8Bit/Digi

Anime Expo 2026 will host an advance premiere of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity during a special panel with Masakazu Morita and Johnny Yong Bosch.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Stage takes place Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. at Crypto.com Arena. The panel is open only to attendees with an Anime Expo Saturday Pass or Weekend Pass. Fans should line up early, as seating cannot be guaranteed for this popular event. The panel opens with a conversation with the Japanese and English voices of Ichigo Kurosaki, followed by the advance premiere screening of The Calamity.

The Voices of Ichigo Kurosaki

The panel will begin with a conversation between Masakazu Morita and Johnny Yong Bosch, two acclaimed voice actors who have brought Ichigo Kurosaki to life.

Masakazu Morita is a Japanese voice actor known for playing some of the most iconic video game and anime characters. He is best known as Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach, having played the hero in the anime series and every video game adaptation. His other notable roles include Whis in the Dragon Ball series, Lechter Arundel in The Legend of Heroes series, and Tidus in Final Fantasy X and X-2.

Johnny Yong Bosch is an actor known for voicing some of the most iconic anime characters. His career began with the role of Adam Park, the second Black Ranger, in the Power Rangers franchise. He followed that with performances as Vash the Stampede in Trigun and Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach. He recently reprised both roles for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and Trigun Stampede. His other notable performances include Jonathan Joestar in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, Shotaro Kaneda in the Pioneer dub of Akira, and Lelouch vi Britannia in Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. Gamers will recognize him as the Yu Narukami / Protagonist in Persona 4 and Nero in the Devil May Cry series.

More to Come at Anime Expo 2026

Anime Expo is the largest anime convention in North America and a cornerstone event in the industry, drawing over 100,000 attendees alongside major publishers, studios, and distributors. Organized by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the convention gathers industry leaders, creators, and fans for a multi-day celebration of anime and manga. The 2026 event runs July 2nd to July 5th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with additional programming at L.A. Live and Crypto.com Arena.

Passes for Anime Expo 2026 are currently on sale with prices ranging from $92 for a day pass to weekend passes for $175. Special events like concerts and the maid cafe require attendees to purchase an additional ticket alongside their pass.

Bleach is one of the best-selling manga of all time and has had a profound impact on the shonen genre. It follows Ichigo Kurosaki, who gains the powers of a Soul Reaper and takes on the responsibility of defending humanity from evil spirits. The manga ran from 2001 to 2016, while the anime series originally aired from 2004 to 2012. The anime adaptation of Thousand-Year Blood War premiered in 2022 and will conclude with The Calamity.

8Bit/Digi is an indie news outlet covering the anime and cosplay community of the San Francisco Bay Area. Follow us for ongoing Anime Expo 2026 coverage.