The world premiere of “INGRESS THE ANIMATION” took place on Saturday, July 7th at Anime Expo 2018, the largest anime event in North America. The series is the first-ever anime project to be released simultaneously on Japanese television and the US via Netflix, and its first episode was met with loud cheers.
After the premier episode was shown to the audience at Anime Expo, a panel discussion took place, featuring Niantic, Inc. CEO John Hanke, director Yuhei Sakuragi and producer Tomohiko Ishii from CRAFTAR, and Fuji Television Network Executive Director Ota Toru . The panel discussed how the US-born game “Ingress” came to be animated in Japan, highlights of the anime, and the images which had been revealed for the first time that day.

【Comments from the speakers】
John Hanke: CEO, Niantic, Inc.
I am very delighted that we have been able to create “INGRESS THE ANIMATION” with the some of the best creators in Japan. “Ingress” was made so players can travel the world and make discoveries, and the game is now being played by a global audience. The anime begins in Tokyo, but just as the game goes, the story will take you all around world.
We are excited to collaborate with Fuji Television Network and Netflix to accomplish this global scale anime.

John Hanke is the founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc., which builds real world experiences that foster fun, exploration, discovery and social interaction. Niantic is the developer of Ingress, the augmented reality mobile game which utilizes GPS technology to fuel a sci-fi story encompassing the entire world that has seen more than 20 million downloads worldwide. Niantic in partnership with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company is operating the groundbreaking mobile game Pokémon GO and their third game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is currently in development in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Yuhei Sakuragi: Director, CRAFTAR
This is a project that is going to be released worldwide, so we hope to make it enjoyable not only to anime fans and “Ingress” players, but also to those who do not usually watch anime or play “Ingress”. The story starts in Japan, but will expand to various countries and places. Please look forward to it.

Tomohiko Ishii: Producer, CRAFTAR
“INGRESS THE ANIMATION” is created by young staffs, the average age somewhere between the late 20’s and early 30’s. Please look forward to the Smart CG animation, created by a new generation of creators, including Mr. Sakuragi, who is the director.
We have also been very thorough with the script. It has become the type of content that people all around the world can enjoy, thanks to the support from our team in Japan, John, and also the writers, some of whom have written for Hollywood projects.

Toru Ota: Executive Director, Fuji Television Network
There is nothing better than “INGRESS THE ANIMATION”, to be the very first project for “+ULTRA”, which was launched as a brand to create anime content with the world as its audience. As a broadcasting station, we are delighted to be able to show you this amazing original work, based on a game by Niantic, Inc., and brought to animation, in revolutionary quality, by CRAFTER. We are looking forward to show this worldwide, through collaborating with NETFLIX.