The American and Japanese entertainment industries are collaborating, borrowing and stealing from one another in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. Producers in Japan are keeping a close eye on foreign markets, and Anime Cons are are the testing grounds and research labs for those markets. Join original Tokyo-based JAPANAMERICA author Roland Kelts to look at the roots of this exploding phenomenon, catch up with it all and learn what's next.

Get ready for a Hollywood POKEMON, TIGER & BUNNY (yes!) and ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, and hotly rumored GUNDAM, NARUTO and AKIRA productions. Star Wars' J.J. Abrams is producing a big-budget Hollywood live action YOUR NAME, based on the most successful anime feature in history. GODZILLA is now an anime trilogy on Netflix, an upcoming big budget Hollywood blockbuster (2019), and a 33rd live action Japanese movie -- called, of course, "GODZILLA VS KONG" (Japan vs America). Netflix is co-producing 30 new anime series this year alone, while Crunchyroll has started co-producing Japanese video games in Tokyo. Even the 'retired' genius of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, is hard at work on a new feature film.