Toyo Keizai interviewed KADOKAWA Chief Anime Officer Daijo Kudo about the state of the company’s overseas anime business and growth plans. He shared that he hoped that anime would be born all over the world, akin to how the sushi-inspired California roll was born in North America:
“One of Natsuno’s [KADOKAWA President Takeshi Natsuno] concepts is ‘Global Media Mix with Technology.’ The company is currently aiming to increase the number of published IPs it creates annually from approximately 6,000 to 7,000 (by the fiscal year ending March 2028), while also creating IPs from its overseas subsidiaries. This initiative [launching the GeeXProductions animation production label for works by overseas creators] is in line with that trend.
For example, wherever you go in the world, there are many different types of sushi, including California rolls. Similarly, with anime now being watched all over the world to this extent, wouldn’t it be good to see a future where anime is born in many different places? We haven’t done a great job of it yet, but KADOKAWA too we must consider producing anime featuring vampire and zombie themes, which are well-liked by Western audiences.
However, I don’t think there are many shortcuts. We need to create good animation and monetize it in various places, not just through Crunchyroll. Our basic strategy hasn’t changed, so for now, we want to continue on the same path we’ve always followed.“
Titles like Castlevania and Blood: The Last Vampire, and the success of adjacent dark fantasy works like Berserk, prove that these themes do sell in places like North America. Kudo’s hope that anime will be born outside of Japan also follows comments of a similar vein about manga by Noboru Segawa, KADOKAWA’s head of the Global Comic Department and editor-in-chief of the new Overseas Manga Editorial Department.
Segawa discussed its recent overseas manga competition, adding that while they are currently running a scheme to support overseas manga creators debuting in Japan, he hopes to facilitate a future where their work can take off anywhere, not needing to first do so in Japan.
You can also check out Kudo’s comments on the North American anime streaming landscape, where he describes Sentai’s (HIDIVE) “weakening” power and Crunchyroll’s dominant position, leading to more “careful” negotiation over prices and uncertainty from Japanese production companies about their overseas revenue prospects for certain works if Crunchyroll doesn’t buy them.
Source: Toyo Keizai
©2000 Production I.G/ANX, SCEI, IGA ©Shinichi Kimura, Kobuichi, Muririn/Fujimi Shobo/Matelis Magical Academy
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