAX around 1985, contributing key animation, concept design, and direction to works such as Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, GunBuster, and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water.

  He made his directorial debut in animation with the music video for DANCING WITH THE MOONLIGHT by world-renowned guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei.

  In 1992, he co-founded animation studio GONZO and directed critically acclaimed anime such as Blue Submarine N°6 , the world’s first fully digital OVA, and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, a Sci-Fi twist on Alexandre Dumas's novel.

  He joined khara in 2012. That same year, he served as director, script collaborator, image board artist, storyboard artist, and design works contributor for Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo.
  In Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, he contributed as director, concept art director, storyboard artist, art setting designer, and key animator.

  Mahiro Maeda also contributed to George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, being responsible for concept art and designs, particularly for the character Furiosa.

  In the anime TV series Kaiju No. 8, he worked on kaiju design and detail works. Most recently, he has been involved in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, which is currently airing, as a design works and storyboard artist, also contributing to detail works.

  In Febuary 2025, to celebrate his career's 40 years as a designer, he released his first artbook, Mahiro Maeda Thats Artbook, bringing together four decades of his work.

• YOJI ENOKIDO

  Born in 1963, Shiga Prefecture.
  Yoji Enokido wrote the screenplay for the third installment of the Sailor Moon series : Sailor Moon S, and worked on the series composition for the next installment SuperS. He also contributed to works such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Melody of Oblivion. Alongside director Kazuya Tsuramaki, he worked on FLCL, Gunbuster 2, and The Dragon Dentist, leaving a memorable mark in the industry.
  
  He's in charge of the series composition for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the first collaboration between SUNRISE, the historic studio behind Mobile Suit Gundam, and the animation studio of Evangelion's creators, khara.

• YOKO TAKAHASHI
  Performer of Neon Genesis Evangelion theme songs "A Cruel Angel Thesis" and "Tamashii no Refrain"

• Only one item will be autographed per booth. 
• Eligible items include:  
  • Japan Expo Provided Item (Official Shikishi) 
  • OR official products of Evangelion series or Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX 
• All autographed items will be personalized. 
• No videography, or audio recording allowed. 
• Only letters to guests will be accepted. Gifts and objects are prohibited.
• Talent management reserves the right to determine item eligibility. 

The price for the signing sessions and photocalls is included in the ticket!