NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan drew packed rooms at Anime Expo 2025 with the world premieres of two highly anticipated anime titles: Inexpressive Kashiwada and Expressive Oota, and A Wild Last Boss Appeared!
Held on July 3 and July 5 respectively, both premieres were part of NBCUniversal’s “Two Anime World Premieres & Industry Panels” event, which also spotlighted several of the studio’s upcoming releases.
Fans became the first in the world to watch the debut episode of Inexpressive Kashiwada and Expressive Oota, ahead of its official broadcast in October 2025. The romantic comedy lit up the screening room with laughter and excitement, signaling strong early interest in the upcoming series. During the panel, producer Genta Ozaki unveiled a new promotional video and shared behind-the-scenes details about Watari-kun’s ****** Is About to Collapse, another NBCUniversal project launching in July 2025. Attendees also enjoyed exclusive video messages from voice actors Shuichiro Umeda (Naoto Watari), Yumika Yano (Satsuki Tachibana), and Yurie Ikoma (Yukari Ishihara).
The event also featured a unique exhibit from Grand Blue Dreaming Season 2: the real-life Charpy Impact Tester, which made its U.S. debut at Anime Expo. The device first appeared at AnimeJapan 2025 and will be gifted to select U.S. universities that express interest, drawing big crowds and curious fans.
NBCUniversal confirmed that Mission: Yozakura Family Season 2 will premiere in 2026, while Season 1 is currently streaming on Hulu. Fans also learned that Tune into the Midnight Heart is scheduled for 2026.
Later, on July 5, fans gathered for the world premiere of A Wild Last Boss Appeared! and were not disappointed. The screening wowed audiences with stunning animation and an intriguing storyline, leading to strong buzz ahead of the series’ October 2025 release. Director Yuya Horiuchi and original creator Firehead both delivered special pre-recorded messages to attendees.
Producer Ryo Hino also took the stage to discuss another hit title, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman, which is currently streaming worldwide on Prime Video. The second season of the series is slated for 2026.
Reincarnated as a Sword II debuted a brand-new visual showing Fran riding Master during the Floating Island arc. Director Shinji Ishihara and animation producer Yosuke Shimada shared an exclusive video message with fans. Suikoden: The Anime also offered a sneak peek through a special message from chief director Yuzo.
NBCUniversal capped the events with exclusive giveaways. Attendees received limited-edition A Wild Last Boss Appeared! stickers (originally distributed only at AnimeJapan 2025), as well as paper fans featuring both premiere titles. A lucky few walked away with rare items, including Hellsing figures, Japanese scripts, and merchandise from From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman.
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Source: NBCUniversal Japan
