MUMBAI: HIDIVE and Kadokawa have partnered up to announce an exclusive collaboration for the world premiere of the highly anticipated second season of Daisuke Aizawa's The Eminence in Shadow light novel series at Anime Expo. The event, scheduled for July 1 at the Main Events Hall in the Los Angeles Convention Center, will feature both subtitled and English-dubbed premieres. Q&A sessions with the voice actors, including Seiichiro Yamashita for the subtitled premiere and Adam Gibbs and Christina Kelly for the English-dubbed premiere, will follow the screenings.

This joint effort between HIDIVE and Kadokawa marks a significant achievement as it represents the first-ever dual-world premiere event. The second season, set to debut in October with 12 episodes, will continue under the guidance of the original creative team at Nexus Studios.HIDIVE currently streams the anime series and plans to stream the second season. The first season aired from October 2022 to February 2023.

The story of The Eminence in Shadow follows Cid, the protagonist who aspires to be a master manipulator in the shadows rather than a conventional hero or villain. After being transported to another world, Cid fabricates an underground organization called the Shadow Garden to combat a fictional cult. However, Cid's fantasy turns up unexpectedly when he discovers that the cult he invented exists and opposes his interference.

The anime adaptation is helmed by director Kazuya Nakanishi at Nexus, with character designs by Makoto Iino and series scripts by Kanichi Katou. The music is composed by Kenichiro Suehiro.

Yen Press has acquired the licensing rights for both the novels and manga adaptations of The Eminence in Shadow. The story initially appeared on the "Shosetsuka ni Naro" website in May 2018, followed by the publication of physical volumes by Kadokawa featuring artwork by Tozai, starting in November 2018. Anri Sakano launched the manga adaptation in Kadokawa's Comp Ace magazine in December 2018, and a spinoff manga titled Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! Shadow Gaiden premiered in Comp Ace in July 2019.

The Eminence in Shadow expanded its reach with a game adaptation called The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden, released for iOS, Android, and PC in November 2022. Crunchyroll Games published the English version of the game.

Anime Expo, a renowned anime convention, will be held in Los Angeles from July 1 to July 4. The convention has recently implemented changes to its Premier Fan Badge system.