While COVID-19 has managed to close many physical conventions, the companies that host them have figured out ways to bring the fun and togetherness to fans in other ways. For Example, with the traditional Crunchyroll Expo canceled, the company has decided to launch, instead, the Virtual Crunchyroll Expo (V-CRX)! This event will also feature an entirely new virtual world called New Crunchy City, where visitors can explore a completely virtual world that features a Theater District, a Super Arcade, Anime Arts District and A Central Shopping District; all for fans to check out premieres, panels, screenings, art and of course shopping!
As the first day is just over two weeks away, more announcements have been released for guests and experiences coming to the event! Some new guests coming to the event include people from Crunchyroll Originals such as producer and creator of Onyx Equinox, Sofía Alexander; Noblesse director Yasutaka Yamamoto will be joined by series voice actors Tarusuke Shingaki and Daisuke Hirakawa. The cast and crew to the recently released The God of High School will also be coming, which includes director Sunghoo Park, creative and character designers Setta and Manabu Akita, Jin Mori voice actor Tatsumaru Tachibana, and a special appearance by KSUKE and message from CIX. Some other new guests include Dr. Stone producer Shusuke Katagiri, Crunchyroll-Hime, voice actor Rian Tachibana, writer & wost of “The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter” panel, Matt Schley and musical guest Myth & Roid! There looks to be no shortage of guests for this exciting event!
Thanks to the addition of New Crunchy City, there is a multitude of new experiences for visitors to explore! Some of the latest announcements include “Onyx Equinox” Scavenger Hunt where fans use the app to compete for prizes like tickets to next years Crunchyroll Expo, a Gallery Tour featuring MAPPA; Anime Runs Deep: A Celebrity Fan Exhibit which features celebrities drawn in an anime style like Idris Elba and John Boyega, Yuzu's Cat Cafe (a live stream where visitors can watch, donate or even adopt cats of their own!), Anime Rave features a DJ on Twitch so fans can dance till they can't anymore, Virtual Schwag featuring cosplay backgrounds and posters along with some giveaways, Quiet Rooms is a place where fans can lay back and check out art from other hit Crunchyroll projects, and Hatsune Miku Symphony Orchestra Concert which celebrates its 5th anniversary with a special concert for fans.
With so many things coming to the event, where will you start? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is a digital take on Crunchyroll’s yearly flagship convention that brings together the anime community to celebrate the best and brightest in Japanese animation.
Virtual Crunchyroll Expo 2020 will be have registration and be streaming from September 4 at 10 AM PST through September 6 at 10 PM PST only on crunchyrollexpo.com!