Shikizakura will be streamed online as part of the Anime Expo Lite 2021 digital convention on Saturday, July 3 at 5:15 p.m. PDT.
According to Anime Expo, the new CG animated movie will only be screened once at the specified time and will not be rebroadcast or be available for on-demand viewing during the convention due to streaming rights. The anime, which is scheduled to premiere in Japan in October, is produced by Sublimation, a studio that specializes in CG animation that has previously worked on the Love Live! franchise and Netflix's Dragon's Dogma series. The movie is directed by Love Live! Sunshine's Go Kurosaki, and features music by singer May'n, who is best known for their role as the singing voice of Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier, as well as for performing the themes for anime such as The Ancient Magus' Bride and Azur Lane. Shikizakura also features voice performances from Miho Mashiro, Yudai Noda and the winner of a voice acting competition that was held at Anime Expo 2019. The winner of that competition was flown to Japan to record their parts. A Q&A panel with the cast and crew of the movie will also be streamed.
Shikizakura is set in the fictional city of the same name, where the human world intersects with the realm of the demon-like Oni. High school student Kakeru Miwa becomes a pilot of a Yoroi, a powered suit of cybernetic armor that humans use to fight back against the Oni threat. Kakeru is tasked with protecting Ouka Myojin, a young shrine maiden who is the only person capable of performing an ancient ritual that can save the world.
Anime Expo Lite 2021 is an online-only event being held from July 3-4 in place of the traditional Anime Expo convention, which has been held every year in southern California since 1991. The online convention will stream panels and announcements from companies such as Crunchyroll, Right Stuf, Bushiroad and VIZ Media, as well as Lucasfilm, which will show the first look at the upcoming Star Wars: Visions anime at the event. Registered attendees will be able to watch certain content from the event on-demand until July 16. All proceeds from Anime Expo Lite will be donated to Hate Is A Virus, a non-profit group dedicated to fighting discrimination and offering support services to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Source: Anime Expo