Crunchyroll Expo is coming to Australia for the first time, the company announced today. Crunchyroll Expo Australia 2022 will be held on the weekend of September 17 and 18 at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event will take over Madman Anime Festival following the unification of Funimation Global Group’s brands (including Madman Anime Group) into the Crunchyroll brand.
Madman Anime Festival had successful runs in the Australian cities of Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Sydney, covering two-thirds of the country. It was first held in Melbourne in 2016 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Madman Entertainment, with voice actresses Yuuko Miyamura and Tiffany Grant, as well as A.D. Vision co-founder Matt Greenfield and director Shingo Natsume as its first set of guests. Its last edition was held in March 2020.
In a separate press statement, Crunchyroll chief marketing officer Gita Rebbapragada recognizes the growing anime fandom in Australia and the need for a place to gather each of them:
“We are thrilled to add another Crunchyroll Expo to our events lineup and celebrate with our fans in Melbourne. […] The appetite for anime in Australia is exploding, and we are excited to create a space where current and future fans can connect, all with the Down Under flavour our passionate local team is thoughtfully designing specifically for fans in that region.”
Gita Rebbapragada, chief marketing officer at Crunchyroll (Press Statement)
Crunchyroll Expo Australia promises to bring the biggest anime series, voice actors, and creators in one place in line with the company’s commitment to bring a deeper experience for anime fans.
Source: Press Release via Email / Banner photo via @MadFest on Twitter
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