Day Two of Anime Expo 2018 welcomed fans to the Los Angeles Convention Center, California this month with a panel featuring voice actress Melissa Fahn, a look at the female writers of shonen and seinen manga, and some hectic gaming at the Entertainment Hall.

Day Two of AX 2018 got off to an amazing start on July 5 with the very first panel of the day -- Inside the VA Studios, hosted by Bang Zoom! Entertainment, featuring special guest, the voice actress and singer Melissa Fahn, whom many may know better for roles that include Edward, Cowboy Bebop; Gaz, Invader Zim; Sasha, Stitch!; and Ray Beams, Eureka Seven to name just a few.

During the panel Fahn gave her story of how she got into voice acting when she worked as a receptionist -- her voice got the attention of a casting agent for a Betty Boop featurette.

“It was that experience that really opened the doors for me,” said Fahn.

At one point, Fahn auditioned for the role of Ariel from The Little Mermaid, the actress recalling, “(seeing) several concept arts of Ariel with different hair colors, blonde, brown, red, at the time when they were undecided.” Though she did not get the role, she said that she was grateful for the experience.

Fahn also imparted her advice on what it takes to be a great voice actor.

“Voice over is not just about having a ‘cool’ voice.  I think it’s really important to have some kind of melody with the acting before you get into the booth.”

She emphasized that if one’s background is singing, he or she should make use of that and get into a voiceover workshop.

Several people had the opportunity at this year’s expo to try their hand at voice acting through dubbing, which often, in the case of anime, involves the voice actor being given the original Japanese part to provide them with an idea of the nuances and emotions that need be conveyed. The timing is key, especially when it comes to getting in sync with the lip movements.

Upon completion of each dubbing Fahn was onhand to provide pointers for improvement, while also validating the performances.

Over at Anime Expo’s Entertainment Hall the busy and hectic space provided opportunity for everyone to get their game on with several sections of the hall devoted to video game playing and card games -- many participants having fun and showing off their gaming skills to others..  

A highlight of the Entertainment Hall in 2018 was the several backdrops provided for cosplayers to pose for photo shoots, and this visitor was fortunate enough to take plenty of pictures.

The Square Enix booth also draw significant crowds at this year’s expo as gamers queued to try their hand at showcase games Kingdom Hearts III and Dragon Quest.

Day Two of Anime Expo 2018 wrapped up with a panel on “Women Who Write Shonen and Seinen Manga.”

The panel focused on giving plot summaries to a variety of manga titles presented, which included Fullmetal Alchemist, Bamboo Blade, A Silent Voice, and Ranma ½.  However, the one title that made strongest impression on this attendee was Wandering Son by Shimura Takako.

Wandering Son depicts the story of Shuichi Nitori, a transgender girl, who befriends Yoshino Takatsuki, a trans boy.  Panel host Kory stated that one of the reasons he chose to present Wandering Son is because the issue of being transgender is, for the most part, uncharted territory as far as manga and Japanese fiction is concerned.

More from Anime Expo 2018

Anime Expo 2018: Cosplay culture puts on dedicated display for event opener

Anime Expo 2018: Directors discuss Japanese influence, future for U.S. animation on day three, recap