9h ago
Crunchyroll held its annual showcase at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on July 6, announcing a theatrical film continuation for Solo Leveling and the first character designs for the Ghost of Tsushima Legends anime. The Solo Leveling film, titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, will pick up after Season 2 and is produced by A-1 Pictures with Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C Media, Kakao Piccoma, and Crunchyroll. Ghost of Tsushima Legends is directed by Takanobu Mizuno with HAYATE Inc. overseeing production, scripts by Satoshi Maejima and Gen Urobuchi, character designs by Takashi Okazaki, and animation by KAMIKAZE DOUGA. In a surprise segment, Dave Grohl appeared via video message to announce that Nirvana's "Breed" will be the opening theme for The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All, which premieres in early 2027. Other reveals included the Kagurabachi anime's first character design sheet for Chihiro Rokuhira, a trailer for the Here U Are manhwa adaptation, the sci-fi series Fate Rewinder for April 2027, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5 for next year, Aoashi Season 2 for October 2026, and several other new series including Dengeki Daisy, Gacha Girls Corps, Magical Buffs, The Vermilion Mask, and Overgeared.
Jun 28
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will provide 11.5 billion yen (~$71.1 million) in subsidies to 15 entertainment companies, including Crunchyroll, Bandai Namco, and Shueisha, to accelerate overseas expansion. The program covers half the cost of AI-driven translations, advertising, and international event participation. The government aims to counter piracy, which caused an estimated 5.7 trillion yen in losses in 2025, and grow the combined subscriber base of participating services from 100 million to 300 million.
May 16
At SusHi Tech Tokyo, executives from Production I.G, CoMix Wave Films, and MAPPA discussed alternatives to the production committee model. MAPPA's Manabu Otsuka, Production I.G's Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, and CoMix Wave Films' Noritaka Kawaguchi shared how their studios retain ownership. Studio Chizu's LLP model was also highlighted as a long-term alternative.
May 16
The anime adaptation Sekiro: No Defeat will open in Japanese cinemas on September 4, 2026, for a limited three-week run. Kadokawa, Crunchyroll, Qzil.la, and ARCH announced the date alongside a new main visual. Crunchyroll confirmed the series will stream exclusively on its platform later in 2026. The production committee also released a statement that no generative AI is used in the adaptation, a response to audience concern after studio Qzil.la was chosen. Qzil.la is known for work involving AI technologies. Kenichi Kutsuna directs, with Takuya Satou writing the screenplay and Takahiro Kishida designing the characters. The voice cast includes Daisuke Namikawa as Wolf, Miyuki Satou as Kuro, and Kenjiro Tsuda as Genichiro Ashina. The story adapts FromSoftware's game, following the shinobi Sekiro and the Divine Heir during the warring Sengoku period as Ashina faces an internal threat.