'Dragon Ball Z' voice actors Justin Cook, left to right, Christopher Sabat and Sean Schemmel sign autographs for fans Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015, during Comic Con Okinawa at Camp Foster, Japan. More than 10,600 people attended the annual convention, which celebrates popular culture and comics. (Cpl. Jessica Collins/U.S. Marine Corps)
Voice actors from the English version of the popular anime series “Dragon Ball Z” headlined Comic Con Okinawa, an annual convention at Camp Foster that brings thousands of people together in celebration of pop culture and comics.
More than 10,600 people, including Okinawa residents, attended the open-gate event on Oct. 17, according to a Marine Corps statement. The convention, hosted by Marine Corps Community Services, featured costume contests, zombie makeup artists, panel discussions, movie viewings and game tournaments.
“Dragon Ball Z,” based on a long-running Japanese manga series, follows the adventures of Goku and his friends as they defend Earth against a variety of villains. Voice actors Sean Schemmel (Goku), Justin Cook (Dende, Super Buu) and Christopher Sabat (Vegeta, Piccolo) participated in a panel discussion about the series and signed autographs for fans, some of whom were dressed as their favorite characters.
“The outpouring of love in Okinawa is way more than anywhere else,” Cook said in the statement. “It’s rare you (sign autographs) at a place where you have to thank almost everybody for protecting us for so long. It’s a great feeling to have.”
The discussion also included a “Kamehameha” contest — Goku’s signature martial arts move.
“It was cool seeing all the different costumes and characters walking around,” said Lance Cpl. John Wilson Navarro, a convention volunteer. “I saw Marines and Okinawa residents laughing together and talking about different costumes. It was really awesome seeing that interaction.”