VIZ Media brought its anime and manga lineup to Anime Expo 2025 in force, presenting panels, special guests, immersive experiences and exclusive announcements to fans.
On Thursday, aspiring comics creators packed into the Making Manga panel, where VIZ editors offered a behind-the-scenes look at how ideas evolve from pitch to publication. This included a step-by-step breakdown of the editorial development process for manga one-shots; insights on how creators can pitch to VIZ, including common pitfalls and what stands out; details on submission and creator opportunities within the VIZ Originals and One-Shots programs; and a discussion on how VIZ supports diverse storytelling, creator ownership, and international publishing opportunities. Attendees were then treated to an exclusive giveaway.
Then on Friday, BLEACH fans got a sneak peek at the next installment of the hit anime franchise at the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War panel, which featured an exclusive AX video interview with production staff, as well as a surprise video message from creator Tite Kubo. Attendees of the panel were among the first to see a new teaser visual, confirming that BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity will air in 2026.
Saturday was packed with presentations on upcoming titles and fan-favorites. Up first was a discussion of the much squawked about comedy Rooster Fighter, adapted from the hit manga. This included an exclusive sneak peek at Episode 1 of the new anime, as well as the reveal of a new key visual and the announcement that Mitsuaki Kanuka (Jujutsu Kaisen, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean) and Tomohiro Ohno (Haikyu!!, Oshi no Ko) have joined the voice cast as Morio and Keisuke, respectively. VIZ confirmed the series will launch in Spring 2026.
Next, WIT Studio’s President George Wada joined VIZ on stage to reveal the English-language dub cast for Yaiba: Samurai Legend:
- Erica Mendez (Aggretsuko, KILL la KILL) as Yaiba
- Rebecca Wang (Solo Leveling) as Sayaka
- Craig Lee Thomas (Helldivers 2) as Kenjuro
- Christopher Corey Smith (One Piece, Final Fantasy VII Remake) as Musashi
- Alan Lee (Gargantia, Shield Hero) as Onimaru
The dub will roll out Episodes 1-12 from Friday, August 15, followed by Episodes 13-24 from Friday, November 21 this year, streaming on Netflix (English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese) and Hulu (English, LatAm Spanish).
Fans of supernatural action-adventures can look forward to the upcoming anime adaptation of Black Torch, Tsuyoshi Takaki’s acclaimed ninja-meets-mononoke manga. The panel unveiled the voice cast and character art for the show’s four main characters:
- Jiro Azuma: voiced by Ryota Suzuki (Witch Watch, Dr. STONE, Kaguya-sama: Love is War)
- Rago: Yoji Ueda (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, BLEACH, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
- Ichika Kishimojin: Sayaka Sembongi (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, BEASTARS, Delicious in Dungeon)
- Reiji Kirihara: Junya Enoki (Jujutsu Kaisen, Mobile Suit Gundam: NT, Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You)
The popular western anime franchise RWBY also celebrated its continuing global expansion at AX2025. The show has taken on fresh streaming options, new content in development and broader international availability to bring the butt-kicking princesses to fans everywhere.All of RWBY is now streaming on Hulu for the first time, while showrunner Kerry Shawcross confirmed that Volume 10 of the series is currently in the works. RWBY EST is now available in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand through Apple.
