WIT Studio Celebrates Legacy and Reveals What's Next at Anime Expo 2026
At Anime Expo 2026 Wit Studio took the Crypto.com Arena stage for their largest panel to date. Part highlight reel, part conversation, “Production I.G x WIT STUDIO Industry Panel 2026” was a celebration of the studios' catalog and the fans who have championed it through the years. Wit Studio President George Wada, Co-Founder and Executive Producer Tetsuya Nakatake, and Director Tetsurō Araki (Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) previewed a big year ahead.
Brand-New Original Animation LONA Announced
The centerpiece of the panel was the reveal of LONA, Wit Studio's biggest upcoming original animation. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Akiko Nogi (Unnatural, MIU404) in her first original anime and directed by Takashi Katagiri (SPY x FAMILY CODE: WHITE), the series is set in a virtual world where survivors of a mass-casualty disaster now live, following researchers who dive into the minds of the dead to stop "LDoS," corpse-like avatars that destroy anyone they touch. LONA premieres in spring 2027.
“LONA is a title with many fantastical elements achievable only through animation, realized with the craft Wit Studio has honed over fifteen years.” says Producer Nakatake.
Check out the Teaser Trailer PV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Copyright: ©WIT STUDIO/LONA COMMITTEE
A Sweet and Curious Stop-Motion Series: Candy Caries
Fans were also taken on a trip to revisit Candy Caries, a sweetly slapstick stop-motion series from the creators of My Melody and Kuromi about a girl and the personified cavity living in her mouth
Chew on the latest Candy Caries series on the official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@
THE ONE PIECE — Streaming on Netflix in February 2027
Additionally, the English-dubbed PV for The One Piece, which sets sail on Netflix in February 2027, was unveiled. This new series re-animates Eiichiro Oda's ONE PIECE—serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1997 and surpassing 600 million copies in cumulative worldwide circulation as of March 2026—starting anew from Episode 1 of the “East Blue” arc. The main footage was first revealed earlier as a teaser PV during “Next on Netflix Animation” at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026. Here, it was also announced that Mayumi Tanaka would voice the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. The PV also gave a first look at Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, raising anticipation for the great adventure to come.
The staff includes Director Masashi Koizuka, Assistant Director Hideaki Abe, series composition and screenplay by Taku Kishimoto, character design and chief animation direction by Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda, music by Yūki Hayashi, and sound direction by Masafumi Mima.
Join the Straw Hat Crew with the latest English PV: https://youtu.be/3Gmo0EXHyKg?
International Animation Award “Tokyo Anime Next”
Wada closed the session with the announcement of Tokyo Anime Next, an international animation awards program running Oct. 20 – Nov. 2 in Ikebukuro, Japan. Heavily backed by Wit Studio, Tokyo Anime Next was created by a coalition of anime studios to recognize excellence in Japanese animated storytelling across the globe. Please look forward to more news about Tokyo Anime Next soon. For more information, visit the official website: https://tokyoanimenext.jp/en/
About WIT STUDIO
Founded in June 2012 as an animation production company based in Kichijoji, Japan. The studio has produced globally successful hit series such as Attack on Titan and SPY×FAMILY, and actively takes on original animation projects such as Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and GREAT PRETENDER.
In 2026, broadcasts began for Agents of the Four Seasons, Ascendance of a Bookworm: The Archduke's Adopted Daughter, and Candy Caries. 2027 releases include THE ONE PIECE and the broadcast of the original TV animation LONA.
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