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Every year in July, no less than 130,000 attendees converge into Downtown San Diego as the San Diego Comic-Con is held. With Comic-Con being one of the world’s biggest festivals for comics and nerd culture, not surprisingly some of the biggest news in entertainment is often announced here. While there will not be a Toonami panel at SDCC this year, there will be several panels and events for Toonami fans to enjoy and perhaps to watch out for in regards to future announcements.
Hand-picked from the official schedule, this is a curated list of the various events and panels that will be of interest of Toonami viewers, including panels of shows that have been featured on Toonami, as well as industry panels of companies that have a partnership with the block.
While Comic-Con has made its return after a two year hiatus, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. And with coronavirus variants and infection rates on the rise, those attending will have to be vigilant roaming the packed Convention Center halls to prevents themselves and others from getting affected. To help prevent the spread of COVID with the expected large crowds, fans will be required to wear masks or appropriate face coverings. According to the Comic-Con website, “All face coverings must fit properly and snugly, must secure under your chin, and fully cover your nose and mouth” and that “Approved face coverings must be visible at all times and may not be concealed under costume headwear/masks.”
Fans will also be required to bring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (within 72 hours) to pick up a COVID-19 verification wristband, which must be worn throughout the duration of the convention or will need to redo this process. Fans can pick these wristbands up at tents set up outside the convention center as well as several hotels nearby, including the Marriott Marquis and Marina, the Omni San Diego, and the Town and Country Hotel in Mission Valley. For full details, visit www.comic-con.org/cci/covid-19-faq.
Do note that there is a possibility that there can be Toonami-related news in panels that aren’t listed below, but fans should be on the lookout for any possible announcements. We’ll be on the ground in Downtown San Diego covering the events, so for potential breaking news announcements and live-tweets, be sure to follow @ToonamiSquad on Twitter.
This schedule list will be updated if more information becomes available and is subject to change. All listed times are in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Thursday
Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
Time: Thursday, July 21, 2022, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Room: 6A
Official Description: Celebrate your love for Gundam with a special screening of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Prologue. Attendees will have a first look in the U.S. at the upcoming series directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi. See where it all begins . . . Panelists include VampyBitMe (Linda Le) along with members from Bandai Namco Toys and Collectibles America featuring David Edmundson (marketing director), Justin Cavender (senior marketing manager), AJ Velasco (marketing specialist), and David Clarke (brand manager).
Author Notes: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is the newest Gundam TV series, the 15th mainline entry in the Gundam franchise, and the first since Iron Blooded Orphans ended in 2017. The series will premiere in October 2022 on the Japan News Network in Japan.
If you wish to see Gundam return to the block for this new series, continue watching the block every Saturday and send your show requests to Toonami’s Facebook page or by directly messaging Jason DeMarco on Twitter (@Clarknova1). We also recommend letting Bandai Namco and Sunrise know through their respective social media outlets.
Friday
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Season 2 Discussion and Q&A
Time: Friday, July 22, 2022, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Room: Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Official Description: After winning five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, Genndy Tartakovksy’s Primal returns to Adult Swim. Animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars) and art director Scott Wills (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Samurai Jack) dive deep into the second season of the acclaimed animation adventure.
Author Notes: Primal season 2 will be premiering on Adult Swim a night before, with an hour long season premiere on Thursday, July 21 from Midnight-1:00 a.m. EDT. Toonami will be airing encore airings of that week’s Primal premiere every Saturday at midnight starting on July 23.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Time: Friday, July 22, 2022, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Room: Hall H
Official Description: Just one month prior to the theatrical release of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero hear members of the cast and crew offer stories and insights from the film and an exclusive look at the first 20 minutes—and of course, giveaways!
Author Notes: The second Dragon Ball Super branded film, and the fourth Dragon Ball film in the “Super” era overall, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will be hitting theaters across the United States and Canada on August 19. There are no known plans for Toonami to bring back the Dragon Ball franchise at this time.
https://twitter.com/dragonballsuper/status/1541806198894338053
Adventures in Voice Acting
Time: Friday, July 22, 2022, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Room: Room 29CD
Official Description: Eric “Herman” Sherman (voice director and CEO of the Emmy Award–winning Bang Zoom! Studios), Mami Okada, CSA (casting director, Bang Zoom! Studios) veteran voice actor Deneen Melody, and others discuss the voice-over process in the anime and gaming industries, how they got started in voice acting, and their adventures in this creative space.
Saturday
Naruto 20th Anime Anniversary
Time: Saturday, July 23, 2022, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Room: 6BCF
Official Description: Celebrate Naruto with fantastic voice actors Amanda C. Miller (Boruto) and Tom Gibis (Shikamaru). Joining them will be basketball star, Jordan Brand athlete, and hardcore Naruto fan Zion Williamson! Find out how Naruto has inspired Zion and his latest Jordan Brand collaboration. All attendees will get a limited-edition Naruto Anniversary poster.
Author Notes: The original Naruto series first aired on TV Tokyo in Japan on October 3, 2002, and this year marks the anime’s 20th anniversary. Naruto Shippuden presently airs on Toonami every Saturday at 2:30 a.m. EDT. On the other hand, Boruto remains off Toonami airwaves for nearly three years now, due to low ratings, among other things. In regards to Boruto potentially returning, Jason DeMarco recently said that“It may at some point but there are no current plans.”
DRAGON BALL Z CONCERT EXPERIENCE AND CRUNCHYROLL-HIME ANIMATA DANCE PARTY
Time: Saturday, July 23, 2022, 7:00 PM
Room: The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
Official Description: The Dragon Ball Z Concert Experience – Comic Con International Premiere Edition combines the senses and sounds of Dragon Ball Z, together with a world-renowned orchestra, live vocals, and a legendary composer, to create a truly immersive multimedia, one-of-a-kind curated concert experience. Nicholas Buc, Conductor, and San Diego Symphony Orchestra power up for the experience.
Are you headed to Comic-Con this year? If so or if not, what news and announcements are you anticipating? Sound off in the comments below or on our social media outlets.
