Otakon announced that anime creator Makoto Shinkai will attend the convention as a guest of honor. Shinkai is an independent creator that made his entry into the anime world with She and Her Cat, followed by Voices of a Distant Star. In addition, Shinkai made the critically acclaimed The Place Promised in Our Early Days and 5 Centimeters Per Second.

On May 7, Shinkai released his latest work, Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below.