Polygon has rounded up ten anime projects announced at Anime Expo 2026 that were overshadowed by the convention's blockbuster reveals, such as The Ghost in the Shell, Yoshitaka Amano's ZAN, Star Wars: Visions spin-off The Ninth Jedi, and updates on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, Kagurabachi and Black Clover. The piece argues that the biggest franchises dominate coverage, leaving smaller premieres, unexpected adaptations and passion projects to debut quietly, and it aims to spotlight these overlooked titles for fans building their watch lists.

The highlighted projects span several genres. They include The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, a music-infused yuri romance from studio CloverWorks due in January 2027; Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, a historical drama directed by Naoko Yamada and now streaming on Crunchyroll; The World Is Dancing, a period piece about the birth of Noh theatre made with CygamesPictures and available on HIDIVE; and Jurassic Shadows, a "ninjas versus dinosaurs" original from Apothecary Diaries director Norihiro Naganuma. The list continues with Grotesqqque, though the article text cuts off before its details are given.