For CR’s top management, even though the entertainment world is changing so quickly, anime should continue to reflect the basic Japanese way, while encompassing whatever other different world stories are told to it. That was the overall feeling when speaking with Nikkei about the past, present, and future of the anime world by Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini and COO Gita Rebbapragada.
Purini said anime must inherently be ‘Japanese’ and told from the perspective of Japanese creators. He also recognized highlighting the adaptation was indeed a successful way to animate works from non-Japanese origins, but he did indicate that the drive for telling such stories should be undertaken by Japanese creators. “We want more anime, more diverse stories, and it’s important that Japanese creators continue to be involved in them,” he added.
Such sentiments are shared by many a fans who would wish the integrity of Japanese anime themes and forms of animation to remain unique. This, of course, would most leave one in doubt of the boundaries of such a vision when one also includes the likes of the Pakistanicrafted animated movie “The Glassworker,” whose art is very much styled along the lines of Studio Ghibli. The film was produced by Mano Animation Studios and has been acclaimed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
While Purini does force-feed for anime to be more of the Japanese lineage, he ultimately believes in the power of sourcing stories from as many places around the world. He added that great and impressive stories are sourced from Korean webtoons and even games. Perhaps a leading example of this approach is the much-anticipated anime series “Solo Leveling,” an adaptation of a popular Korean webtoon that Crunchyroll sought to globalize by scouting its release to Japanese sister company Aniplex.
However, it’s tough to bring international IPs to the Japanese creators straight away because eventually, if any of these stories get adapted into anime, it might not connect well with the regional audiences. Purini said that though manga will still be the main source of genres in their development strategy, they would have a much broader scope in experimenting with the content together with the partners.
That diversified source material came from works such as the adaptation of American IP in “Terminator Zero” and “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” an adaptation derived directly from J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. Moreover, “Rick and Morty: The Anime,” in collaboration with the renowned Japanese studio Telecom Animation, showcases an entirely new look for this critically acclaimed American television sensation.
In an attempt to tap into Generation Alpha, even Crunchyroll is going into short-form content promotion using platforms like TikTok. Rebbapragada focused on capturing the attention of a generation that creates content, and Purini added that at present Crunchyroll is reviewing the responses from the fans about the short content being used there in the form of music videos.
If that was not enough on the strategic front, this brand was bought by the company Funimation under the banner of Sony Pictures, closing the deal for an astonishing $1.175 billion. With this deal, the wide user base and extensive global market presence of Crunchyroll converged with the anime business Funimation has been in. Kenichiro Yoshida, chairman of Sony Group Corporation, talked about exciting prospects this merger promises to provide: a new height of entertainment excitement that appeals to viewers around the world.
Merging the Crunchyroll and Funimation teams, Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, sees an opportunity to give fans the best anime subscription experience on every platform, starting with theatrical releases and going down the chain. The outcome would be a more streamlined, unified anime subscription experience and largely expanded opportunities for anime creators, producers, and publishers in Japan and other parts of the world.
As the future unfolds for Crunchyroll, the commitment to anime’s native Japanese heritage is equivalent to embracing any other global story, ensuring the art form remains as mesmerizing and moving for audiences worldwide.