Includes Attendance from Partners Including Aniplex of America, Arc System Works America, ATLUS/SEGA, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Crunchyroll, Funko, Hulu, Konami, Netflix, Square Enix, Takaratomy, VIZ, and More!
Los Angeles, CA (May 27th, 2025) – The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) has released their full programming schedule ahead of the upcoming Anime Expo 2025, which takes place July 3-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s lineup includes exclusive premieres, celebrations, panels, talent appearances, Industry and Guests of Honor and more from partners including Aniplex of America, Arc System Works America, ATLUS/SEGA, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Crunchyroll, Funko, Hulu, KADOKAWA WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, INC, Konami, Netflix, Square Enix, Takaratomy, VIZ, Webtoon and so many more!
A small sampling of the currently announced programming lineup is available below, along with direct links to even more guests, premieres and panels to get excited about.
Badges are still available for purchase here.
Full Talent/Guests of Honor List | Exhibitor List | Artist Alley List | Full schedule
INDUSTRY + GUESTS OF HONOR
- Naoki Yoshida
- Visionary behind both FINAL FANTASY XIV & FINAL FANTASY XVI. After joining Square Enix in 2005, Yoshida spearheaded the revitalization of the original FINAL FANTASY XIV into A Realm Reborn. As Producer and Director, he’s continued to lead the game’s success and oversee Creative Studio III. Yoshida also produced FINAL FANTASY XVI, the latest chapter in the iconic franchise.
- Peach Pit
- Female manga artist duo of Sendou Banri and Ebara Shibuko returns to AX after 10 years. The duo have created a wide range of works spanning Seinen, Shojo, and Shounen genres. Their series “Rozen Maiden”, “Zombie Loan”, and “Shugo Chara!”, have been adapted into anime with “Shugo Chara!” winning the 32nd Kodansha Manga Award.
- Mokumokuren
- Manga creator of The Summer Hikaru Died, a horror-tinged coming-of-age story, winning top honor’s at Takarajimasha’s This Manga is Amazing! 2023 and placed 11th in the Manga Taisho.
- Ryukishi07
- Creator of Higurashi and Umineko, a talented creator who blends horror with hope across anime and manga.
- Manabu Otsuka
- President, MAPPA Co., Ltd.
- Paru Itagaki
- Manga artist, and creator of award winning BEASTARS. New work SANDA, which started in 2021, will be adapted as an anime by Science SARU.
PREMIERES
- HYPNOSISMIC D.R.B Movie / UTA☆PRI TABOO NIGHT XXXX U.S. Premiere
- Double screenings of HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Movie and Utano☆Princesama TABOO NIGHT XXXX—AX special versions! Vote with the CtrlMovie App in HYPNOSISMIC, Japan’s 1st interactive anime film. Don’t miss QUARTET NIGHT’s bold new chapter in the hit UTA☆PRI series!
- “The Summer Hikaru Died” North American Premiere of Episode 1(Subtitled) with Mokumokuren and Chiaki Kobayashi
- “YOU TO BE MY SIDE, EVEN IF YOU ARE FAKE…” Don’t miss the stunning new work from the rising studio CygamesPictures, diving into the unknown! This event features appearances by original creator Mokumokuren, voice actor Chiaki Kobayashi (Yoshiki), CyberAgent producer Manami Kabashima, and KADOKAWA producer Chiaki Kurakane.
- LEVIATHAN Exclusive Premiere
- Fugitive prince, Alek, meets Sharp, a commoner disguised as a boy, on the flying whale Leviathan, and they embark on an epic adventure around the world. Join creators from QUBIC PICTURES and STUDIO ORANGE for the exclusive premiere of the new action-adventure anime coming to Netflix on July 10, LEVIATHAN!
- TOUGEN ANKI – A New Generation of Dark Heroics – U.S. Premiere & Special Panel
- Don’t miss the U.S. premiere of TOUGEN ANKI at Anime Expo! Experience the dark hero anime adaptation ahead of its July launch. The panel features creator Yura Urushibara (online), voice actors Kazuki Ura, producer Takanori Matsuoka, and Miku Kobato from BAND-MAID. Get exclusive behind-the-scenes insights into this explosive series!
- Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine U.S. Premiere screening
- Detective Conan is coming to AX! Join us for the U.S. premiere of Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine, the hit film grossing 100+ million dollars worldwide! Dive into this action-packed mystery as Conan faces a deadly plot beneath the waves. Don’t miss this monumental cinematic experience!
- [WORLD PREMIERE] GINTAMA – Mr. Ginpachi’s Zany Class
- Witness the World Premiere of the GINTAMA spin-off anime! Join us for exclusive footage, messages from Odd Jobs, and behind-the-scenes insights. Discover new merchandise and participate in our exciting giveaway! Dive into the GINTAMA universe!
VOICE ACTORS
- A plethora of leading English and Japanese voice actors from beloved franchises including, Yuki Nakashima, Kent Ito and many, MANY more.
- A full list of voice actors can be found here – https://www.anime-expo.org/ax/talent/
SPECIAL EVENTS
- Jujutsu Kaisen Special Event
- Calling all Jujutsu Sorcerers! Join TOHO animation and special guests Junya Enoki (Japanese voice of Yuji Itadori) and Megumi Ogata (Japanese voice of Yuta Okkotsu) in celebration of the mega-hit series – JUJUTSU KAISEN!
- My Hero Academia Special Event
- “Go beyond, Plus Ultra!” The final season of MHA is coming Oct. 2025! Join Daiki Yamashita (Japanese VA of Deku), Justin Briner (English VA of Deku) and Shonen Jump editor to hear exclusive behind-the-scenes of the final season! ..And maybe a special message from Kohei Horikoshi just for AX2025…?
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 6th Anniversary Celebration
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba returns to Anime Expo for an unforgettable event celebrating the music of the series performed live, along with a special appearance by Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro Kamado)!
- Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! Fan Meeting AX 2025
- The popular rhythm game, HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE! will be hosting a fan meeting event only at Anime Expo. The event will include a talk show with VAs for Saki, Shiho, Akito, and Toya, musical numbers, a special reveal, and more! Every attendee will receive some free items, don’t miss it!
- Obey Me! Boys: Meet and Greet AX 2025
- Join the Obey Me! Boys for a special fan meeting with updates on Obey Me! and Ex and Bee! Get a sneak peek at the future of NTT Solmare’s worlds and enjoy a fun Q&A with the cast.
- Gundam Rising in Los Angeles – Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Special Event
- Be part of the very first Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX event in Los Angeles, featuring a movie screening, talk show, a live music performance, and more! Special guests will include the Director, Kazuya Tsurumaki, the voice actor of the main character MACHU, Tomoyo Kurosawa, and many more!
- J-POP SOUND CAPSULE @AX2025″ Anisong World Matsuri Returns!
- Anime Expo brings back the long-awaited music festival that is sure to captivate every fan! Step into this high-energy event where the worlds of J-POP and anime collide. With an electrifying line-up of the hottest acts from Japan, you’ll experience everything from classic anthems to the latest hits. Performing artists GRANRODEO, FLOW, TOGENASHI TOGEARI, HIROSHI KITADANI, SAKURAZAKA46, and ASTERISM..
- Sukeban
- Sukeban, the Japanese female pro-wrestling league, will hold its first-ever World Championship Fight at Anime Expo (AX) on July 5th, 2025.
- Anime Expo 2025 Masquerade
- The AX Masquerade is Anime Expo’s longest-running and most prestigious cosplay competition, where talented cosplayers will now take the Main Events stage at Peacock Theater to compete for incredible prizes and the coveted Best in Show title.
- One-Punch Man Season 3 Panel – Saitama is Back! JW Diamond 12:00PM – 1:20PM
- One-Punch Man Season 3 is coming! Don’t miss out on insights about the series with the voice of Saitama, Makoto Furukawa!
INDUSTRY PANELS
- MAPPA Panel “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc”
- Meet President, Manabu Otsuka and Vice president, Hiroya Hasegawa from MAPPA to talk about upcoming new movie “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” and more at MAPPA official panel.
- BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Panel
- Join us at the BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War panel, where we showcase exclusive content, plus exciting new announcements about the final part. Test your fandom in interactive quizzes and win awesome BLEACH prizes! Stay until the end so you don’t miss the special announcements.
- Animate presents – Alien Stage Director Vivinos Live Drawing
- Welcome to the survival audition program, ALIEN STAGE! Enjoy a Q&A session and live drawing by our special guest creators! Guest: VIVINOS, KANG PD
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Meets Anime Expo 2025 Special Panel
- Join Warner Bros. Japan along with special guests to celebrate the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure animation series! The show will be hosted by Kira Buckland (voice of Jolyne Cujoh) with Keith Silverstein (voice of Robert E.O. Speedwagon) and Mick Lauer (voice of Leone Abbacchio)!
- THE GHOST IN THE SHELL X Science SARU: New Animation Project Panel
- The return to a legendary cyberpunk sci-fi anime by Shirow Masamune will be launched in 2026. The leading animation studio Science SARU will be presenting a new project “THE GHOST IN THE SHELL”. Producers and other members of the production team will discuss the content of the anime and production status of the project along with other updates.
- Netflix Showcase: Discover Your Next Favorite Anime
- Discover your next favorite anime on Netflix! Be the first to see the English dub premiere of “SAKAMOTO DAYS,” epic battles with “Record of Ragnarok III,” hair-raising tales like “The Summer Hikaru Died,” enchanting stories from “My Melody and Kuromi,” and more surprises. Great anime awaits!
- Blue Archive: Dev Talk Live at AX 2025
- Back again at AX 2025, the Blue Archive devs return to meet our amazing Senseis! Join us for update previews, behind-the-scenes stories, and dev-only insights—plus a variety of special events prepared with appreciation for every Sensei who’s been enjoying the game.
- KONAMI Presents: Unmasking SILENT HILL f with Motoi Okamoto, Ryukishi07, and Akira Yamaoka
- Get an in-depth look behind SILENT HILL f, the newest game in the SILENT HILL series, with producer Motoi Okamoto, writer Ryukishi07, and composer Akira Yamaoka as they give you exclusive insights and neverbefore-seen footage from the game.
- The Official Persona5: The Phantom X Panel Featuring Lyn’s Live Performance
- SEGA and ATLUS are excited to share the behind-the-scenes story of P5X’s development and celebrate its global release with exclusive freebies and special live performance by Lyn Inaizumi, featuring original songs from Persona 5 series!
- DAN DA DAN Panel with Director & Voice Cast
- Celebrate the return of DAN DA DAN with director Fuga Yamashiro from Science SARU and Abby Trott (Momo), A.J. Beckles (Okarun), & Aleks Le (Jiji) from the English voice cast. Get a special behind-the-scenes look as DAN DA DAN starts airing its second season!
- Leveling Up: How Anime, Manga, & RPGs Inspired Naoki Yoshida and Final Fantasy!
- Join Square Enix & Naoki Yoshida, the visionary behind FINAL FANTASY XIV & Final Fantasy XVI, during AX2025 for an exciting Guest of Honor Panel
- GeeXPlus Presents: Pushing Content Creation in Japan (ft: Trash Taste, Spilled Ink, & more)
- Join GeeXPlus, the top management agency in Japan for foreign content creators, as we showcase exciting & new projects by our talents; Gigguk, CDawgVA, TheAn1meMan, Daidus, Emirichu, Onigiri, and more. Plus new exclusive announcements for GeeXPlus.
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About SPJA
SPJA is a non-profit organization dedicated to popularize and educate the public about Japanese entertainment and pop culture, as well as provide a forum to facilitate learning between professionals and fans. For more information, please visit www.spja.org.
About Anime Expo
Anime Expo (AX) brings together fans and industry from Japan, the US, and all over the world for the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America. Taking place every year since 1992, Anime Expo features the best in Japanese animation, popular art, entertainment, music, fashion, and video games
For more information, visit www.anime-expo.org.
