I've been saying for a while that anime stopped being a niche beat and started being the main event, and 2027 might be the year that argument ends entirely. ComicBook.com put together a list of the anime movies landing in 2027, and reading it back to back, the lineup is kind of absurd.

Some of this we already knew. One Piece Film God Valley is set for 2027, and I've been waiting on that one since Toei confirmed it, still not sure whether it dramatizes the legendary incident itself or builds a story around it in the present day. Either way, a new One Piece film is an event. Made in Abyss is launching its new movie trilogy, and if you've seen that show you know the mix of gorgeous and devastating it's about to deliver to theaters. And then there's whatever Crunchyroll is doing with the Jujutsu Kaisen Shibuya Incident release, which is its own beast entirely.

But a year like 2027 isn't really about any single title, it's about the depth. Legacy franchises, a trilogy kickoff from one of the most beloved (and most emotionally destructive) properties in modern anime, a Shonen Jump giant, all inside the same twelve months. That's before you count the stuff that hasn't been announced yet, because there's always stuff that hasn't been announced yet. Somebody is sitting on a release date right now that'll make this lineup even sillier.

The context matters too. Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen already proved in the last few years that an anime movie can open huge in the U.S., not just Japan. Suzume, The Boy and the Heron, that whole run of theatrical anime that pulled in people who'd never watched a series in their lives. The audience is there, the theaters know it, the distributors know it. 2027 is just the year everything lands at once.

I keep thinking about how different this is from even a decade ago, when an anime theatrical release meant one screening at one theater an hour away, subtitled, on a Tuesday. Now I'm writing calendar entries for these things like they're Marvel movies.

Anyway, go read the full list at ComicBook.com, it's worth your time. And start planning your 2027 theater budget now. Trust me on this one.