Anime NYC wrapped its four-day run Sunday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, bringing roughly 150,000 attendees together for one of the largest anime conventions in the United States.
The 2026 convention featured four days of panels, screenings, concerts, industry announcements and an exhibit hall that sold out. Event director MK Goodwin called this year’s convention the largest Anime NYC to date.
Publishing news took a prominent place throughout the weekend, with HarperCollins outlining its plans for a new U.S. manga imprint and publishers announcing dozens of new licenses. Anime companies also brought announcements and guests to New York, while the American Manga Awards honored another year of work across the manga industry.
HarperCollins used its Saturday panel to outline plans for KAZÉ US, a new manga imprint scheduled to launch in fall 2027 with three to five titles.
The company projects five to eight releases in 2027, followed by 20 to 25 in 2028 and 25 to 30 in 2029. HarperCollins also plans to expand the KAZÉ brand into Brazil and Spain in 2027.
The U.S. team includes Vice President and Publisher Andrew Arnold, editors Emilia Sowersby and Josh Sippie, art director Christina Quintero and assistant designer Mikhail Fernandes. The imprint will also draw on staff from sister imprint HarperAlley.
HarperCollins acquired Crunchyroll’s French and German manga operations in July 2025 and restored the KAZÉ name, with releases carrying the branding since April.
New manga and light novel licenses filled industry panels throughout the convention.
Yen Press announced nine acquisitions Saturday, including seven manga and two light novels. Its manga lineup includes “Seal My Lips With a Kiss,” “Übel Blatt II: Knights of the Fallen King,” “The Gray Exorcist,” “Interdimensional Memoir,” “Make It an Eternity,” “Can I Call You Unnie?” and “Hot Nights at the Hot Springs, Secret Trip No. 241.”
The light novels “‘Cause I’m Freedom!” and “The Witch’s Conviction, The Beast’s Redemption” will join the Yen On imprint. Yen Press had previously announced “The Goblin Samurai” and “My Crush’s Crush” on Friday.
Seven Seas Entertainment announced 18 licenses, including Karin Anzai’s “My Lips are Being Targeted” and Neneko Narazaki’s “Synchronicity Obsession” for June 2027. Tako Nonoshima’s “Scarlet Thirst” is scheduled for July 2027.
Seven Seas also licensed priest’s “Faraway Wanderers” for a deluxe hardcover edition and Teng Luo Wei Zhi’s “Till the End of the Moon.” Audiobook editions of “Dinghai Fusheng Records” and “There’s Something Wrong with the Chief” were also announced.
Kodansha USA announced the first English print release of Joji Morikawa’s long-running boxing manga “Hajime no Ippo,” which will be published in an omnibus format.
Kodansha also announced TNSK’s horror series “Trapped on Tape!” for fall 2027 and added “How to Grill Our Love,” “Abe-kun’s Got Me Now,” “I Want to Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die,” “Matcha Made in Heaven” and “Changes of Heart” to its print-on-demand Kodansha Print Club.
Tokyopop announced nine titles, including “Magic Soup” and “First Love Begins With the Second Kiss,” with several joining its LoveLove imprint.
Dark Horse Comics expanded its “Vampire Hunter D” lineup with the four-issue miniseries “Vampire Hunter D: Fortress of Blood,” which debuts Dec. 16 with a Yoshitaka Amano variant cover. Saiko Takaki’s “Vampire Hunter D: Rose Princess” manga is scheduled for June 2027.
Manga Mavericks Books, Mahjong Pros Publishing, Kana, J-Novel Club, Ize Press, Publang, Omoi and Crossed Hearts also announced new releases. Crossed Hearts introduced its new Studio Hearts imprint.
Aniplex confirmed a second season of “Fate/strange Fake” during its Friday panel and released a teaser visual and trailer. A release date was not announced. A-1 Pictures produced the first season, which premiered in January.
NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan and HIDIVE announced that Kana Yoshimura’s “Murciélago” will premiere in January 2027. Satelight and Staple Entertainment are producing the series, with HIDIVE streaming it in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
REMOW confirmed a 2027 premiere for “The Moon on a Rainy Night,” directed by Tomoe Makino at CompTown.
Netflix opened the convention Thursday on the main stage, setting an Oct. 20 premiere for “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2” and Nov. 26 for “Fool Night.” The company also debuted a “Lego One Piece” trailer and revealed key art for the upcoming “One Piece” remake.
Executive producer and star Brian Tyree Henry introduced the first teaser for “Bass X Machina,” while a character trailer for the second season of “Sakamoto Days,” scheduled for January 2027, was also shown.
GKIDS acquired North American rights to “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” and the live-action adaptation of “5 Centimeters per Second.” The Japanese-language version of Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s 2000 “Vampire Hunter D” film, with English subtitles, will receive select screenings this fall before a wider theatrical and home entertainment release in 2027.
The third American Manga Awards were held Thursday night at Japan Society, with Zack Davisson serving as host.
Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’s “Billy Bat” Vol. 1, published by Abrams’ Kana imprint, won best new manga.
Other winners included “The Summer Hikaru Died” Vol. 6 from Yen Press, Machiko Kyō’s “Cocoon” from Viz Media and Kodansha’s “Mushishi” Collector’s Edition. Wendy Chan was honored for the design of the “Fruits Basket” complete box set.
Translator Jan Mitsuko Cash won for her work on “Magica” and used her acceptance speech to call for higher translator pay. Cash challenged the three largest manga publishers to double translator rates, saying translators often work 80-hour weeks without insurance or benefits and can wait two months for payment. She received a standing ovation.
“Princess Jellyfish” creator Akiko Higashimura received the Award of Distinction. Chigusa Ogino of the Tuttle-Mori Agency and the late Ioannis Mentzas, a Vertical co-founder and former Kodansha USA editorial director, were inducted into the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame.
MANGA Plus editorial director Shuhei Hosono received the Shueisha Centennial Award.
Beyond announcements, Anime NYC brought Japanese creators, actors and musicians together with fans throughout the Javits Center.
Crunchyroll celebrated the 10th anniversaries of “Bungo Stray Dogs” and “Re -Starting Life in Another World-.” “Bungo Stray Dogs” voice actor Yuto Uemura and producer Chiaki Kurakane attended, while “Re” voice actor Yusuke Kobayashi and singer Konomi Suzuki appeared for a live concert and Q&A. They also celebrated 15 years of Crunchyroll News!
Viz Media announced that the English dub of Rumiko Takahashi’s “MAO” would premiere on Hulu on Aug. 24, with the first 13 episodes available at launch.
Guests throughout the weekend included “One Piece” live-action stars Mackenyu and Taz Skylar, “Naruto” voice actor Junko Takeuchi, “Attack on Titan” and “Haikyu!!” voice actor Yuki Kaji, “Kaiju No. 8” lead Masaya Fukunishi and “Chainsaw Man” voice actor Tomori Kusunoki.
Between packed industry panels, anniversary celebrations, concerts and a sold-out exhibit hall, Anime NYC’s four-day run offered fans a look at where the anime and manga industries are heading over the next year.
Anime NYC has announced dates August 26th-August 29th for its 2027 convention, which will also be its 10 year anniversary.
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