Nerd Reactor embarked on a Hololive Night adventure, and the crowd was introduced to three of its prominent VTubers: Koseki Bijou, Ninomae Ina’nis, and IRyS. The idols helped excite the crowd throughout the day, marking the first-ever VTuber live stream at Dodger Stadium. The VTubers sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and interacted with the crowd after the game ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the Houston Astros.

In addition to exclusive merchandise at the many stores, the special event ticket package had exclusive Hololive and Dodgers collaboration trading cards.

Dodgers Fans Meets Hololive

As a guest at the Dodgers Stadium, I was interested in seeing how the two different worlds would collide. There are guests who are fans of the Dodgers, and then there are fans of Hololive, which you could tell by their cosplay. And then there are fans of both!

During the game, I heard one bemused Dodgers fan reacting with, “What the **** is this?” These are the types of fans that Hololive founder and CEO Motoaki Tanigo wants to bring into the VTuber world.

“I think to make people say ‘What’s this?’ is also okay, because that will be the first step of having an interest to new things,” Tanigo tells Nerd Reactor. “I think taking that kind of chance will lead to more people becoming fans of VTuber culture.”

The Hololive VTubers

Last year, Hololive Night featured the Japanese talents. This year, the virtual YouTuber agency wanted to highlight English talents. There are many English VTubers in Hololive, including Mori Calliope, who recently had her first solo concert in the U.S., paving the way for more VTubers to perform solo concerts.

“It was difficult, but we finally picked the three talents who speak English because most of the fans here speak English,” Tanigo said.

For Hololive Night at Dodgers Stadium 2025, the three VTubers who were picked were Ina’nis, Bijou, and IRyS. They got the crowd excited and had them sing along and participate in fun games.

Hololive isn’t done yet since it is always looking to partner with different sports.

“We still want to collaborate,” Tanigo added. “Not only baseball, but also with many kinds of sports. We’re starting to think about many future collaborations from now on.”

Isekai Stage, the Anime Cover Band

Since Hololive Night took place during Anime Expo, it was fitting for Dodger Stadium to bring in Isekai Stage, an anime cover band. One of the songs played was “Lilac” by Mrs. Green Apple, which was featured in the baseball anime Oblivion Battery. Other theme songs included Naruto, Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, One Piece and more.

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A post shared by Isekai Stage (@isekaistage)

You can check out more of their music on Instagram and YouTube.

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Lines started to grow early in the day as brave costumed cosplayers and noncosplayers alike braved the morning heat on a cloudless day to get into Peacock Theater. The capacity was expected to be high, but despite that, the queue to get in was well organized.

Once attendees were all seated, the musicians took their places and performed a series of themes from Demon Slayer’s first season, followed by a medley of themes from Demon Slayer: Mugen Train and finally the soundtrack for a preview of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle.

During the program, voice actor Natsuki Hanae (Tanjio Kamado) came out to do some line readings for a couple of iconic moments in Season 1.

As a surprise, he was later joined by English voice actor Aleks Le (Zenitsu Agatsuma) for a scene in which Tanjiro restrains a dramatically lonely and insecure Zenitsu from bothering a young woman. The wild banter between the voice actors due to the alternation of two different languages elicited loud laughs from the audience and was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the performance.

Overall, the event was a great gift to participating Demon Slayer fans that simultaneously paid tribute to the series’ best moments while adding fuel to the anticipatory excitement surrounding Infinity Castle.

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While Dan Da Dan Season 2 continues to drop new episodes weekly, Netflix also confirmed that Leviathan, Sakamoto Days Part 2, and the highly anticipated My Melody & Kuromi stop-motion project will debut new episodes before the end of July. That alone would have been enough to energize the fan base. Still, the panel had more in store—trailers, announcements, and a few bittersweet quotes for good measure.

Record of Ragnarok Season 3 Drops Trailer and Release Date

The gods and humans are tied 3–3, and the subsequent battle might just decide everything. Record of Ragnarok Season 3 is officially headed to Netflix this December, and fans got a brutal first look in a brand-new trailer revealed during the panel.

Season 3 picks up with the seventh match of the divine deathmatch saga—this time featuring new battles like Nikola Tesla vs. Beelzebub, Leonidas vs. Apollo.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Brings a New Story—and More Sadness

In what may have been the panel’s most buzzed-about moment, Netflix and CD Projekt Red confirmed the return of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. But don’t expect a direct sequel—Season 2 teases an entirely new cast, storyline, and emotional tone. According to returning writer Bartosz Sztybor, it will be raw, grounded, and unapologetically bleak.

“I’m from Poland,” he told the crowd. “People in Poland are sad. They are born sad, they die sad, so I just wanted to make the whole world sad. When people are sad, I’m a bit happy.”

Sztybor was also asked about that lingering fan theory—whether the mysterious new project announced back in September 2024 was connected. His response? “Don’t get too excited. David’s dead.” Brutal honesty, delivered with a grin.

Beastars Final Season Part 2 Confirmed for 2026

Beastars fans will have to wait a bit longer, but the payoff is on the way. Netflix released a new key visual for Beastars Final Season Part 2, officially confirming its arrival in 2026. With Legoshi and Haru’s story drawing to a close, the second half of this final arc promises resolution, heartbreak, and maybe a few last twists in this emotional, genre-blending journey.

Sakamoto Days Part 2 Packs a Bigger Punch

Sakamoto Days is back—and if Part 1 got you hooked, Part 2 looks ready to crank the dial way up. More action, new characters, and better battles are on the way. According to the panel, Shin continues to grow stronger with each episode, and fan-favorite Nagumo gets a standout fight of his own.

The creators promised the action scenes will be flashier and more intricate than ever, teasing that viewers will definitely find a few new favorites this season.

Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 Heads to London

Netflix’s critically acclaimed Blue Eye Samurai is far from finished. In Season 2, revenge is still her religion, but this time the journey takes her to London, where at least two of her targets lie in wait. The panel also dropped a few vague but tantalizing hints: some characters thought dead in Season 1 might just resurface.

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Thanks to his now fully cleared schedule, Horikoshi confirmed he’s working closely with Studio BONES on the upcoming eighth and final season of the anime. That involvement doesn’t just mean supervision—it means brand-new content. “Now that My Hero Academia’s manga has ended, I have been able to work more closely with the production studio on the anime and the production process,” he shared in a special message during the panel. “I’ve had the chance to suggest adding extra scenes and emotional layers to the performances.”

What those new scenes are remains under wraps, but knowing Horikoshi’s talent for character depth and high-stakes storytelling, it’s safe to say this fall’s swan song will offer fresh surprises even for readers who thought they knew how it all ends.

On the voice recording side of things, they revealed that the Japanese recording is currently underway. At the same time, the English dub has yet to begin. This likely puts the Japanese release slightly ahead in timing.

The panel also teased that something significant is coming up very soon—July 15, to be exact. While My Hero Academia fans recognize that date as Deku’s birthday, the panel hinted that they’ll unveil a “special present” on that date. No one said the word “trailer” out loud, but it doesn’t take a quirk to guess what might be on the way as the October premiere creeps closer.

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Here’s a quick breakdown of the core staff:

• Director: Mokochan
• Script: EnJoe Toh
• Character Design & Executive Animation Director: Shuhei Handa

While Mokochan may be a newcomer in the director’s chair, he arrives with a glowing recommendation from Dan Da Dan director Fuga Yamashiro, who vouched for his vision and drive. Joining him and scripting the project is EnJoe Toh, whose resume is stacked with literary honors. From Harlequin’s Butterfly (winner of the Akutagawa Prize) to Code Buddha (Yomiuri Prize for Literature) and The Empire of Corpses (Nihon SF Taisho), Toh’s mastery of high-concept science fiction makes him an inspired match for Ghost in the Shell’s cerebral core.

Handling character designs is Shuhei Handa, known for his work on Spriggan and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. His animation pedigree also includes KILL la KILL and Little Witch Academia. Still, here he’s channeling something different: an homage to the unreleased rough cover art from Masamune Shirow’s original manga.

Although the script is nearly complete, the team is deep in the storyboarding and art board phase, refining the tone and visual storytelling. They’ve also begun refining the development materials that define the color palette of each shot. Based on what we saw, this version of Ghost in the Shell will be vivid, electric, and unafraid of bold contrasts.

Even the logo breaks tradition. Designed by artist Hajime Sorayama (Sexy Robot), it’s sleek, metallic, and entirely different from anything the franchise has used before.

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Here’s a quick rundown of what was announced during the panel:

• Production I.G is developing a new project featuring Rilakkuma, the ultra-chill San-X character.
• Spy x Family Season 3 officially drops this October, exclusively on Crunchyroll.
• A new anime called Agents of the Four Seasons, based on a story by Violet Evergarden creator Kana Akatsuki, is in the works.
• Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke is set to premiere in Spring 2026.

My Melody & Kuromi: WIT Studio Goes Stop-Motion

WIT Studio put its new stop-motion division, Toruku, and its flagship project, My Melody & Kuromi, at the forefront of the panel. The series is a collaboration between director Tomoki Misato—known for his heartfelt, handmade aesthetic—and producer Kenta Yamada, whose journey from 2D production manager to stop-motion champion is just as charming as the characters they’re bringing to life.

Misato’s passion for stop-motion animation was sparked by LAIKA’s Coraline. Still, financial limitations during college led him to discover the artistic potential of felt. He poured everything into his animated short and submitted it to as many film festivals as possible, hoping that the awards would lead to opportunities. And they did—one gallery exhibition later, Yamada happened to walk in and the seed for Toruku was planted.

Yamada, already working at WIT Studio on traditional 2D animation, saw Misato’s work and recognized the potential of stop-motion. After bringing the idea to producer George Wada, the Toruku department was born. And from there, My Melody & Kuromi started to take shape.

The animation is crafted using wool felt and silicone. For context: at most, it takes a full day to animate four seconds—and that’s on a good day. If the scene features multiple characters or any real action, animators are lucky to complete one second of animation.

Also, in the early stages of production, there weren’t many artists on the project. Hence, Misato drew all the image boards himself, giving him the rare opportunity to define the show’s entire visual tone. His goal? Capture the cute chaos of My Melody & Kuromi through expressive character animation and a lovingly tangible aesthetic.

If you’re wondering how this all plays out on screen…

My Melody & Kuromi hits Netflix on July 24th.

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SPOILER AHEAD! You’ve been warned! 

A Fun Tie to Ultraman

On hand for the event were series director Fugu Yamashiro and English voice actors for Abby Trott (Momo), A.J. Beckles (Okarun), and Aleks Le (Jiji). A discussion was first held about the inspiration for the awesome new opening for Season 2 in which Yamashiro revealed that many of the “villain” silhouettes for Season 1’s opening were inspired by the classic Ultraman opening, and that those silhouettes were hidden in Season 2’s opening as well. 

Voice Acting on Display for Dandadan Anime Expo 2025

Trott, Beckles, and Le also demonstrated for the audience live voice work for a scene from the ending of Season 1 in which Momo, Okarun and Jiji are having a fun talk on the train. The voice actors really seemed to enjoy each other’s company. Yamashiro complimented the work of the English voice actors and noted how much reaction they generated from the clearly enthused audience. 

Science SARU’s Experimentation with Animatics and Color Theory

The real meat of the panel came when Yamashiro went through an animatic of the Season 2 opening, which transitions between black & white and color to show audiences the transitioning of Okurun’s emotions each time he looks at Momo. The animatic itself is pure Science SARU – a wild mix of different styles that’s not only suited to deliver a guideline for detail when necessary but also for quick, highly exaggerated motion. 

The most intriguing behind-the-scenes look from Yamashiro revolves around the fight between a transformed Okurun and a transformed Jiji, who is possessed by a malignant force named the Evil Eye. Okurun’s actions are highlighted in red and Jiji’s in purple. As a result, whoever has the upper hand in the fight has the most dominant color presence. The scene really stood as a testimony to the thoughtfulness Yamashiro displayed when thinking about color can amplify the emotions of a character as well as a viewer’s reaction to it. The transfixed silence and murmurs of admiration from the attentive crowd were apparent to say the least.

A Request for Support and Some Notes of Support

Near the end of the panel, some surprise and heartfelt video messages were shown from Japanese voice actors Shion Wakayama (Momo) and Mayumi Tanaka (Turbo Granny). Tanaka, in particular, displayed a bit of salty humor that definitely was in line with the character she voices.

Director Yamashiro also concluded his thoughts by expressing his wishes for the energetic audience to continue to support Dandadan so Science SARU can continue to create the anime after Season 2 concludes.  Judging by the audience’s reaction, I believe he will get his wishes fulfilled.

Season 2 of Dandadan is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

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“We’re very appreciative of the positive reaction on social media, especially when people have said that P5X is equivalent or even better than the console version,” Uda-san tells Nerd Reactor during Anime Expo 2025. “We’re really happy to hear that.”

And so far, I agree. While I’m still working my way through the first Palace on mobile, there’ve been many times when I’ve appreciated that the game feels almost the same as the console version, despite being a gacha game.

A Gacha That’s F2P-Friendly

When asked how they would respond to players’ concerns about gacha and the potential feeling of pressure to spend, the team responded that typical gacha games often disappoint players if they don’t get the character they want. However, they haven’t heard any specific complaints about P5X. The feedback they’ve received is that people can progress in the story as far as they expect to go, and by doing events and collecting gems, you can still unlock other characters.

I mentioned how fun it was to find Golden Tickets in the Palace treasure chests, and the team said the tickets would continue to appear in later Palaces. The idea is to reward players just for playing, although they did mention they’re still making adjustments. While the Golden Tickets only apply to the Standard Banner and not the Limited-Time Event Banners (those require Platinum Tickets), you can still get 5-star characters to include in your team without spending money if you don’t want to. 

Persona5: The Phantom X Keeps the Signature Jazzy Beats Alive

As music is such an essential part of the Persona series, to complement the game’s stylish visuals and gameplay, we asked how they balanced between adding new music and nostalgic beats from the original Persona 5. 

The team’s goal was to create fresh music that matches the new experiences players will have in P5X while still incorporating elements reminiscent of Persona 5.

“We want them to feel excited and pumped up about the experience, including music tied to specific moments, such as boss fights,” said Uda-san.

There are definitely some boss fight bangers, and you’ll be nodding along to the beat before you even know it.

Matsunaga-san also explained that after Act 2, players can unlock the School Band club, where they’ll get to choose songs and perform Persona music through a series of rhythm mini-games. It’s the extracurricular student life activities that enhance this game even further. Not only will you get Band Club Experience, but also Band Badges, which can be exchanged for rewards like Gifts for companions and, more importantly, Platinum Milicoins and Platinum Tickets!

And before the interview ended, a fun fact was shared. Other birds, like a penguin, were considered before ultimately deciding that Lufel, the owl-like creature, would accompany Wonder throughout the Metaverse. While Mona from Persona 5 was expressive and energetic, Lufel is more reserved and mysterious, speaking like an old soul, which suits his animal.

Development Reveals, Live Art, and Lyn’s Vocals at the P5X Panel

At the official Persona5: Phantom X panel moderated by CDawgVA, the fanbase got to hear from:

• P-STUDIO Director Kazuhisa Wada
• ATLUS Producer Yohsuke Uda
• SEGA Producer Jun Matsunaga 
• Persona Series Character Designer Shigenori Soejima

The team discussed their philosophy on character design, particularly for the Phantom Idols, where they explained their approach to balancing fantasy elements with realism. They aimed to create characters that are visually distinctive while still feeling authentic, and to have them embody cognitions and desires.

Appropriately, while the team showed amazing visual slides of the characters, Soejima-san was live drawing Wonder, and we got to see his impressive work in progress throughout the panel. 

Fans also got a sneak peek at the upcoming seasonal events, which will align with real-world timelines rather than being restricted to the game’s internal calendar. Look forward to a summer festival, a Christmas event, Valentine’s, and more. 

As the panel wound down, Matsunaga-san gave a closing remark, “Having just started the live service of the game, and to come here as a developer to get this interaction with you, your feedback, and your energy is super useful. We look forward to many months and many years!”

Uda-san added, “This is my first time coming to Anime Expo, and I love being in the room with you guys. We’re really going to pull out the stops and punches with P5X to make it amazing.”

The audience was then treated to a special live performance by Lyn Inaizumi, who sang “Ambitions & Visions,” the opening theme for Persona5: The Phantom X, and “Life Will Change” from Persona 5. 

Ambitions & Visions song:

Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in North America, will return next year at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 2nd to July 5th. You can play Persona5: The Phantom X now on PC via Google Play Games or Steam, and on mobile devices, iOS, and Android.

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Note that there are spoilers for 3.4, so if you haven’t completed the “For the Sun is Set to Die” trailblaze mission, you’ve been warned!

Moderated by Trash Taste, a group of Tokyo-based content creators, Joey (The Anime Man), Garnet (Gigguk), and Connor (CDawgVA) had a lively panel discussion with the voice actors:

• Hayden Daviau: Voice actor of Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon, the three remaining fragments of Tribios, the first demigod of the Chrysos Heirs
• Gabriel Warburton: Voice actor of Mydei, Chrysos Heir and Crown Prince of Kremnos
• Joshua Waters: Voice actor of Phainon, Chrysos Heir, and the newest pullable character of 3.4
• Aiden Dawn: Voice actor of Cyrene/Mem, a childhood friend of Phainon and a floating cute fairy

All of them were fans of the game before joining and talked about how excited they were to be part of the cast officially. While I was sitting in the press and industry section during the panel, I came to realize that other HSR voice actors, such as Clara and Anaxa, among many others, surrounded me. They were really warm, supportive, and loudly cheering for their teammates on stage.

Notable Moments from the Panel

The actors discussed their approach to character development, and particularly for Daviau, who had to voice three characters. She focused on what their personalities were to hone in on how to distinguish them. 

“Tribbie was more energetic, the face and leader of the group,” said Daviau. “Trianne was a little more scrappy and kind of bratty at times. Trinnon was quite reserved. So it started from taking what her personalities were and then finding where that sat in my body for me.”

When asked which was her favorite, she picked Trianne with almost no hesitation, because of her scrappy energy, but would also choose Tribios as the older, whole form.

For Phainon, the 3.4 character of the moment, Waters explained his character’s progression. 

“Phainon is the mediated football coach, and we’re the Amphoreous squad,” Waters said. “He doesn’t want anyone to be mad or upset. He’s always quick to make them feel better. But as we got to 3.4 and his friends started passing away, he progressively got worse and became more Flame Reaver. So, if you look at the beginning of 3.4 and then the end, it is night and day, which I’m really pleased with.”

And how he voiced the Flame Reaver, who was revealed to be Khaslana, the Phainon of the previous Eternal Recurrence, elicited horrified gasps from the VAs sitting behind me. Waters explained that he pinches his larynx a little to get that growly voice. A no-no since it can lead to vocal cord damage.

Mydei’s Vulnerability

Warburton, while wearing the Phainon convention bag around his neck, talked about how he balanced Mydei, explaining that the toughest, most battle-hardened character can be the most emotionally vulnerable in private. He connected to Mydei by relating to his deep love for his mother, saying that if his mother were ever in pain, it would break his heart. That emotional connection helped him bring out the softer, more sensitive side, creating a natural balance between war, aggression, and vulnerability.

Cue back to the moment in 3.1 where Mydei first met his mother in the nether realm, telling him that the bloodline of Gorgo flowing within him will guide him home, and then later in his final cutscene, when he announces, “Mother, I’m home.”

Dawn talked about finally being able to reveal that Cyrene is Mem, a physical manifestation of Cyrene’s lost memories. As someone who hasn’t caught up to the latest patch, because I was busy building Phainon and grinding for his relics, this was a surprise to me. 

With Mem’s language, though, the team decided that every single syllable was still going to have to mean something, even if all you hear is “mem, mem, mem.” The tone and inflection still need to convey what she actually means.

“I had a lot of fun being this bratty little flying thing and being that character that’s always got some fun commentary on her,” Dawn explained.

Live Voice Acting and Surprise Song

It wouldn’t be a panel with voice actors without some voice acting, so the audience got to experience live performances with the most entertaining ones being Hayden voicing her chaotic character trailer, “Children Know Nothing,” along with Joshua and Gabriel voicing the Mydei and Phainon bathhouse scene where they had a “sauna battle.” Complete with sauna stools and privacy towels as props!

Another bonus? We were treated to a musical performance of the animated short “Hark! There’s Revelry Atop the Divine Mountain” with vocals by YMIR, who kind of looked like the Flame Reaver, with his hooded cloak. Joshua also voiced Phainon as he fought his way to Nanook.

Overall, the official Honkai: Star Rail panel was full of energy, and the voice actors are obviously huge fans of each other, making the in-game moments even more tight-knit. As a regular Honkai: Star Rail player, I was thrilled that everyone who attended received an exclusive Phainon metal card, an amazing memento to commemorate the panel, a temporary stop for the Astral Express. 

As Pom-pom would say, rest up, Trailblazers, your next adventure is right around the corner!

Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in North America, will return next year at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 2nd to July 5th. You can play Honkai: Star Rail, currently on version 3.4, on PlayStation 5, iOS, Android, GeForce Now, and Windows.

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Beyblade X Panel

The Beyblade X Season 2 Panel will be held on July 4th at noon PT at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Room 402AB. Guests will get the exclusive first look at the premiere episode of the second season of Beyblade X. The show will then premiere on Disney XD on July 26, 2025.

Anairis Quinones, who voiced Mirko from My Hero Academia and Multi Nana-iro from Beyblade X, will join in the panel as a special guest.

The panel will also have trivia with fan giveaways. It is first come, first served for 250 attendees.

World Championship Tournament

The tournament will be held on July 5 at 10 am PT inside the Los Angeles Convention Center at Booth E-25. Registration begins at 9 am PT. Bladers can battle each other to become the National Champion. As a result, they can earn a spot in the World Championship competition at Tokyo Tower on October 11-12, 2025. The winner of the tournament at Anime Expo will receive a paid trip to Tokyo to compete.

Bladers must be 13 years old or older, and the first 128 participants who register are able to compete. They are encouraged to bring their own Hasbro Beyblade X Tops to use at the tournament. If they don’t have one, a limited selection of Hasbro Tops will be made available to borrow on-site. In conclusion, this will lead to the final eight as they battle with three different Tops in Hasbro’s Beyblade X Xtreme Battle Set Beystadium.

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