VIZ Media kicked off Anime NYC 2026 with a packed Industry Panel featuring exciting announcements, special guest appearances, streaming news, collaborations, and first looks!
VIZ Media Dominates Anime NYC 2026: Major News & Panel Highlights
Viz Media had a massive presence at Anime NYC 2026. From panels and news from titles like Black Torch, BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity, MAO, and more, to announcing the upcoming Art of Manga exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, there was plenty to get excited about for anime and manga fans.
Highlight Titles: Black Torch, BLEACH, and MAO Dub Debut
VIZ Media pulled out all the stops for action fans, delivering major updates on three shonen dark fantasy powerhouse series. From exclusive voice cast table reads and new retail partnerships to an upcoming English dub streaming date, these highlights proved to be the centerpiece of VIZ’s convention lineup.
Here is everything you need to know about what’s next for Black Torch, BLEACH, and MAO.
Tsuyoshi Takaki Performs Live Drawing Session for Black Torch
Black Torch creator Tsuyoshi Takaki and editor Shihei Lin’s panel delighted fans with a live drawing demonstration, while discussing the influences and aspirations behind the creation of the supernatural action series.
Synopsis:
“BLACK TORCH follows teenage shinobi Jiro Azuma and the powerful mononoke Rago, whose uneasy alliance thrusts them into a hidden war between humans and spirits.”
Black Torch is streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll. Watch the official trailer.
Related Review: Black Torch Episodes 1–3 Review: Shin Megami Tensei Vibes in a Supernatural Shonen Revival – Read our early impressions of Tsuyoshi Takaki’s supernatural action series.
BLEACH: TYBW Panel Features Voice Cast Reenactments & Round1 Collab
English voice actors Wendee Lee (Yoruichi Shihoin) and Doug Erholtz (Kisuke Urahara) joined the BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War panel and treated fans to reenactments of some of their favorite lines from the mega-hit anime.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+. Watch the official trailer.
Anime Slate News: BLEACH: TYBW Part 4 Release Date Announced: The Calamity Hits Hulu This July – Catch up on streaming schedules and arc coverage for the Soul Society’s final battle.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War x Round1 USA
VIZ Media and Round1 Entertainment are teaming up for a special BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War promotion launching at all Round1 USA locations beginning September 10th.
Fans can step into the ‘World of the Living’ with limited-time BLEACH offerings including: exclusive Round1 club cards, T-shirts, specialty drinks, gifts with qualifying food and beverage purchases, with additional surprises yet to be revealed.
The U.S. collaboration runs September 10th – December 10th, 2026, with a version of the promotion also launching at Round1 locations in Japan this August.
Rumiko Takahashi’s MAO Gets Hulu English Dub Release Date
The English dub of Rumiko Takahashi’s (Inuyasha, Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura) supernatural series, MAO, will begin streaming on Hulu August 24th, with Episodes 1–13 available.
MAO key visual
Synopsis:
“Produced by SUNRISE Studio, MAO follows Nanoka, a modern-day girl who slips through a portal into Japan’s Taisho era. There, enigmatic exorcist Mao reluctantly rescues her from a grotesque yokai attack – an encounter that leaves Nanoka with mysterious new abilities when she returns to the present.”
Watch the official trailer.
Deep Dive: MAO Episode 1 Review: Reliving the Inuyasha Nostalgia – A Darker Taisho Era Mystery – Revisit our breakdown of Rumiko Takahashi’s portal fantasy world and Taisho-era lore.
Major Publishing & Licensing Changes: Detective Conan Returns
In one of the biggest localization shifts of the year, VIZ Media is officially retiring the legacy “Case Closed” title and restoring Gosho Aoyama’s iconic series back to its original name, Detective Conan.
Detective Conan 3-in-1 Edition Restores Original Japanese Names
Coming Spring 2027, Detective Conan (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 marks a major first for the legendary manga series. Detective Conan, which was previously published in English as “Case Closed”, will now be released under its original title, with the characters also retaining their original names.
Fans will be able to experience the real Detective Conan in this faithful new edition of the iconic series. You can visit Viz Media’s official website for more information about these changes.
Detective Conan can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Beyond the Javits Center: Art of Manga & Tech Collections
VIZ Media’s presence extended far beyond the Javits Center floor, bridging traditional pop culture with fine art and high-tech computer gear. By providing major support for the upcoming Art of Manga exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, the publisher is helping elevate the medium to unprecedented heights on the East Coast.
Art of Manga Exhibition Opens at the Brooklyn Museum
The first major exhibition in the Americas to explore manga as an art form, Art of Manga, makes its East Coast debut at the Brooklyn Museum. Featuring more than 600 drawings, the exhibition will showcase manga’s immersive power, artistic innovation, and social impact.
U.S. audiences will have the rare opportunity to see original manga artwork from beloved series, including Inuyasha, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, ONE PIECE, and many more.
For tickets and additional information, visit the Brooklyn Museum’s official website.
Starforge Systems x BLEACH Hardware Collection
A new Starforge Systems x BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War collection is set to launch at the end of August 2026. The collaboration will feature a range of products including a PC, PC case, mouse pads, acrylic wall art, and Platelights.
For more information, please visit starforgesystems.com.
Note: The information above was sourced from a press release.
Follow VIZ Media for all the latest manga and anime news on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
🏮 Read More In Asian Spaces
- Anime NYC 2026 Review: Panels, Show Floor Exhibitors & Cosplay Experience – Explore our complete press coverage of the 2026 show floor, publisher booths, and panel lineups.
- VIZ Media Anime Expo 2026: BLACK TORCH Premiere, BLEACH Gallery & GalaXic Baseball – Compare VIZ Media’s West Coast convention slate and exclusive summer premieres.
- Rumiko Takahashi’s MAO Lands on Hulu & Disney+: VIZ Media Sets April Premiere for Dark Fantasy Epic – Track streaming rollouts, licensor details, and localization updates for Takahashi’s newest adaptation.
- Anime NYC 2026 Review: A Candid Press Reflection on the Convention’s Shift – An honest press breakdown of crowd management, industry panels, and structural updates at the Javits Center.
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