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As the 2022 anime convention season nears its end, the Aniplex Anime Fest finds itself looking to make a big splash as one of the season's last events. Despite being a one-day, online-only event, the festival is jam-packed with ceremonies and other activities that will appeal to nearly every anime fan.
It seems many of the typical convention activities, such as musical performances and informational panels, to name a few, have found an online equivalent. While it remains to be seen how this virtualization will be executed, it’s clear that the Aniplex Anime Fest is going to be a memorable convention.
Follow along as this article fully breaks down the Aniplex Anime Fest’s events and more.
Aniplex Anime Fest 2022 set to feature Bleach: TYBW, Berserk, and more
When and where to watch
The festivities for 2022’s Aniplex Anime Fest begin on Saturday, September 24 at 12 PM JST. Fans can watch the stream via the Aniplex YouTube channel, where a stream slot with local start times has already been uploaded to the page for fans to check out.
Most international viewers will see the convention start on Saturday quite early in their local time, while others will instead see it begin in the late evening hours of Friday, September 23.
The convention begins at the following international times:
- Pacific Daylight Time: 08:00 PM (September 23, Friday)
- Central Daylight Time: 10:00 PM (September 23, Friday)
- Eastern Daylight Time: 11:00 PM (September 23, Friday)
- British Summer Time: 04:00 AM (September 24, Saturday)
- Central European Summer Time: 05:00 AM (September 24, Saturday)
- Indian Standard Time: 08:30 AM (September 24, Saturday)
- Philippine Time: 11:00 AM (September 24, Saturday)
- Japanese Standard Time: 12:00 PM (September 24, Saturday)
- Australian Central Daylight Time: 12:30 PM (September 24, Saturday)
List of events and what to expect
Kicking off the event at 12 PM JST is the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Orchestra Concert, Kimetsu no Kanade AOF Special Edition. The Kimetsu no Kanade concert is a program put on by the Tokyo Philharmonic group, with the "AOF Special Edition" likely referencing a unique performance specifically for Aniplex Anime Fest.
Following the opening ceremonies, the convention will focus on the great series that were released between January and July 2022. Listed as being included here are Engage Kiss, Lycoris Recoil, and My Dress-Up Darling. All three have been superbly popular anime series throughout the year, with the latter two, in particular, receiving significant praise.
At roughly 1 PM JST, the "October 2022 Broadcast Start Work" section of the convention will begin. The panel will feature anime set to debut in the upcoming month, including Raven of the Inner Palace, Bocchi the Rock!, Bleach: TYBW, All Saints Street, and the Berserk Golden Age Arc MEMORIAL EDITION film trilogy.
Fans can expect further information or trailers from Raven, Bocchi, Bleach, and All Saints Street. However, fans are divided about what to expect from the panel's Berserk segment. Some argue that, combined with the manga’s recent resurrection by Kouji Mori, the playing of the Golden Age arc film trilogy could suggest a new anime adaptation for the series.
Unfortunately, no information or leaks indicating as much as this has been released as of the article's writing. While the timing of the panel combined with the manga’s recent resumption is indeed suspicious, it is unfortunately unlikely that fans will see yet another Berserk anime adaptation announced at Aniplex Anime Fest.
The panel, which is set to take place shortly after the previous one, is entitled "new information," according to the Aniplex Anime Fest website. The only franchise listed in this section is Rurouni Kenshin, the release of a new anime adaptation of which was announced late last year.
The presence of the franchise in the festival's "new information" section suggests that fans will be treated to some sort of release information on the day of the event. While an exact release date is unlikely (though not impossible), fans can expect a general release window, teaser trailer, or cast and crew information to be revealed at the panel.
At 2 PM JST, the "MUSIC LIVE" section of Aniplex Anime Fest will begin. Set to perform are ReoNa and Halca, both incredibly popular Japanese pop artists. Also slated for this section of the convention is the Kaguya-sama wants to tell you music show, which seems to be headed by Masayuki Suzuki, featuring Airi Suzuki and Suu.
This will be followed by a DJ performance by DJ Kazu, a Japanese electronic artist who seems to be best known for their original works. Following Kazu’s performance, the “NEXT LINEUP” section of the schedule will begin, featuring a plethora of series as follows:
- Tomo-chan Is a Girl! anime adaptation
- The Misfit of Demon King Academy Season 2
- NieR: Automata anime project
- Solo Leveling anime adaptation
- Ayakashi Triangle anime adaptation
- Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence anime adaptation
- Mashle: Magic and Muscles anime adaptation
All of the series above will likely see some kind of release information presented to fans at their respective panels, with Mashle already confirming their cast announcements for the panel. While some series may provide fans with specific release dates, fans will be better served if they anticipate general release windows and production information rather than trailers and specific release dates.
Finally, at roughly 4 PM JST, the closing ceremonies will begin, showcasing another round of live music for fans as the Aniplex Anime Fest comes to an end. Featured here will be composer Sawano Hiroyuki, best known for his work on Attack on Titan and other popular anime series. Also performing will be Eir Aoi, best known in the anime community for her work on Kill la Kill!, Sword Art Online, and other series.
The closing performance of the convention will be Aimer, who also boasts an impressive anime industry reputation with her work on Bleach, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, and more. Aimer was also recently announced as providing the highly-anticipated, upcoming Chainsaw Man anime with one of their 12 unique ending theme songs.
In summation
Fans can certainly expect a ton of release information on some of the most eagerly anticipated upcoming anime series at the Aniplex Anime Fest in 2022. Of particular interest to fans is the presence of Berserk at the convention, with many waiting with bated breath to see if a new TV anime adaptation will be announced.
From what we have seen so far, the Aniplex Anime Fest also does a fantastic job of breaking up the musical performances and the series panels into separate chunks, allowing readers to view both without any issues. While there are some blanks in the schedule currently, fans expect these to be filled in with surprise appearances, festivities, and more.
Follow along for more anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.
