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Promotional image for MAPPA Stage 2023 (Image via Twitter/@MAPPA_Info)

What happened at the MAPPA Stage 2023?: A brief summary

Priya MajumdarBy Updated:7 Mins Read Anime

For anime fans of Studio MAPPA, MAPPA Stage 2023 has been one of the most anticipated events of the year. Having started at 3:30 pm JST, the event took place today, i.e., Sunday, May 21, at the Tokyo Garden Theatre. This year’s stage had an interesting lineup of popular shows, including Chainsaw Man, Vinland Saga, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Hell’s Paradise, and Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill.

With much fervor and anticipation for any new ‘crumbs’ regarding the aforementioned series, the various stages of the anime shows shared trailer or key visuals, commentary from the core cast and staff members, live voice acting performance, among other things.

Hell’s Paradise

The traction surrounding Studio MAPPA’s latest anime series, Hell’s Paradise, is off the charts. Since the anime is ongoing and is still in its mid-run, no announcements regarding the upcoming installments or addition of new cast members, theme song reveals were made. The Hell’s Paradise stage was a fun event regardless, with core cast members Yumiri Hanamori (Sagiri), Aza Choubei (Ryouhei Kimura), Rie Takahashi (Yuzuriha), and Chikahiro Kobayashi (Shion) making appearance. However, Chiaki Kobayashi, the voice actor of main protagonist Gabimaru, was not seen at the event.

The cast members shared their personal favorite moments from the ongoing anime series, with the voice actor of Sagiri talking at length about the character’s interaction with Rokurota in episode 6. This was followed by Kimura talking about the character Touma, who is the Yamada Asaemon monitor as well as the younger brother of Aza Choubei. Hell’s Paradise also organized a fun quiz segment, making the voice actors participate and test their knowledge about the series and its characters.

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2

With the much-anticipated release of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2’s July 6 release date drawing nearer, fans of the series are excited to get more updates on the upcoming two arcs that will be covered by the series. Likewise, MAPPA Stage 2023 provided brief respite for the viewers with the release of an official trailer. SInce Gojo’s Past arc will revolve much around Gojo and Geto, the trailer begins with a dialog by the latter sorcerer. 

The trailer also sees the entry of Star Plasma Vessel Riko Amanai and her guardian, Kuroi. With brief appearances by Mei Mei, Nanami Kento, and Utahime Iori, the 1 minute and 31 seconds trailer ends with a dialog by Satoru Gojo. Moreover, Tatsuya Kitani’s Ao no Sumika, which is the opening theme of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2, accompanies the events in the trailer throughout.

The character key visuals of a few characters, whose presence is significant in the Shibuya Incident arc, was also released. This included the Tokyo Jujutsu High first year students – Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki – second year students, including Toge Inumaki, Maki Zenin, Panda, and Yuta Okkotsu, and adult Satoru Gojo and Nanami Kento.

Additionally, the Jujutsu Kaisen panel at MAPPA Stage 2023 saw the appearances of voice cast Junya Enoki (Yuji Itadori), Asami Seto (Nobara Kugisaki), Yuma Ichida (Megumi Fushiguro), and Megumi Ogata (Yuta Okkutsu). The first half of the upcoming season will be covering the Gojo Past arc, where the main characters include Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, Star Plasma Vessel Riko Amanai, and the main antagonist Toji Fushiguro. However, none of them attended the Jujutsu Kaisen panel. The panel also played all the opening songs from season 1 and Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

Attack on Titan Final Season Part 3 Part 2 

The Attack on Titan panel at the MAPPA Stage 2023 saw some important reveals at the event. Foremost among them was the new key visual, which depicted a serene countryside scene full of natural verdant flora, with a cottage atop a hill. However, the beauty of the picture is interrupted by the shadow of two titans, whose ambiguous presence could either be ominous or revenant as the two titans are presumed to be special types. The Japanese caption on the picture says “Itterasshai, Eren,” which could mean several things like “have a good day,” “see you later,” or “take care”. The words are specifically said while wishing for a safe departure. 

However, manga readers of Attack on Titan would know that this picture forms the backdrop of the “See you, Eren” dream, which were the final words said by Mikasa. Director Yuichiro Hayashi revealed that this will be the last promotional picture before the upcoming part of the final season releases later this year, but as the date draws closer, a new trailer might soon be expected. Explaining the new key visual, Hayashi said:

“…I think this will be the final visual for The Final Season. It may be a surprise to you that there are no hordes of characters like in the previous visuals, but I decided long ago to take an uncomplicated approach for the last visual…There are some interesting things that would be hard to explain and would be a spoiler, so I hope you can expand your imagination and look forward to the final part.”

The Attack on Titan panel at the MAPPA Stage 2023 also saw the appearances of voice actors Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa), Yuki Kaji (Eren), and Romi Park (Hange), whose character recently passed away in Attack on Titan Final Season Part 3 Part 1, which aired in March. Aside from some live voice acting, Park bid farewell to the beloved character as she officially exited the series.

Vinland Saga season 2

During the MAPPA Stage 2023, the panel of Vinland Saga saw the attendance of voice cast members like Yuto Uemura (Thorfinn) and Shunsuke Takeuchi (Einar). Also present were director Shuhei Yabuto and the producer of the second season, Hiroya Hasegawa. The panel included live voice acting performances and commentary on the cast’s opinion on the series and their respective characters.

The best part of the panel was the reveal of the second trailer of Vinland Saga season 2, which is nearing its end. The trailer gave a sneak peak at the upcoming episodes that will wrap up the season. In addition, the opening song of Vinland Saga season 2, i.e., River by Anonymouz, was also performed live, but the segment was only available for Japanese viewers.

Although there were no announcements regarding a third installemnt of the series, Vinland Saga’s mangaka, Makoto Yukimura, shared that although Thorfinn has now come to a point where he avoids wars and conflicts, fate is not in compliance with his wishes. As such, it can be presumed that something grand or tragic may follow up soon either in the concluding episodes of season 2 or in the next installment. 

Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill

The recently popular isekai series by the studio saw the voice actors of Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill in attendance. The cast comprised of Yuma Uchida (Tsuyoshi Mukouda), Hina Kino (Sui), Satoshi Hino (Fel), and Maaya Uchida (Ninrir). Aside from discussing their experiences on the anime series, they were treated to a delicious beef curry by Yuma Uchida, who proved that it’s not just his character who is not an expert in cooking. Evidently, the cast members savored the taste and complimented Uchida for his efforts. 

Not only that, Uchida showcased his musical talents as well. The voice actor sang the theme song, i.e., Happy go journey, of Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill during the panel.

Chainsaw Man

Probably the most disappointing panel of MAPPA Stage 2023, the Chainsaw Man shared or hinted at announcements related to the second season of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s series. The panel opened with the series’ mascot Pochita, which was followed by the introduction of cast members, including Kikonosuke Toya (Denji), Shogo Sakata (Aki Hayakawa), and Fairouz Ai (Power). The voice actor of Makima, Tomori Kusunoki, couldn’t attend the Chainsaw Man panel due to her health. The rest of panel followed the televised clips of the series, which were shown as the voice actors were asked to pick during the panel. The actors reminiscenced the moments and talked about a variety of things. 

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Priya is an anime lover and writer at GamesHorizon. A graduate from EFL University, she is deeply interested in anything remotely anime, manga, and fan culture. In her free time, she likes to draw, cook, visit cafes, and read fanfiction on a variety of anime fandoms' ships.