Overview of The Town — "Why Anime Is Becoming Undeniable in Hollywood"
This episode of The Town (The Ringer) explores anime’s recent mainstream breakout in the U.S. and globally. Host Matt Bellamy interviews Rahul Perini, president of Crunchyroll (a Sony Pictures company), to explain why anime is translating into big theatrical and streaming business, who the major players are, what drives anime fandom (especially among younger viewers), and what industry opportunities and constraints lie ahead.
Guest
- Rahul Perini — President of Crunchyroll (owned by Sony Pictures; merged with Funimation in 2021)
Key takeaways
- Anime is no longer niche: recent theatrical hits (notably Demon Slayer) and strong streaming demand have put anime squarely in mainstream Hollywood plans.
- Crunchyroll is the largest pure-play anime platform (17M+ subscribers) and serves 200+ countries/regions outside Japan and China.
- Anime is a medium, not a genre — it spans action, sci‑fi, romance, slice‑of‑life, etc., which helps it reach many kinds of viewers.
- Young audiences are driving growth: Gen Z and Gen Alpha have high rates of regular anime viewing and are sticky fans.
- Authenticity matters: fans value Japanese creators’ storytelling and the manga-to-anime pipeline; maintaining that authenticity is central to long‑term success.
- Main business risk: production capacity in Japan (and demographic shifts) could constrain the supply of authentic anime as global demand expands.
Topics discussed
- Box office and streaming context
- Demon Slayer: huge domestic opening (~$70M) and strong global grosses, cited as one of the season’s top performers.
- Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen referenced as other big titles with strong theatrical interest.
- 2023: anime accounted for roughly $5.5B in global streaming revenue (about 6% of content genres, per Parrot Analytics).
- Crunchyroll’s role and scale
- 17M+ paid subscribers.
- Largest anime catalog among pure-play platforms.
- Focused on serving existing anime fans rather than converting new ones.
- Demographics and fandom psychology
- 44% of general entertainment viewers aged 13–54 identify as anime fans; penetration rises among younger cohorts (about 59% for Gen Alpha).
- Anime serves identity-building, social connection, and emotional catharsis/self-help for many younger viewers.
- Industry landscape
- Sony’s strategic position: Funimation acquisition years ago, Crunchyroll acquisition in 2021, and synergies across distribution and theatrical (including Alamo Drafthouse activations).
- Other platforms (Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney) increasingly carry anime; Crunchyroll’s main competitors include HiDive and general platforms, while YouTube is a major attention competitor.
- Market expansion
- Rahul cited ~1.5 billion people outside Japan and China who are anime-curious/fans; projected to grow to 2 billion by 2030.
- Regions like the Middle East show rapid fandom growth and commercial opportunities (events, parks, theme activations).
Data & notable numbers
- Crunchyroll subscribers: 17+ million (paid).
- Anime streaming revenue (2023): ~$5.5 billion worldwide (≈6% of content genres).
- Audience penetration: ~44% of 13–54 general entertainment fans; ~59% among Gen Alpha (regular viewers).
- Large potential reach: Rahul’s estimate ~1.5 billion globally (outside Japan/China) interested in anime, rising to ~2 billion by 2030.
Why anime resonates with younger audiences (three core reasons)
- Authentic, relatable storytelling: characters and themes often feel “real and different” compared with other mainstream content.
- Broad variety: anime covers virtually every genre, increasing the chance of finding a deep niche match for different viewers.
- Community and identity: fandom provides social connection and personal influence — many fans credit anime with shaping aspects of identity and relationships.
Industry implications & recommendations (implicit in the conversation)
- Preserve authenticity: Hollywood/streamers should partner with Japanese creators and respect source IP/manga roots to retain fan trust.
- Scale responsibly: the biggest near-term constraint is production capacity in Japan; building studios, training talent, or co-productions can help meet demand.
- Leverage theatrical potential: anime can play as both streaming and big-screen properties; theatrical marketing and fan activations (e.g., Anime Movie Nights) help drive box office.
- Serve existing fans well: Crunchyroll’s strategy prioritizes delivering what avid fans expect; mainstream discovery follows when titles break into cultural conversation.
Challenges & risks
- Supply constraints: Japanese industry labor/demographics may limit how quickly authentic anime can be produced at scale.
- Maintaining creator authenticity while globalizing IP — missteps could alienate core fans.
- Attention competition: platforms must still win users’ time versus other entertainment (and against large general services).
Notable quotes / insights
- “Anime is a medium, not a genre.” — Rahul Perini
- Anime fandom functions as identity-building and community-forming: many fans say anime influenced who they are and strengthened relationships.
- Crunchyroll’s focus: prioritize serving the established anime audience rather than converting non‑fans (growth often happens organically when titles break out).
Episode notes
- Host: Matt Bellamy; producer Craig Horbeck.
- Sponsors and other segments: multiple ad reads and a call-sheet segment about box office prospects (Running Man, Predator: Badlands, Now You See Me 3) followed the interview.
- Crunchyroll activations: partnership with Alamo Drafthouse for Anime Movie Nights; global convention presence (NYCC, SDCC).
Quick listening highlights (recommended clips to jump to)
- Crunchyroll scale and subscriber stats (early interview).
- Discussion of why anime connects emotionally with Gen Z/Alpha (mid-interview).
- Production-supply risk and future growth outlook (closing segments).
Actionable for listeners: sample popular recent titles mentioned (Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen), try Crunchyroll if interested in anime catalog, and check local theater anime nights for theatrical screenings.