It wouldn’t be New York Comic Con without a healthy dollop of anime, and this year’s convention did not disappoint.
The Anime Happens Here: Funimation Panel outlined all of Funimation’s upcoming projects and merch releases. Because there was so much to cover — and because we missed two years of New York Comic Con! — the panel was divided into different sections based on the types of projects.
Starting out with the “Thrills” section, our moderators Lauren Moore, content production manager at Funimation, and Chris Han, senior brand manager at Funimation, covered all the new and recurring action TV shows set to release in the fall season.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba premiered its new season on Oct. 10, featuring a never-before-seen original episode of the series with Kyojuro Rengoku on a new mission. Continuing with the Demon Slayer theme, Funimation announced that on Dec. 5, the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc will be released. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Cour 2 premiered on Oct. 3, picking up where the winter finale left off. The second season of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon came out on Oct. 2, letting fans see what the three half-demon daughters have been up to. Lastly for recurring shows, Season 11 Voyage 9 of One Piece can be streamed dubbed on Oct. 26, with Funimation counting down to the 1,000th episode of One Piece in November!
Funimation also announced a few new series that are heading to TV screens this year. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut launched on Oct. 3 and follows a mission to send a vampire to space before the first human flight. Ranking of Kings comes out on Oct. 14 and centers around Prince Bojji — who cannot speak or hear — as he sets off on an adventure to prove he’s a worthy heir.
In the “Chills” section, Funimation revealed two new comedy shows premiering this fall. My Senpai is Annoying launches on Oct. 9 and The Vampire Dies in No Time launched on Oct. 4.
In this section, the brand also announced its new collaboration with FILA. Available in both adult and kids sizing, the limited edition Dragon Ball x FILA sneakers feature the classic blue, yellow, and metallic gold colors from Dragon Ball. Although they didn’t drop the release date, Funimation said the sneakers are likely going to be available in November at Footlocker, and teased that more character-inspired sneakers are to come.
Next, Funimation gave fans a sneak peek beyond the fall season. Fuuto Pi is coming to Funimation sometime in 2022 and will feature a storyline directly following the anime series Kamen Rider W. Releasing in January 2022, Tribe Nine is set in the future where outlaw groups battle each other in extreme baseball. Also coming out in January 2022, The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt follows a prince who would rather not be in power. In addition to these new shows, Funimation is also adding three other shows to their online catalogue: The Prince of Tennis, Log Horizon season two, and Jujutsu Kaisen.
In even MORE exciting news, Funimation revealed its partnership with Crunchyroll! Although the moderators couldn’t reveal much about the upcoming projects, they noted that Jujutsu Kaisen is the first of many Crunchyroll x Funimation projects and teased their upcoming collaborations.
Next, Funimation announced its upcoming merch. Perfect for future anime artists, the Funimation x Copic Ciao limited edition set of pens will drop in November exclusively at Blick Art Materials. The brand also announced its NYCC exclusives, including the My Hero Academia Overhaul & Shigaraki Funko Pop 2-Pack. Although the Funko Pop 2-Pack launched at NYCC, it will also be available exclusively online at the Funimation Shop for $20.
In the last section, aptly titled “Theatrical,” Funimation announced its new movies coming out this year. Of course, the My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission movie releases on Oct. 29. To promote the movie, Funimation is holding the World Heroes Spotlight, where fans can nominate people who they think are heroes in the real world to be on the My Hero Academia social media channels. To enter, fans can go to weareani.me/GlobalHeroes.
But that’s not all! Sword Art Online The Movie — Progressive — Aria of a Starless Night is coming to theaters on Dec. 3. Sing A Bit of Harmony — Funimation’s first co-produced film — will release in theaters in January 2022. And lastly, Eureka: Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution will drop sometime in 2022.
The panel ended with a performance by anime-inspired rapper Guapdad 4000, who most recently was featured on the soundtrack for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
After a hard couple years without new releases, Funimation is truly spoiling us — and we love it! Be sure to check out all of these upcoming shows and movies this fall season, and get ready for all the new releases in 2022!
