White Box Entertainment

Already considered a hit in its home country, ???????? ???????? ?????? 75% ???????? ?????????????????? ???? ???????????????? ????????????????, a fact highlighted by producer Avex in their latest investor remarks. It's a new era: I can't imagine Look Back getting a theatrical run here 10 years ago, let alone breaking $1M in the box office. I see this as part of a larger trend in anime, where companies like GKIDS and Anime Ltd show that with thoughtful curation and authentic marketing, you can make a success out of something without a franchise attached. Anime is such a dynamic and diverse medium with unrealized audiences across genres to match!

My latest piece for Anime News Network: comparing anime preferences between the US and Japan, summer season edition! Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gWYdMAAe

*Incredibly* savvy move on TOHO's part here. This will likely be the biggest anime-related news of the year for the North American market. GKIDS has an unparalleled reputation for excellent in the anime space, and deservedly so. In a single move, TOHO, who has been aggressively expanding in the US in theatrical, rights exploitation, home video, and partnerships now has even more of the best people and the best infrastructure in each of those verticals.

Unlike so many interests that exploded during the pandemic, engagement in anime continues to grow! Purini says Australia is a "top performing, highly engaged market" where the average fan watches "nearly two hours a day" - indexing well ahead of CR's 2020 global daily viewership average of 85 minutes. Source: https://lnkd.in/g24sEEh5

In 2023, US manga sales fell by 26%. Bucking the trends both in the US and abroad, One Piece sales spiked 27% in the same time period. Why? I explore the story in my inaugural column at Comics Beat! A huge thanks to Debora Aoki and Heidi MacDonald for bringing me onto the team, I'm thrilled to be around such talented folks and look forward to contributing to one of the most essential outlets in the industry! ?? Read: https://lnkd.in/gFQkTtMC

Netflix recently released their viewership data for the second half of 2023, and once again, I was able to put together my thoughts on what it means for the world of anime for Anime News Network! https://lnkd.in/ghB5xUu2

On social media, anime punches above its weight class. Even while X-Men '97 and Invincible are putting out incredible seasons, My Hero Academia is still the most-discussed super hero franchise. Konosuba has had a seven year gap between seasons, but it has more momentum on social than the latest Star Wars and Star Trek *combined*. It's hard to suss out viewership numbers across platforms in the streaming era. Social media engagement may not the best proxy for viewership, but there's still plenty to be gleaned! You can read the full analysis for Anime Trending here: https://lnkd.in/gxUFVaQE

The story of Anime in America by way of Google. I recently was using Google Trends as a framing device to discuss some of the inflection points in US anime fandom and put together this annotated screenshot for clarity's sake. It's a little rough to look at but I hope it's interesting enough to share! Google search volume is by no means a perfect metric, but directionally, it captures the story of the last 20 years pretty well. Are there any other notable shifts in consumer interest you've found?