How streamer Crunchyroll turned Japanese anime mainstream, and the future: more fans in India, more anime from China

Crunchyroll’s evolution from a site that faced copyright claims to a platform with over 10 million paying subscribers has driven the rise in popularity of anime

It has the world’s largest online anime library and recently held its annual awards ceremony in Tokyo – presenters included Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard

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A still from “Spy x Family”, about a telepathic girl and her spy/assassin parents, one of the big variety of Japanese anime to watch on Crunchyroll, whose growth has helped drive a global explosion in the popularity of the genre. Photo: CloverWorks Studio

Published: 7:15pm, 12 Mar 2023

Once a semi-legal sharing site, Crunchyroll is now a streaming giant credited with helping Japanese anime transform from a nerdy subculture into a lucrative global industry poised to conquer new markets.

This year, the US-based company held its annual Anime Awards in Tokyo for the first time, with the art form’s heavyweights gathering for what have become some of the industry’s highest accolades – and a sign of Crunchyroll’s influence.

Sony acquired the company in 2020 for US$1.17 billion and Crunchyroll now offers anime in more than 10 languages on 15 platforms.

Its evolution from a site that faced copyright claims to a platform with over 10 million paying subscribers has helped drive an explosion in the popularity of Japanese anime.

Crunchyroll’s Gita Rebbapragada (left) and Brady McCollum at its annual Anime Awards in 2023. The ceremony was held in Tokyo for the first time. Photo: AFP

“We are really excited to see it become a global movement and be adopted across the globe,” says Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini.