Overgeared is sending a first-time TV anime director, her executive producer and the voice of its lead to Anime Festival Asia (AFA) Singapore 2026. Director Ayako Kono, executive producer Nobuhiro Osawa and Tatsumaru Tachibana, who voices Grid, will appear together on Saturday, November 28, during the festival's November 27 to 29 run at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Crunchyroll is bringing the three as part of its booth programming. It's the streamer's fourth straight year at the festival.

A debut director with a Sword Art Online background

The guest who stands out is Kono. According to the release, Overgeared is her first job as a TV anime director. Before this she worked as an episode director on Love Live! at Sunrise, as an assistant director on After the Rain at WIT STUDIO and then directed the Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- films.

Osawa runs EGG FIRM Inc., which handles planning, financing and production on the anime it backs. His chief producer credits include Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Sword Art Online and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? That makes Sword Art Online a shared credit for the director and the producer.

Tachibana came to voice work from stage and musical theatre. His first voice role was in Case File nº221: Kabukicho, and he has since voiced Eisaku Ohtomo in Aoashi, Basen in The Apothecary Diaries and Gregory Violet in Black Butler: Public School Arc.

Panel, live reading and a separate meet-and-greet

The Saturday programme splits into two parts. The panel runs from 1 to 1:45 p.m. at the NEXT Stage and covers how the anime was made, with a live reading by the guests. A meet-and-greet follows from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Meeting Room 332.

The meet-and-greet is ticketed. Tickets are redeemed at the Crunchyroll booth (J01) on a first-come, first-served basis, so anyone flying in from Manila for it should plan on reaching the booth early.

A forging challenge at the booth

Across all three days, the booth hosts a puzzle wall themed on Grid's blacksmithing. Visitors assemble weapons on the wall, then pose at a 3D photo set featuring Grid. Finishing the challenge gets you a Pagma's Rare Book notebook while stocks last.

Festival details and passes are on the AFA Singapore 2026 site at animefestival.asia.