From July 2-5, Los Angeles hosted the 35th Anime Expo across the Los Angeles Convention Center and its surrounding venues. The annual convention brings together fans of anime and celebrates the popularity and influence of Japanese pop culture internationally. Featuring industry-first announcements, exclusive merchandise opportunities and fan events, the convention provides something exciting for all fans of anime.
With this year’s convention featuring over 422,000 turnstile fans from more than 65 different countries across its four days, North America geared up for four days to celebrate the global force Japanese anime has become. These are some of the largest announcements and panels featured at this year’s convention as they occurred.
Aniplex Industry Panel
Starting off with the first day of the convention, production company Aniplex touched on several anticipated shows and IP’s during its panel. Hosts Shelby Tozier and Lauren Jeong walked the audience through Aniplex’s merchandise, collaborations, lineup of currently airing and upcoming shows and event announcements.
The panelists then discussed Aniplex’s current and upcoming anime release calendar. Before the panel, Aniplex held a series of polls regarding anime titles in its roster. Using these polls, the company hinted at the projects it would mention during the panel.
The hosts first showcased a trailer for a localized version of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising” with English subtitles. No official release date was announced. Hosts also revealed “The Irregular at Magic High School the Movie: Yotsuba Succession Arc” and “Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend,” both of which were announced to be releasing soon.
The anime announcements consisted of “Needy Girl Overdose,” “Rilakkuma” Season 2, “Elusive Samurai” Season 2, “Mashle: Magic and Muscle Tri-Magic-Athalon Divine Visionary Final Exam arc” and “Grow Up Show - Sunflower Circus.” The director of “Grow Up Show - Sunflower Circus,” Kanta Kamei, appeared as a special guest to talk more about the show.
Alien Stage
Artist Vivinos and Producer Kang returned to Anime Expo to discuss what will come next for the popular Korean YouTube animated series “Alien Stage.”
The two talked about the newly released series, “Zombie Stage,” and how they are happy with the positive reaction the first episode has been receiving thus far. Along with the release of the new series, they also highlighted the Alien Stage: Find Your Plus One! exhibition, currently being held at Animate LA.
The panelists also mentioned that they are currently working on a brand-new Alien Stage project: the first-ever 3D character concert/exhibition. The show will be a continuation of the finale of the original “Alien Stage” show and is set to launch next year in Seoul, Tokyo and Los Angeles.
The series will have a small showcase in Tokyo in October, where the characters Luca, Sua and Ivan will be present.
Midway through the panel, Vivinos and Producer Kang introduced their special guest, the series main artist, Qmeng, whom the audience welcomed with screams of excitement.
The panelist then showcased a snippet of the 3D concert that is still in production. They showed behind-the-scenes images of the live project, which included (for some characters) both the 2D and 3D versions.
When the audience thought that was all, the final and biggest news from the panel was announced: there will be an anime adaptation with Animate, an anime specialty store.
Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi
During its panel on day one, Lucasfilm and Production I.G gave a first look at ”The Ninth Jedi,” a new anime set in the Star Wars universe that is set to premiere on Aug. 5th on Disney+ and Hulu.
Picking up a fan-favorite story from “Star Wars Visions,” an animated anthology series that presents the mythology of Star Wars through multicultural perspectives, “The Ninth Jedi” will continue Lah Kara’s journey with her Jedi allies to find her father, sabersmith Lah Zhima, who was taken by Jedi Hunters.
“Star Wars and anime were always destined to come together,” Rimes said. “Anime has always been just a huge part of Lucasfilm, the staff, and our internal animation team as well. George Lucas even did a book called Visions, in which he went out and found a lot of artists to do their interpretation of Star Wars, and that’s where we got the inspiration for the title.”
The producers were soon joined by the writer and supervising director of “The Ninth Jedi,” Kenji Kamiyama.
“I fortunately was offered by Lucasfilm to extend into the series,” Kamiyama said.. “While I was writing and creating the original short episode [for Star Wars: Visions], I was creating a lot more background, both the characters and stories, so I had an extensive idea, and I wanted to see more of Kara’s journey myself, so I gladly accepted the opportunity.”
Following the reveal of a new, exclusive trailer and a new teaser poster for the upcoming series, Kamiyama broke down some important details.
“A lightsaber that changes colors based on the user’s heart and emotions, that’s the unique part of this world,” Kamiyama said. “In this poster, Kara is holding a green lightsaber, but at the end of the trailer, you saw that the color was red. So what’s going to happen? That’s something we wanted to explore.”
Once the panel concluded, fans discussed their thoughts on the first episode.
“It was really interesting,” attendee Matthew Young said. “It was my first time at Anime Expo, so I wasn’t expecting to see Star Wars. It’s really interesting to see these two, anime and Star Wars, cross so deeply.”
With the first day of the convention wrapping up, fans left the Convention Center to prepare for the next three days of announcements.
Gachiakuta
Early in the morning of day two, the “Gachiakuta” panel (hosted by Crunchyroll) took place at the Peacock Theater, where host Tim Lyu gave the audience a first look at season 2 of “Gachiakuta.” Lyu soon welcomed Aoi Ichikawa, the Japanese voice actor of Rudo (the main character of the series), as a special guest. Following Ichikawa, they also had the director, Fumihiko Suganuma, and the producer of “Bones,” Naoki Amano, accompany him to talk about the upcoming season.
Ichikawa joked that even he didn’t know what to expect because he had just recorded the lines and had not seen the animation. Following the discussion, they proceeded to do a live dubbing with Ichikawa of two scenes from Season 1.
The panel concluded with a rough, short teaser of Season 2.
“I just love being able to see snippets of it, because every single snippet that was new, that was mixed in with the older ones, gives you so much excitement. I was like, ‘Oh, I know what happens! Oh my gosh, it’s this part!’ I am just so excited,” said Emily Santos, a cosplayer who attended the panel.
Demon Slayer
Returning to the Peacock Theater, the “Demon Slayer” panel welcomed Natsuki Hanae, the voice of Tanjiro Kamado, Takahiro Sakurai the voice of Giyu Tomioka and Saori Hayami’s first time in Los Angeles, the voice of Shinobu Kocho.
Known for its beautiful animation, “Demon Slayer” takes place in Japan’s Taisho period where demons exist and eat humans and can only be defeated by demon slayers and the sun. Following the tragic loss of his family and his younger sister’s turning into a demon, protagonist Tanjiro goes on a journey to hunt down the progenitor of demons, Muzan, while encountering allies and dangerous foes. “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” was released last September in the U.S. and it became the highest grossing anime film of all time.
The panel began with the voice actors talking about their experiences working on the record-holding film.
“Even when reading the original works in Infinity Castle, I knew this was such an important moment, a climax,” said Hanae. “I was just excited, and also when recording, I was a little bit nervous, but I also had fun as well in the recording booth.”
“In the Akaza part it was actually only three of us in the recording studio,” said Tomioka. “So myself, Akira Ishida, who’s the voice of Akaza, and Hanai-san, and I was just taken back of just how powerful Ishida-san’s acting was. His aura was just oozing and amazing, so I was just admiring that very much.”
“I knew how much resolve was needed and how much determination was needed in going into this fight, so I channeled that, and I was a little bit nervous, but I also wanted to channel this and do my best,” said Hayami. “In regards to Mamoru Miyano, the voice of Doma, I knew him from before, but when he was playing Doma, I was just like, ‘Oh, I gotta get this guy.’ He brought out a lot of anger within me, but with that combined with the visuals, I think it really, really helped me get through the battle scenes and really ignite that natural emotion that he evoked through his acting.”
The many emotions that the voice actors mentioned were presented through an exciting live dubbing session.
Hayami voiced the iconic confrontation scene between Shinobu and Douma. Chills could be felt throughout the theater, as Hayami brought out the pure anger her character felt after finally encountering her older sister’s murderer.
Hanae performed the long-awaited encounter between Tanjiro and Akaza. As the audience watched in anticipation as Akaza entered the screen, Hanae embodied Tanjiro and bellowed Akaza’s name with determination to avenge his mentor Kyojuro.
Sakurai acted out the exciting moment where Giyuu resolved to raise his sword against Akaza and unlocked his demon slayer mark. Bringing out Giyuu’s determination, Sakurai brought the audience back to the legendary moment where his character’s fight against a terrifying villain entered a new dimension.
Following the live dubbing, a special video was shown of Tanjiro and Giyuu being drawn. Sped up, the video showcased how much work and attention to detail went into sketching and coloring the two characters. The very drawing was passed out to the audience in the form of a card as a token of gratitude from Ufotable for all the support they have received.
Additionally, a short video teasing Ufotable’s newest film project, Witch on the Night, was shown, garnering the audience’s interest for how the studio would adapt the famous visual novel.
Towards the end of the panel, it was revealed that “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” will now be available for streaming on Crunchyroll beginning July 28.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2
An early screening of the first episode “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2” was screened at a panel hosted on July 3rd in Crypto.com Arena.
Released on Netflix on Sept. 13, 2022, “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” follows the story of David Martinez, a street kid who,following a tragic loss, becomes a mercenary, taking on dangerous jobs against corporations while navigating the dystopian Night City that is obsessed with body modifications called “chrome.”
Before the first episode of the second season was revealed, Showrunner Bartosz Sztybor and Executive Producer Saya Elder discussed the work behind the first season.
Elder shared how there was a lot of pressure to do well since the concept of edgerunners has always existed as a campaign where participants could become their dream edgerunner and do “crazy things” in Night City.
The showrunner and producer also discussed the differences between Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 1 and 2. Sztybor said that season two will be more grounded compared to the romantic depiction of Night City in season one.
“Night City is hyperviolent and hypersexual,” Elder said. “So how can you tell a good story in Night City?”
During the episode, the audience was introduced to multiple characters. Weak Kingsley, a former cyberpunk legend now forced to live without chrome, D, a deadly nomad seeking revenge for his family, Talia Yang, a woman obsessed with her gang’s chrome-culture and Roman Carax, the protagonist and a child cinephile who’s hellbent on documenting real stories in Night City.
Ikarashi revealed that his vision of season two revolved around how the characters would be consumed by the system of Night City and how they would cope with the decisions they would have to make.
Once it was revealed that season two would have the same writers from season one, the phrase, “Don’t get too attached to everyone,” was shared multiple times between the panelists and the audience, as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has earned the reputation for being simultaneously one of the most beautiful yet tragic animes out there.
“You may think sadness is sexy,” added Sztybor. “It’s not. Happiness is sexier.”
The Apothecary Diaries
Returning for this year’s convention, “The Apothecary Diaries” panel brought Aoi Yuuki, the voice of Mao Mao, and Takeo Otsuka, the voice of Jinshi, to the stage of the Peacock Theater. While being Yuuki’s second time attending Anime Expo, the panel marked the first time Otsuka visited Los Angeles.
With season two ending last July, the panelists confirmed that production of season three is already underway.
“We actually started dubbing for season three already, so we’re recording the episodes as we speak,” Yuuki said. “What I will say is the scale is going to be even bigger than season two, the mystery is going to be even more mysterious, and it’s actually going to carry over from season two. And of course, there’s going to be the Mao Mao and Jinshi interactions to look forward to as well.”
Both voice actors then discussed their personal experiences playing Mao Mao and Jinshi.
“I mean this in the best possible way, but it feels like we’re in elementary school together when we’re recording,” said Yuuki. “As Mao Mao, I think I have the most work out of all the other cast members. There’s a lot of talking, but everyone’s so nice to me, and they spoil me, so I think it all works out in the end.”
Towards the end of the panel, the voice actors answered what they are looking forward to regarding season three.
“In season three, there are going to be new characters and some existing characters that are going to see a lot more screen time, so I think if you’re fans of those characters, it’s going to be your season,” Ootsuka said.
While not discussed at the panel, a new trailer for “The Apothecary Diaries: The Movie” was released on YouTube on July 2. The movie is set to premiere in Japan on Dec. 11, 2026.
Persona 4 Revival
Game studio ATLUS kicked off day three of Anime Expo with new announcements regarding the long-awaited “Persona 4 Revival” remake. After revealing the pre-order trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase Jun. 7, ATLUS has been promoting the upcoming remake through gameplay and story showcases on social media.
General producer Kazuhisa Wada, business producer Yohsuke Uda, character designer Shigenori Soejima and the new voice actor of Yosuke Hanamura, Paul Castro Jr. made an appearance at the panel to reveal new information about the game.
The panel first began with a side-by-side comparison between the graphics in “Persona 4 Golden” and “Persona 4 Revival.” Similar to ATLUS’ newer titles, Persona 4 Revival’s graphics provide a stylish flair and smooth animations that build upon the original “Persona 4” experience.
“We have put a lot of effort into redoing all of the character models and making sure everything is just beautiful and upgraded,” Soejima said. “We’ve made the models look great …we can upgrade the system, things that we couldn’t do back then to have, like full proportion character bodies, that are going to make you all go ‘wow.’”
Wada then spoke about what aspects of the game were given special care and attention for the remake.
“We’ve put a ton of importance this time on making sure that we preserve the original’s atmosphere and vibe. We know you love it and we want to make sure you still get that same sense,” said Wada. “At the same time, we want to make sure that you can really feel like the world, like the kind of laid-back kind of countryside life in Inaba that you all enjoyed. But really that complex human drama at the heart of the story, we’ve kind of spent a lot of time trying to rebuild those core elements that make the game so special.”
When interviewing Persona fans, Danny Fung voiced his opinions regarding the new remake and Prime Time battle mechanic.
“Because they included Prime Time, I have concerns about the difficulty,” Fung said. “I hope they retain the ability to set the difficulty really high. I think the game should be hard to the point where it does not discourage you. it should push you to overcome the challenge that’s ahead.”
With the soundtrack of the Persona titles being a key component of each game’s identity, Fung touched on this aspect of the game as well.
“The thing that stuck out to me [was] that there were a lot of opinions on the music online. I think based on the new music that I heard from the trailer, there were a lot less percussion,” said Fung. “[The original soundtrack had] lots of heavy drum beats and bass. But overall, anyways, that’s not a downside for me. I’m excited to hear the new soundtrack.”
The panel also showcased a new trailer revealing Abby Trott to be the new English voice actor of Rise Kujikawa. Unlike the original Japanese cast, “Persona 4 Revival” will feature a recast of every voice actor for the English dub.
Midway through the panel, Manabu Otsuka, president and CEO of Studio MAPPA, made an appearance as a surprise guest. This was quickly followed an announcement that MAPPA will animate the cutscenes for “Persona 4 Revival.” Storyboards and the world premiere of the cutscene where the protagonist awakes to his persona were showcased.
“The director who handled the animated cutscenes, in order to make sure that they really got perfectly all the vibes right, played [Persona] one through four in a row before they started doing the direction,” Soejima said.
The panel ended with an announcement that “PERSONA 4 the ANIMATION” and “PERSONA 4 the Golden ANIMATION” are both available to stream for free on Aniplex USA’s YouTube Channel from July 4 to Aug. 19.
While not revealed at the panel, a trailer for Yosuke and Chie were released later, and new demo gameplay featured at Bilibili World showcased early parts of the game.
Persona 4 Revival is set to be released on February 18, 2027, on Xbox, PlayStation and Steam.
Mob Psycho 100
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary for its anime adaptation, “Mob Psycho 100” hosted a special panel featuring chief director Yuzuru Tachikawa, the voice of Mob, Setsuo Ito, and the voice of Reigen, Takahiro Sakurai.
Following the story of Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, an unimpressionable boy who suppresses his emotions in order to keep his psychic powers at bay, and exorcises evil spirits with his con-man mentor, Reigen, “Mob Psycho 100” blends high-stakes action scenes with messages centered on emotional growth. The show concluded its television run with three seasons in Dec. 2022.
As the panel began, the three panelists discussed which episodes stood out to them the most.
“I think one moment that stands out to me is when Reigen says, ‘You can run away,’” Sakurai said, referring to the iconic moment where Reigen assured Mob during a tense battle against dangerous opponents. “Often in anime, the theme is ‘I can’t run away. Don’t run away.’ So being able to say the opposite was really striking.”
Ito and Sakurai also performed a live-dubbing session of their answers. They also voiced one of the fan-favorite moments from the series finale, where Mob revealed he was rejected by his crush and started crying as Reigen comforted him.
Following the dub session, it was announced that “Mob Psycho 100” would be celebrating its 10th anniversary through a theatrical experience on July 20 in select theaters by screening five episodes that the fans voted for through Crunchyroll.
In addition to this announcement, a real-time screen recording of Tachikawa’s computer was shown, which highlighted the chief director’s storyboarding process.
“I wanted to keep the goodness of the original manga as much as possible,” Tachikawa said. “So the scenes I really loved in the manga I tried to be as faithful as possible in terms of nuance and camera angles, but for the action scenes, I took more liberties to have all the dynamic actions.”
To conclude the panel, an early screening of a special short episode celebrating the 10th anniversary of the anime series was shown. The fans cheered and laughed upon seeing their beloved Mob and Reigen return.
Warner Bros. Industry Panel
Warner Bros. Japan Anime Production celebrated its 15th anniversary at the industry panel with fans through exclusive video messages, special giveaways and premiere date announcements.
Laura Post and Damien Hass — voice actors of Brünnhilde in “Record of Ragnarok III” and Diego Brando from “STEEL BALL RUN: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” — discussed recent and upcoming series.
The panel featured video messages to hype the audience up for the production company’s upcoming titles. The “15 seconds challenge,” including brief plot summaries and messages, came from Daman Mills (Jonny Joestar), Shunsuke Takeuchi (Kenshiro) and “Devil’s Crest” opening theme singer Ado.
The panel also announced the rest of the “STEEL BALL RUN” will release every Friday, starting on Sept. 25.
“No one ever has to ask me about the date for this ever again,” Hass joked about the long-anticipated release as he learned the date with the attendees.
And further announcements followed: original soundtracks of “Record of Ragnarok” II and III will be available across platforms on Oct. 1, as the fourth season production was officially confirmed. For the next year, audiences can expect the second season of “Fist of the North Star: Hokuto No Ken,” a 3D remake of the 2008 classic action anime available on Prime Video.
Warner Bros. Japan Anime Production revealed that “Devil’s Crest,” an anime adaptation of the “Sword Art Online” writer Reki Kawahara’s latest light novel, will premiere on Amazon Prime starting Nov. 6. Ado will perform the opening theme song “Shinka.”
Production I.G x WIT STUDIO Industry Panel
One of Anime Expo’s most anticipated panels, this year’s Production I.G X WIT STUDIO collaboration returned to Anime Expo at the Crypto.com Arena to share exciting updates with hundreds of eager fans.
The panel kicked off with the first industry guests — founders George Wada, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Tetsuya Nakatake. All clad in “Haikyuu!!” jerseys, the four warmed up the crowd with introductions, chants and teasing giveaways later in the panel.
Production I.G began with a series of announcements from fan-favorite franchises.
The studio confirmed that it is filming “Haikyuu!!: The Place Where Monsters Go,” and “Haikyuu!! VS. The Little Giant” is set to release in 2027. They also confirmed the final chapter of “Kaiju No.8,” alongside the short film “Narumi’s Week at Work.”
Additional announcements included an anime adaptation of “Demons’ Crest,” based on Reki Kawahara’s light novel (“Sword Art Online”) and featuring an opening song by hit singer ADO. Before moving on, the company wrapped the short announcements with a new “Rilakkuma” short animation, scheduled to premiere in Japan on Sept. 25, 2026.
After this WIT STUDIO announced “Candy Carries,” a cute stop-motion centered on a sentient cavity, and “LONA,” which the studio described as a “fantasy-related story that can only be achieved in animation.”
They also announced a remake of “One Piece” with a new trailer, starring Mayumi Tanaka as Monkey D. Luffy. WIT STUDIO then brought out its special guest: “Attack On Titan” director Tetsuro Araki.
WIT STUDIO then brought out its special guest: “Attack On Titan” director Tetsuro Araki.
Araki shared that he was recently in the U.S. to conduct research for an unannounced project, and handled guns in a shooting range in Vegas. When asked again by fans, he reviewed the story as a reboot of a past project, centered on a girl who uses guns, and “something no one will ever guess.”
Studio Trigger Industry Panel
The Studio Trigger industry panel featured director Kai Ikarashi and president and screen director Masahiko Otsuka, who discussed the behind-the-scenes of the upcoming show “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2.”
The hosts started the panel by discussing changes between the seasons, from a different tone to new characters. Character model works/sketches for the upcoming show were also shown, such as close-ups of eyes, details and different head directions.
They soon moved on to their other popular series, “Delicious in Dungeon.” The audience was shown a short video message from the director of the show, Yoshihiro Miyajima, who thanked the audience for their patience as they waited for the series.
The panelists explained to the audience that they are renewing the entire character design cast to match the original artist’s (Ryoko Kui) changing art style. The show is set to release in Oct. 2027.
The final announcement was a new flagship title, the studio’s first since “Promare” was released in 2019. This will be the studio’s fourth studio project. The untitled project has started production with director Hiroyuki Imaishi and screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima.
My Hero Academia
One of the most popular anime of this generation, “My Hero Academia” celebrated its 10th anniversary during the third day of Anime Expo. Taking place inside Crypto.com Arena at 2:30 p.m, fans filled up the seats, many of them cosplaying memorable characters from the show.
Originally a manga written and illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi, the anime for “My Hero Academia” was released on April 3, 2016 and ended on Dec. 13 2025. The story takes place in a world where humanity possesses supernatural abilities called quirks and has evolved into a society where heroes and villains exist. Though the protagonist, Izuku Midoriya (nicknamed Deku), is quirkless, he is determined to become a hero like his idol, All Might.
The panel kicked off with a compilation of memorable moments from the show, earning screams and applause from the audience. After the video, Deku’s voice actor, Daiki Yamashita, and Shigaraki’s voice actor, Koki Uchiyama, entered the stage. The two voice actors discussed what they thought was the most memorable episode to record.
Yamashita chose the 167th episode, which was 2025’s highest-rated TV episode on IMDb. During this episode, Deku faces Shigaraki by going through a final transformation with the help of his friends. Yamashita explained that all the support that Deku received from both the characters in the series and from the fans in that final climactic moment is what made the episode so memorable.
Uchiyama chose the 121st episode, an episode known for Shigaraki’s shuddering yet determined monologue regarding his beliefs. Uchiyama explained that Shigaraki had gone through so many changes, from his physical appearance to his beliefs.
During the panel, the two panelists live-dubbed a climatic moment from the 167th episode, where Deku finally reaches Shigaraki and the villain delivers his last words.
Reflecting on how they felt about performing in front of thousands of people, Yashimita said he was happy that this scene was chosen to be live-dubbed.
“Even though there’s a lot of action, there’s a moment to connect heart to heart,” said Yashimita.
Uchiyama shared that this scene was particularly difficult since it was the first time he played Shimura Tenko, Shigaraki’s true identity.
“There were a lot of things going on emotionally,” Uchiyama said. “But I was asked to act as if I was internally clear.”
After the discussion, a special short episode titled “I am a hero too,” was premiered exclusively for the attendees. Based on a one-shot Horikoshi created for his Ultra Age fanbook, the episode gave the audience a glimpse of Eri, a key-child character from the series, and her life following the final season.
Once finished, it was revealed that the episode would be available on Aug. 3 through Crunchyroll. Attendees were instructed to look under their chairs for a special gift. Two lucky attendees each earned a free ticket to My Hero Academia in Concert, a celebration of the show’s 10th anniversary with a 15-piece live band performing iconic scores from the series. The final announcement consisted of the game “My Hero Academia: All Justice” coming to Nintendo Switch on Sept. 4.
Cloverworks Industry Panel
The CloverWorks industry panel revealed news regarding the studio’s upcoming releases.
With the seats of JW Marriott filled, the panel kicked off with a compilation of CloverWorks’ prominent works, such as “Spy x Family,” “The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity” and “Rascal Does Not Dream.”
Following the compilation, Akira Shimizu, president of CloverWorks, entered the stage. His first announcement was “Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend,” the finale of the anime series “Rascal Does Not Dream.”
“It’s been eight years since the Rascal Does Not Dream series started as an anime series,” Shimizu said. “So it’s a piece that has actually continued to grow alongside the studio’s growth. So there are many staff who are working on it with so much passion and love, especially because of the history that we have with the series.”
“Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend,” will be released in theaters in Japan on Oct. 16, 2026, and the U.S. theatrical release will follow after.
“There’s going to be a live performance concert scene that we’re putting in a lot of effort into, so we really hope you guys look forward to being able to watch that,” Shimizu said. “Because this is the finale of this long-standing series that we care about so much, we’re putting in a lot of effort and passion. So we hope that you watch the show to the end and see us through in all the effort that we are putting into this.”
The second season of “The Elusive Samurai,” was announced to release on July 17.
Revolving around the story of Hojo Tokiyuki, the last survivor of his clan, “The Elusive Samurai” takes place during the Kamakura period of Japan and centers around the theme of survival and endurance.
“The Kamakura period is actually a complicated part of Japanese history,” Shimizu said. “So in this show, even if you don’t understand the difficult Japanese history of the Kamakura period, you can really enjoy the Japanese aesthetic as well as the characters’ movements and the expressions they have..”
After Shimizu’s presentation, Yuichi Fukushima, the vice president of CloverWorks, entered the stage to talk about an upcoming original piece called “GROTESQQUE.”
Set to release in Japanese theaters on Nov. 6, 2026, “GROTESQQQUE” is a completely original animation film made by the director of “Darling in the Franxx” and character designer of “Gurren Lagann,” Atsushi Nishigori. Comprising three episodes titled “Aeliens,” “Yoroshiku Girl” and “Nocturn: En Cette Nuit Grotesque,” the film will blend uneven yet beautiful stories together to create a piece that fuses pop and edgy imagery and sound.
Following the exclusive premiere of the trailer, Fukushima revealed what it was like to work with Nishigori.
“I’m a huge fan of Gurren Lagann,” Fukushima said. “I really wanted to work with him, and so after we started working together, we worked on “The Idol Master” and then “Darling in the Franxx,” and now we’re here …. We made this without holding back, so we really hope you can watch it.”
To add to Nishigori’s credibility, “GROTESQQQUE” will feature 14 different cast members from various genres and 35 different well-known artists, from singer-songwriters, local language producers, idols, bands and composers, including METALVERSE and their song for the opening theme titled “Shoot Shoot Shoot.”
Although the film is set to release in November, it will have its world premiere at the prestigious Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal later this month.
Next, Aniplex producer Masami Niwa was invited on stage. Niwa has produced for “Sword Art Online,” and this was his first time presenting for a CloverWorks panel.
Niwa announced that Masashi Ishihama, the director of “Horimiya,” Kanna Hirayama, the character designer of “Rent a Girlfriend” and “Oshi No Ko,” and “Rino Yamasaki,” the scriptwriter behind “Spy x Family,” are collaborating on an adaptation of the manga series “The Guy She was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All.”
Revolving around the story of Aya, a glamorous high schooler who develops a crush on a mysterious employee at a local CD shop, thinking they are a guy, and Mitsuki, Aya’s shy classmate who is actually the mysterious employee, “The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All” has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.
“This is a piece where girls are connecting their hearts through music,” Niwa said. “I was reading the manga originally, even before we got the offer of doing this animation. So after I heard that we were doing the job to create this animation, I really thought about how I could bring this piece to light.”
The official teaser for the series played shortly after, featuring the show’s opening theme, “Breed” by Nirvana.
The music is a very core and important part of the piece, so we really wanted to put effort into making it happen,” Niwa said of the opening theme. “We actually got to talk directly with the manager of Nirvana, John Silva, and we were able to make it a reality.”
“The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All” anime adaptation is set to release in Jan. 2027 on Crunchyroll.
To conclude the panel, a teaser for a brand-new Evangelion anime series was played, revealing that CloverWorks and Studio Khara would be behind the project.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
In the “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Special Event,” hosted by TOHO, the creative team gave fans a look at how the beloved fantasy anime has developed.
The panel starred director Tomoya Kitagawa, supporting director Keiichiro Saito, animation producer Yuichiro Fukushi and character designer Keisuke Kojima. Kojima held a live drawing session, taking the panel to sketch key characters from season two.
To kick things off, Kitagawa shared that it was his first time in the U.S. and attending Anime Expo.
“It’s totally different to be in the room with you all,” Kitagawa said.I feel all your energy, and I feel very grateful to be here.”
The panel then showed some of the original key animations (genga) of acclaimed scenes — particularly the battle against demon general Revolte in season two. Kojima emphasized the design intent behind the characters, which combine beauty and traditionally masculine strength.
This internationality is clear throughout Frieren, especially in the development of the OP. Kitagawa explained that the theme was designed from Frieren’s perspective, chronicling her life up until that point and her continued journey. He articulated Frieren’s relationships with a flower motif, saying it represents her as she “changes gradually while encountering different companions along the way.” This symbol, along with fast cuts between old and new characters, helped tell the story of the “ten-year journey” by showing how time is perceived and interpreted in the anime: fleeting to some, and vast to others.
Before concluding the panel, the panelists confirmed that season three of the series is already in production and will air in Oct. 2027. While still keeping things under wraps, they teased that it would be “epic and romantic,” building up anticipation for the months to come.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Celebrating the fifth anniversary of the anime’s debut, the heavily anticipated “Jujutsu Kaisen” panel on day four of Anime Expo attracted hundreds of fans for a showcase with the show’s Japanese and English voice actors.
Over the hour-plus runtime, the talented voices behind Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki and Adam McArthur) and Suguru Geto (Takahiro Sakurai and Kex Lang) discussed their recording experiences, emotions and memorable moments to reflect on the series’ impact.
After some cheery introductions, the screen unveiled the commemorative anniversary illustration as fans waved their matching free banners.
“To think that this series can go beyond Japan, touching fans worldwide … I hope that this energy, this momentum, can continue, and I can travel to more countries,” Enoki said.
The biggest moments of the panel were the live dubbing. Each voice actor took to the stage to reenact an iconic scene from their character as the clip rolled behind them.
When asked to compare their original recording of the script versus now, McArthur jumped in with a pandemic-era story.
“The first time I recorded that scene, I was at home in my home studio during COVID … not wearing any pants,” McArthur joked. “So this was a much different experience.”
Le then turned the topic to season three, which premiered at the beginning of this year. Reflecting on its success, the cast praised the animation and described their experience in the recording studio.
The animation is on a whole new level,” Enoki said. “That compelled us to rise to the occasion and get our performance to the level where we could match the work of the animators.”
The cast then talked about the new characters, including Kinji Hakari, Hiromi Higuruma and Kirara Hoshi — whose name sparked enthusiastic cheers when Enoki selected her as his favorite.
To wrap up the panel, Le announced work is already underway for season four, and debuted a brand-new trailer, leaving fans hyped for the series’ next installment.
Next year’s convention will take place from July 2-5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.