With this year’s Anime Expo kicking off tomorrow and running through to Sunday in LA, there are already a few buzzy bits of news emerging from this hot content space. 

The 33-year-old event typically attracts a horde of anime fans from around the world—to the tune of 407,000 in 2024. Offering everything from panels and concerts to cosplay, Anime Expo is also an effective launching pad for industry announcements. Here are some deals to keep an eye on in the lead-up to the convention.

• Line Digital Frontier (a Webtoon Entertainment subsidiary) has revealed that it’s working on an anime series based on the popular webcomic Eleceed (pictured). DandeLion Animation is producing the adaptation about a high-schooler who rescues a stray cat that happens to be a powerful being in disguise. This webcomic has racked up more than 1.4 billion views to date on Webtoon.

• New anime banner Studio Azuki has inked a strategic deal with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s shingle Westbrook (Cobra Kai) to create and distribute original IPs and anime adaptations, buoyed by Westbrook’s connections and expertise. NFT brand Azuki formed Studi Azuki as a joint-venture that also involves Japanese prodcos Comisma and Xenotoon.

• Toho has confirmed that My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a go for a second season that will launch sometime in 2026. Bones Film is animating this My Hero Academia prequel series that launched on Japan’s Tokyo MX and BS NTV channels in April, followed by a streaming rollout outside of Asia on Crunchyroll.

The anime genre has seen significant global growth in popularity among kids and teens, with a recent Crunchyroll report indicating that interest among young fans is surpassing their love for celebrities and sports leagues.

Featured image: Eleceed (official website)