Anime Expo, one of the world’s biggest anime, manga and videogame conventions, has finally come to an end after four days of non-stop action. Taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 3 to July 6, the event saw major studios and publishers announcing their latest projects to a crowd of over 100,000 fans.
Anime News Network has a full list of every announcement made, but we’ve rounded up some of our highlights here:
1. Cloverworks Announces Original Anime Film, GROTESQQQUE
Cloverworks, the studio behind Wind Breaker and Wonder Egg Priority, announced a new original film titled GROTESQQQUE. Directed by Atsushi Nishigori of Darling in the Franxx fame, the film will serve as an anthology that compiles three different short stories: “Aeliens”, “4649 Girl”, and “Nocturne: Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni”. It is set for a 2026 release.
2. New Teaser For The Ghost in the Shell Anime
Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed a new teaser video for Science Saru’s upcoming Ghost in the Shell anime series. While little was shown in the video, fans did manage to get glimpses of production artwork and early animation for the series, as well as a new logo designed by artist Hajime Sorayama. According to the production team, the series’ script is almost complete, with storyboarding currently underway.
3. Gigguk Announces His Own Anime Series
YouTube personality and anime content creator Gigguk announced Baan: The Boundaries of Adulthood, an original anime series created in partnership with Studio Daisy. The anime is an isekai story set in the fictional world of Euthania, which is heavily inspired by Southeast Asian and Thai mythology. Read our full write-up here.
4. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Releases 2026
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity, the fourth and final part of the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime series, will be released in 2026. The series serves as a direct sequel to the original 2004 anime, and adapts the remaining chapters of Tite Kubo’s manga.
5. New Trailer for Frieren Season 2
Crunchyroll screened a new trailer for Season 2 of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, which also revealed some staff shake-ups for the upcoming season. Highlights include Tomoya Kitagawa, who directed three episodes of the first season, taking over as director from Keiichiro Saito, who now serves as a supporting director; while Daiki Harashina, who directed episode 3, will act as assistant director. Season 2 is set for a January 2026 release.
6. New Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Series Announced
CD PROJEKT RED and Studio Trigger announced Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, a new standalone 10-episode story set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077. The series’ official X/Twitter account describes it as follows: “When the world is blinded by spectacle, what extremes do you have to go to make your story matter?“
7. Beastars Final Season Part 2 Airs 2026
Netflix gave viewers their first look at Beastars Final Season Part 2, with a new visual that confirms the series’ 2026 air date. Studio Orange will continue to produce the series, with Shinichi Matsumi and Nanami Higuchi returning as director and scriptwriter, respectively.
8. Record Of Ragnarok Returns December 2025
The story of Record of Ragnarok continues in Season 3, airing on Netflix this December 2025. A new trailer showcased for the series reveals a number of crew changes, with animation provided by Yumeta Company and Maru Animation, and Tokyo Revengers director Koichi Hatsumi helming the project. Fellow Tokyo Revengers crew member Yasuyuki Muto will serve as main writer.
9. Ascendance of a Bookworm Showcases New Series
Myne’s adventures continue in Ascendance of a Bookworm: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, a new anime series that picks up where the 2019 series left off. Yuka Iguchi and Show Hayami will reprise their roles as Myne and Ferdinand respectively, while Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Kowloon Generic Romance) will take over as series director.
10. The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity Arrives In Southeast Asia On July 13
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, an anime adaptation of Saka Mikami’s manga of the same name, will be added to Netflix in selected Southeast Asian territories on July 13. This comes eight days after the anime’s July 5 premiere in Japan, but well ahead of its American premiere on September 7.
