Previously known as the Madman Anime Festival, following COVID-19 induced postponement and shifts in the industry, the inaugural CrunchyRoll Expo Australia is scheduled to take place on 17 & 18 September 2022 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). With tickets now on sale via the events official website, we finally have our first trickling in of guest announcements and specifics on what the event will entail.
The first confirmation is that Ricco Fajardo will be attending as the first-announced international voice actor guest. Ricco Fajardo is an American voice actor known for voicing the likes of the goofy but accomplished Mirio Togata in My Hero Academia, as well as Taiju Oki in Dr. Stone, Itona Horibe in Assassination Classroom, and Kotaro Tatsumi in Zombie Land Saga.
Furthermore, CrunchyRoll has also confirmed CrunchyRoll Expo Australia 2022 will also debut the Crunchyroll-Hime’s Cosplay Cup in Australia for the first time. Crunchyroll-Hime’s Cosplay Cup will feature a cash prize pool and will feature a live on-stage presentation with emcees, judges and participants. Each costume will be assessed based on construction, performance and innovation.
This is not only the first time that CrunchyRoll Expo will be headed to Australia, but also the first time it has toured away from its home city of California. Crunchyroll Expo Australia will be set up as New Crunchy City, a bustling anime metropolis comprised of four distinct districts: the Central Shopping District featuring anime merchandise, con exclusives, swag and more, the Arts District home to homegrown talent and artists, the Theatre District showcasing anime premieres and screenings, and the Super Arcade, the place for gaming and more unique programming.
For months, our passionate team in Melbourne has been working hard to build a stellar line-up of panels, premieres, meet and greets and experiences that will wow our fans down under. We encourage everyone to come along and experience the wonder of Crunchyroll Expo, whether you have been watching anime for years or just recently have become hooked, there is something for you.
Gita Rebbapragada – Crunchyroll’s Chief Marketing Office
Expect more announcements to follow in the coming weeks.
