During this year’s New York Comic Con, Crunchyroll is bringing fans everything from sneak peaks of their upcoming releases, free swag, and an appearance from Fairy Tail mangaka Hiro Mashima.
Per the events’ official schedule, Crunchyroll will kick off NYCC at 11:30 AM EST on October 18th with their aptly named ‘Spotlight On Hiro Mashima: Creator of Fairy Tail‘ panel.
Held in honor of his Edens Zero manga recently coming to an end and the start of the anime adaptation of Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, the once-in-a-lifetime panel will see the esteemed Dead Rock and Rave Master mangaka discussing and reflecting on his over two-decade-long manga career.
Later that night at 6:30 PM EST, the streaming platform will host their ‘Crunchyroll Industry Panel’, wherein they will detail the various anime releases they have planned for the upcoming year.
And while the full breadth of their preview line-up stands to be revealed during the actual panel, Crunchyroll has confirmed that it will include the world premiere of a new trailer for MAPPA’s upcoming original series ZENSHU.
“After graduating from high school, Natsuko Hirose (CV: Anna Nagase – Yoki in ‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess) starts her career as an animator,” reads ZENSHU‘s synopsis. “Her talent quickly flourishes, and she makes her debut as a director in no time. Her first anime becomes a massive hit, sparking a social phenomenon and earning her recognition as an up-and-coming genius director. Her next project is set to be a romantic comedy movie themed around first love! However, having never been in love herself, Natsuko struggles to understand the concept of first love, and as a result, she’s unable to create the storyboard, causing the movie production to come to a standstill.”
Then, at 10:45 AM EST the next day, Crunchyroll will host Beginning After The End author TurtleMe for a special panel wherein they will provide insight into the creative process behind their series.
Notably, the panel’s official schedule listing invites attendees to “stick around for a special surprise.”
And finally, at 12:45 PM EST, Crunchyrill will close out their NYCC offerings with an exclusive preview of the fourth Overlord movie, The Sacred Kingdom, ahead of its November 8th release date
In addition, Overlord Director Naoyuki Ito and Madhouse Producer Kentaro Hashimoto will be in attendance to give a behind-the-scenes look into the anime’s production.
And of course, throughout the entirety of the con, attendees can visit Crunchyroll’s booth [#1643] to acquire free swag and purchase merch, including NYCC exclusive One Piece and Mobile Suit Gundam FiGPiNs, and even challenge the Cartenon Temple in an immersive 360 degree Solo Leveling Experience.
NEXT: Crunchyroll Acquires US Theater Rights For Upcoming ‘Blue Lock’, ‘Haikyu!!’, And ‘Overlord’ Films