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What's in this guide
Crunchyroll’s Anime Expo 2026 panel was one of the busiest in years, headlined by a new Solo Leveling film. Here is every major announcement from Crunchyroll Anime Expo 2026.
Anime Expo 2026 Headliner: Solo Leveling
The headline reveal. Solo Leveling: Beyond the System is a new feature film that Crunchyroll describes as a direct continuation picking up after Season 2, Arise From the Shadows.
Notably it is a film rather than a third season, following a route Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen have both taken with pivotal arcs. No release date was given.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5
The isekai mainstay returns for a fifth season. Shield Hero has been one of Crunchyroll’s most reliably renewed titles, and the announcement confirms it continues past the fourth season’s conclusion.
New Series Announced
- Here U Are – a romance based on a 2017 manhua, following university student Yang Yu and quiet newcomer Huan Li. Animated by Studio Rouseact, exclusive to Crunchyroll.
- Dengeki Daisy – adapting the manga that ran from 2007 to 2013, about an orphan who falls for a mysterious hacker.
- The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All – one of the most anticipated adaptations on the slate.
- Aoashi – the football drama confirmed to return.
A new Solo Leveling film, Shield Hero Season 5, and a slate that leans noticeably harder into romance than previous years.
What Else Anime Expo 2026 Revealed
Beyond the panel, Crunchyroll’s Summer 2026 slate expanded with 13 additional series, including the One Piece Heroines spinoff special that premiered July 5, focused on Nami.
The platform is also expanding its donghua catalogue with Bilibili-produced Crowned in a Hundred Days, animated by LAN Studio, the team behind To Be Hero X. Other summer additions include Black Torch on July 4 and Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 on July 6, returning after a seven-year gap.
What Anime Expo 2026 Signals
Two things stand out. First, the move toward theatrical films for major arcs is now clearly a strategy rather than a one-off. Second, the romance and donghua expansion suggests Crunchyroll is widening beyond the shonen action titles it built its reputation on.
Crunchyroll Anime Expo 2026 FAQ
What was the biggest announcement?
Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, a new feature film continuing directly after Season 2.
When is Solo Leveling: Beyond the System releasing?
No date was announced at the panel.
Is Shield Hero Season 5 confirmed?
Yes, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5 was announced at the panel.
What is Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3?
The third season of the comedy, which premiered July 6, 2026, roughly seven years after the previous season.
Where can I watch these?
All announced titles are slated for Crunchyroll, included with a standard subscription.
When is Anime Expo?
Anime Expo runs annually in Los Angeles over the July 4th weekend, and is the largest anime convention in North America. Crunchyroll traditionally holds one of its biggest panels of the year there.
Why are more anime arcs becoming films?
Theatrical releases have proven enormously profitable for anime in recent years. Demon Slayer’s Infinity Castle became the highest-grossing anime film ever, and Chainsaw Man’s Reze Arc crossed $174 million. Studios have noticed.
What is donghua?
Chinese animation, as distinct from Japanese anime. Crunchyroll has been steadily adding donghua titles, and Crowned in a Hundred Days from Bilibili is the latest example.
Do I need Crunchyroll to watch these?
All the titles announced at the panel are slated for Crunchyroll. Some anime also appears on Netflix or Hulu, but the Crunchyroll exclusives listed here will not.
For more convention coverage, see our San Diego Comic-Con 2026 roundup and our Solo Leveling: Beyond the System breakdown.
Also worth reading: our guide to My Hero Academia.
Taken together, the Crunchyroll Anime Expo 2026 slate points at a platform trying to broaden its catalogue rather than simply defend its shonen territory, and the romance and donghua titles are the clearest evidence of that.
How many titles did Crunchyroll announce?
The panel itself covered a handful of headline reveals, but the wider summer slate added thirteen further series on top, making it one of the larger seasonal expansions the platform has run.
Is Crunchyroll adding more Chinese animation?
Yes. Crowned in a Hundred Days, produced by Bilibili and animated by LAN Studio, continues a steady expansion of donghua on the service that has been building for a couple of years.
Are any of these titles dubbed?
Crunchyroll typically produces English dubs for its larger releases, though dubs usually follow several weeks behind the subtitled premiere rather than launching alongside it.
Where can I watch the announced series?
All titles revealed at the panel are slated for Crunchyroll, included with a standard subscription rather than sold separately.
