Crunchyroll Expo has announced appearances by hololive VTubers in addition to cast and crew from hit anime series Jujutsu Kaisen and Odd Taxi.
The hololive Meet (holoMeet) VTube attraction claims to include never-seen-before elements including a showcase, montage, multimedia experience, and performances. Access to this experience will be included with the purchase of a ticket, though fans can pay extra for an exclusive meet-and-greet.
Crunchyroll also announced several big names in the anime industry to be featured at the convention. Several English voice actors from Jujutsu Kaisen will make in-person appearances, including Adam MacArthur (Itadori Yuji), Anne Yatco (Kugisaki Nobara), and Kaiji Tang (Gojo Satoru). Kinoshita Baku, the director and character designer of Odd Taxi, is also set to attend.
Crunchyroll Expo claims it will transport fans to a "bustling anime metropolis" called New Crunchy City, comprising four districts: the Central Shopping District, the Arts District, the Theater District, and the Super Arcade. The convention will host screenings, gaming, art, merchandise, and more alongside the special VTube, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Odd Taxi attractions. It will take place in San Jose, California between Aug. 5 and 7, with replay available through Aug. 9.
hololive production is a VTube agency that specializes in streaming and creating character model designs. VTubers, or virtual YouTubers, are a new type of content creator that uses a digital avatar instead of showing the person's real face on camera. These VTubers create personas that resemble anime characters in either a 2D or 3D style, many of which have fully fledged backstories. The VTube trend started in Japan in the 2010s and has since experienced tremendous growth, with many VTubers reaching millions of followers on their respective platforms.
Jujutsu Kaisen began as a manga series that is currently ongoing at 179 chapters and has over 65 million copies in circulation. The anime adaptation was one of the most-watched anime series of 2020, and the prequel movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, is one of the highest-grossing anime movies of all time. The story follows Itadori Yuji, a high school boy who becomes the host of a dangerous curse after a series of bizarre circumstances leads him to eat a centuries-old figure.
Odd Taxi has also received critical and commercial success since its initial release. The Odd Taxi movie, In the Woods, surpassed box office milestones, grossing over $1 million USD during its first month in theaters. The series follows a walrus taxi driver, Odokawa, in a world full of anthropomorphic animals. Through conversations with his customers, Odokawa learns of several mysteries, including the disappearance of a young schoolgirl.
Tickets for the Expo are currently available through Crunchyroll.
Source: Crunchyroll