YTV & YTE Reveals Their Upcoming Release Slate at Anime Expo

LOS ANGELES (July 5, 2025) – YTV animation and YTE anime staff enticed and delighted attendees at their "Ascendance of a Bookworm & 2025 Anime Line-Up Sneak Peak” industry panel as attending staff showcased their upcoming animation projects in the year ahead! Through Q&A segments and insights into the productions of featured series, attendees were able to celebrate the exciting futures of some of their favorite anime.

Hosted by anime internet personality Gigguk, the panel roared when Wit Studio CEO George Wade, Managing Director of TO Books Yui Shibata, and YTV animation Anime Producer Goshi Yoshida took the stage as the Ascendance of a Bookworm season four first revealed trailer played!

The season four teaser trailer showcased the main character, now using the name Rozemyne, struggling to bring a printing press to a fantasy world where the distribution of knowledge via books could disrupt the status of the ruling class.

Speaking on the trailer, Wada promised that fans can expect Wit Studio's standard of quality, “We love to live up to the Wit Studio quality, and bring you lots of action and clean images”. Shibata, noted that he's excited to see the series grow by noting, “we're coming to the 10 year anniversary of Ascendance of a Bookworm, with the work translated into over 20 countries. This partnership with WIT Studios is very exciting and should make the visuals and action better than ever”. Yoshida, also expressed his belief in the series' continued success and, "hopes to make Ascendance of a Bookworm into the Japanese Harry Potter”.

When asked about behind the scenes insights into the production of Bookworm season four, Yoshida called for audience input on which musical artist should do the opening theme!

The panel then revealed that the beloved manga The Vermilion Mask is set for an anime adaptation and shared a teaser trailer for the upcoming project! This trailer utilized visuals from the manga to express the inspiring and action packed opening chapter of the manga, which the audience received a free copy of!

Chief Producer of YTV animation Kozo Misawa and the editor of the manga Taichi Kimura of Shōnen Gahōsha, then took the stage to share what makes this work so compelling, with Misawa having practiced his English for the panel and giving most of his comments in English! Misawa shared that the series is so captivating because, “every episode is like the climax of the series!” Kimura highlighted that, “There are a lot of battles, and a lot of masks that give the characters different powers. Like if you wear a cat mask you can see in the dark and beat the shit out of your opponent! There are a lot of intense battles and I hope you love it.” Kimura, also shared that volume 7 of the magna is releasing in Japan this month, and added a physical edition of that unreleased volume to the panel's surprise giveaway! He also shared that volumes 1 through 4 of The Vermilion Mask are available on the emaqi platform, and Gigguk encouraged the audience to follow the official social media channels for the manga, “@Vermilion_EN”.

The panel then featured a rundown of several trailers for YTV animation & YTE's current and upcoming projects, including an emotionally intense and action-packed new Blue Miburo PV with the second season confirmed to release this winter. A trailer also played for the adorable isekai SHIROHIYO - Reincarnated as a Neglected Noble: Raising My Baby Brother With Memories From My Past Life, which premiered on Crunchyroll in April 2025. A teaser PV for the fantasy-action isekai Hero Without a Class: Who Even Needs Skills?!, which is set for an October 2025 release on HIDIVE also aired, along with a special message from the director of the anime, Kaoru Yabana, “no matter how difficult the circumstances may be, like the main character Arel, one can change their future through hard work.” The rundown ended with the reveal of the main PV for the upcoming comedy Mechanical Marie, which is set to release in October 2025 and a video message from the director, Junji Nishimura, who describes the series as a “chaotic romantic comedy” and that he's drawing on his experience working on Ranma ½ to create this anime.

The panel ended with a raffle where eight attendees won autographed shikishi related to the anime shown, one attendee won the pre-release print edition of volume seven of The Vermilion Mask manga, and a commemorative photo featuring the panelists and audience was taken.

Trailers:
● Ascendance of a Bookworm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpLS1LRsF9w
● The Vermilion Mask: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfFEShqmyYQ
● Blue Miburo (Season 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4aC4ugG4f8
● SHIROHIYO - Reincarnated as a Neglected Noble: Raising My Baby Brother With Memories From My Past Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUYlsKX6sto
● Mechanical Marie: https://youtu.be/lFyvbZHVQK4?si=P4MIx9j0mdeLv7Q3

English Official Links
● The Vermilion Mask
○ Website (EN): vermilionmask.com/en
○ X (EN): https://x.com/Vermilion_EN

Participants:
Ascendance of a Bookworm Production Team
● George Wada (CEO, WIT STUDIO)
● Yui Shibata (Managing Director, TO Books)
● Goshi Yoshida (Anime Producer, Yomiuri TV)
The Vermilion Mask Production Team
● Taichi Kimura (Editor, Shōnen Gahōsha)
● Kozo Misawa (Chief Producer, Yomiuri TV)
MC: Gigguk

About YTV
Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV) is a leading commercial TV station as well as entertainment powerhouse generating brilliant content. It is based in Kansai, the western area of Japan, including Osaka; the center of business, Kyoto and Nara; ancient capitals. Producing a broad range of distinctive programmes, including drama, entertainment and documentary, we are the ratings champion in the area and also serve nationwide viewers through NNS, a network consisting of affiliated regional TV channels. YTV is especially well-known around the world for great animation titles, such as "Detective Conan", "Inuyasha" and "City Hunter". In addition to animations, YTV has been globally distributing ready-made programs and never-seen-before TV formats such as "The Rolling Kitchen" and "Light Away!"

About YTE
YTE, established in 1970 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV), YTE specializes in the planning, production, and distribution of high-quality content. YTE's core services include content planning, program licensing, music publishing, localization, event planning, and merchandising.

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「Ascendance of a Bookworm: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke」
© Miya Kazuki,TO Books./Ascendance of a Bookworm Project 2026
↓ Copyright for the comic books.
© Miya Kazuki / TO Books.　Illustrated by You Shiina
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「The Vermilion Mask」
© Nabana Naba,Dr.Poro,SHONENGAHOSHA/ “The Vermilion Mask” Production Committee.
↓ Copyright for the comic books.
© Nabana Naba,Dr.Poro/SHONENGAHOSHA
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「Blue Miburo」
© Tsuyoshi Yasuda, KODANSHA “Blue Miburo” Production Committee.
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「SHIROHIYO - Reincarnated as a Neglected Noble: Raising My Baby Brother With Memories From My Past Life」
©Yashiro, TO Books. / ShirohiyoProduction Committee
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「Hero Without a Class: Who Even Needs Skills?!」
©SHICHIO KUZU/Earth Star Entertainment/Hero Without a Class Production Committee
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「Mechanical Marie」
© Aki Akimoto,HAKUSENSHA/ Mechanical Marie Production Committee
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