Mariya Ise, the Japanese voice of Killua Zoldyck in Hunter x Hunter, will be at Anime Festival Asia (AFA) Singapore 2026 on Sunday, 29 November. Crunchyroll is bringing her to Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre with producer Hitomi Kuroi for a Day Stage panel, an exclusive preview and a fan meet-and-greet, all built around a rock-music romcom that Crunchyroll says premieres in January 2027.
If you’ve ever yelled “Killua!” at your screen, this is your chance to hear that voice in the same room. Meet-and-greet tickets go first-come, first-served at the Crunchyroll booth, so your Sunday at AFA needs a plan.
A Record-Shop Crush, Plus a Twist
The series is Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta, known in English as The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All. Crunchyroll sums it up as “a record-shop crush, a shared love of rock music and a case of mistaken identity.” It’s adapted from Sumiko Arai’s manga, which Crunchyroll describes as having distinctive green-accented artwork, a CD-shop setting and a shared passion for rock at the centre of its characters’ connection. Ise voices Mitsuki Koga.
The title gives the twist away up front, and that’s part of the charm, because the fun sits in how it plays out. It’s an easy sell for anyone who has ever sized up a crush by their playlist! Crunchyroll dates the premiere to January 2027, and its trailer announcement for The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All narrows that down to 8 January 2027, so the trailer is worth a watch before Sunday.
It’s shaping up to be a busy month for Crunchyroll premieres, too. The Korean webcomic adaptation SSS-Class Revival Hunter lands its anime in January 2027 as well, giving fans a very different kind of series to sit alongside a record-shop romance.
Why the 2pm Panel Comes First
The panel runs from 2pm to 2.45pm on the AFA Day Stage. According to Crunchyroll, Ise will talk about voicing Mitsuki and how she brought the character to life, while Kuroi covers the production side of the adaptation. The exclusive preview is the headline draw, since it puts the series in front of Singapore fans before its January premiere, and that’s the main reason this slot beats the meet-and-greet if you can only pick one.
Ise’s résumé explains the excitement. She made her voice acting debut at 16 and has spent over 20 years working across anime, video games, foreign film dubbing, narration and theatre. Beyond Killua, her notable roles include Senju Kawaragi in Tokyo Revengers and Serie in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, which means two very different generations of anime fans could end up in the same queue.
Meet the Producer Behind It
Kuroi is a member of Aniplex Inc., and Crunchyroll lists her credits as including Sword Art Online, The Irregular at Magic High School and My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999. Producer panels get less hype than voice actor appearances, but for anyone curious about how a manga becomes a TV series, her half of the conversation could be the one you remember.
There’s a neat link worth knowing. Aniplex is one of the two companies behind Crunchyroll’s joint venture, alongside Sony Pictures Entertainment, so this panel brings the production side and the streaming side of the same family onto one stage.
Booth J01 Is Your First Stop
The meet-and-greet runs from 4pm to 5pm in Meeting Room 332, and entry is ticketed only. Tickets are redeemable at the Crunchyroll booth (J01) on a first-come, first-served basis. Make J01 your first stop when you arrive on Sunday, then head to the Day Stage for 2pm, which leaves a comfortable gap of over an hour before the meet-and-greet starts.
The booth is worth a wander on any day of the festival. Crunchyroll, returning to AFA Singapore for its fourth consecutive year, says it will host interactive activities and photo opportunities there from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November. If past editions are a guide, that means something photo-friendly: at AFA 2024, the Crunchyroll booth ran a One Piece Wanted! photo op that put fans on the series’ famous bounty poster.
🗓️ Date: Sunday, 29 November 2026 (AFA Singapore 2026 runs Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November)
⏰ Time: Panel 2pm to 2.45pm; meet-and-greet 4pm to 5pm
📍 Location: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre
🎤 Panel: AFA Day Stage, with an exclusive preview of Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta
🎟️ Meet-and-greet: Meeting Room 332, ticketed entry only; tickets redeemable at Crunchyroll booth J01, first-come, first-served
📸 Crunchyroll booth: J01, with interactive activities and photo opportunities from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November
Killua fans, Serie fans and anyone who fell for a stranger’s taste in rock all have a reason to be at Suntec on 29 November, and the smart move is grabbing a meet-and-greet ticket at J01 before settling in for the 2pm preview. Before then, watch the trailer on Crunchyroll’s premiere announcement so you walk in knowing exactly who Mitsuki is. See you in the queue!
Photos and Visuals courtesy of Crunchyroll. The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All: ©Sumiko Arai/KADOKAWA/The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All Project.
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