There’s a part of me that refuses to believe that it’s been a full year since the last Crunchyroll Expo, but here we are. After being cancelled back in June due to the Coronavirus, this year’s Crunchyroll Expo is moving online under a new name: Virtual Crunchyroll Expo. While it’s a shame that in-person festivities can’t be enjoyed, there are still a wide variety of activities for fans to enjoy once the event kicks off this Friday – including exclusive content and high-profile guests.
Seriously, the guest list for Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is absolutely stacked. Probably the most exciting is Junji Ito, legendary horror mangaka, who will be holding a panel on Friday talking about his new series Yon & Mu. But there’s also such industry figures as Sunghoo Park, director of The God of High School; Miho Tanino, character designer for Tower of God, and Kenjiro Hata, author of Tonikaku Kawaii. Several professional athletes will also be making an appearance, following on from the ‘Crunchyroll All-Stars’ series of interviews conducted with figures from the world of professional sports.
Virtual Crunchyroll Expo will take place in a virtual con space with multiple areas, including the “Anime Arts District” (where you can find fan art and creations); the “Crunchyroll Theater District” (where all of the panels will be streamed), and the “Central Shopping District” (where you can buy exclusive merch). Hopefully, this will come close to approproximating the actual con experience, except without the sore feet and long lines.
To be honest, there’s so much more to Virtual Crunchyroll Expo that this article barely scratches the surface. For one, there will be performances from Myth & Roid and TeddyLoid on the Friday and Saturday that fans of our Plugged In event will no doubt enjoy. But you’ll have to go over to the official website to find out more, as there isn’t the space here to detail it all.
If there’s one good thing to come out of this pandemic, then it’s the fact that these “virtual conventions” are popping up all over the place – not only do they connect fans in this time of isolation, they also offer an opportunity to attend exciting events from the comfort of your own home. And fans are loving them!
Registration is open now for Virtual Crunchyroll Expo. It will run September 4 to September 6. It’s also free, so you have no excuse not to check it out!