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Overlord Author Kugane Maruyama, Anime Director Naoyuki Ito, Goblin Slayer Author Kumo Kagyu to Attend Anime Expo

Kadokawa's BookWalker website announced on Friday that it will bring light novel authors Kugane Maruyama and Kumo Kagyu to this year's Anime Expo as guests, as well as anime director Naoyuki Itou. BookWalker and Kadokawa also host a screening of the first episode of Overlord III, the third season of the Overlord anime, as well as a sneak peek of the Goblin Slayer anime. Both authors will have separate panels and autograph sessions.

Fans can submit questions for the main panels for Overlord and Goblin Slayer.

Maruyama launched the Overlord novel series online in 2010, and Kadokawa's Enterbrain imprint began publishing it with illustrations by so-bin in 2012. Kadokawa published the novel series' 13th volume on April 27. Yen Press is publishing the novel series in North America, and is also publishing the manga adaptation by Satoshi Ōshio and Hugin Miyama.

The first 13-episode Overlord television anime series premiered in Japan in July 2015. The second series premiered in January and ended on April 3. The third season will premiere in July. While BookWalker lists its Anime Expo screening event as a "world premiere," an advanced screening event for the anime's first episode is already scheduled in Japan for June 24. Kadokawa confirmed on Friday that the screening at Anime Expo will however feature the English dub.

Itou is returning from the first two seasons of Overlord to direct Overlord III. He has also directed Kimi no Koe o Todoketai, Kanon, One Piece: Strong World Episode 0, Digimon: Data Squad, Eiga Dokidoki! Precure Mana Kekkon!!? Mirai ni Tsunagu Kibō no Dress, and Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu.

SB Creative published the first volume of Kumo Kagyu's Goblin Slayer dark fantasy novel series in February 2016, and Kōsuke Kurose (The IDOLM@STER Neue Green for Dearly Stars) launched an ongoing manga adaptation in Big Gangan in May 2016. Kento Eida is serializing a manga spinoff titled Goblin Slayer Side Story: Year One in Young Gangan magazine, based on Kagyu's spinoff novels of the same name. Yen Press has licensed the novels and both Kurose and Eida's manga. The company is also publishing the main manga, the Year One manga, and the Goblin Slayer! Brand New Day spinoff manga simultaneously with Japan.

The Goblin Slayer anime adaptation will premiere this year.

This year's Anime Expo will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 5 to July 8, with a pre-show event on July 4.

Sources: Book Walker Press Release, Kadokawa Press Release