Place your bets on whether Toho's overseas anime venture can succeed.
So, Toho's going all-in on trying to release anime overseas, from acquiring GKIDS (serves the US & Canada) in 2024 to acquiring Anime Limited (served UK, Ireland and France) this year, as well as establishing a European branch in London and a partnership with Plaion Pictures (AL's previous parent company) to distribute Toho's stuff in the rest of Europe. While some people are saying this could provide some much-needed competition to Crunchyroll, I don't see that being the case. If Disney, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video can barely put dents on Crunchyroll, a company that has degraded itself so badly since the acquisition by Sony in 2021 that people have made videos about it, what makes you think Toho could actually provide competition against Crunchyroll? Especially when Sony's been doing strategic partnerships with the likes Kadokawa and [Bandai Namco](https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/News/Press/202507/25-0724E/) (this latter part especially given that they have key franchises like Gundam and Sony explicitly cited games and anime as the motivation).
Remember that [Bloomberg article](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-20/sony-s-crunchyroll-finds-its-early-lead-in-anime-under-attack) claiming that Crunchyroll's lead in anime is under attack by the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video? A year has passed and what that article has said has not amounted to even jack-shit. Crunchyroll is still getting dozens of anime every season while its competitors are getting crumbs. Sure Amazon Prime video made a splash when it (re)entered with hotly-anticipated titles like *Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX*, *New Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt*, *CITY The Animation* and *Sanda* but Crunchyroll still has more of those kinds of titles (and this is even when subtracting the cookie-cutter isekai shows).
Now, let's play optimist and assume that Toho wants to and tries to make a difference in the overseas anime industry. They'll have to balance between trying to compete but also trying to cultivate a culture of goodwill with the anime community, something that has become increasingly absent in today's anime industry as they decide to reject listening to the western anime industry's origins and instead listen to out-of-touch corporate tools. Part of this would mean working with people from the anime community (and not those bought guys like Gigguk). I'm talking the Justin Sevakises, the Miles Athertons. The old guard who's worked since the 90s at the earliest and know that even after supposedly ascending to mainstream status anime is still at its heart a tight-night community. Even at Anime Limited they have worked with Justin Sevakis for blu-rays. We have seen Toho themselves hire former Crunchyroll (as in pre-merger Crunchyroll) employees to run their overseas marketing and merchandising initiatives, and when Amazon was going to re-enter anime at the start of 2025 they hired contributors from CR lately as consultants on a renewed anime licensing initiative (after Anime Strike crashed and burned because it was run by people who have no idea on how to do anime). So at least this is a promising start.
But how will Toho survive and prosper in today's overseas anime industry as they now seem to be stepping into the ring?
Remember that [Bloomberg article](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-20/sony-s-crunchyroll-finds-its-early-lead-in-anime-under-attack) claiming that Crunchyroll's lead in anime is under attack by the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video? A year has passed and what that article has said has not amounted to even jack-shit. Crunchyroll is still getting dozens of anime every season while its competitors are getting crumbs. Sure Amazon Prime video made a splash when it (re)entered with hotly-anticipated titles like *Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX*, *New Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt*, *CITY The Animation* and *Sanda* but Crunchyroll still has more of those kinds of titles (and this is even when subtracting the cookie-cutter isekai shows).
Now, let's play optimist and assume that Toho wants to and tries to make a difference in the overseas anime industry. They'll have to balance between trying to compete but also trying to cultivate a culture of goodwill with the anime community, something that has become increasingly absent in today's anime industry as they decide to reject listening to the western anime industry's origins and instead listen to out-of-touch corporate tools. Part of this would mean working with people from the anime community (and not those bought guys like Gigguk). I'm talking the Justin Sevakises, the Miles Athertons. The old guard who's worked since the 90s at the earliest and know that even after supposedly ascending to mainstream status anime is still at its heart a tight-night community. Even at Anime Limited they have worked with Justin Sevakis for blu-rays. We have seen Toho themselves hire former Crunchyroll (as in pre-merger Crunchyroll) employees to run their overseas marketing and merchandising initiatives, and when Amazon was going to re-enter anime at the start of 2025 they hired contributors from CR lately as consultants on a renewed anime licensing initiative (after Anime Strike crashed and burned because it was run by people who have no idea on how to do anime). So at least this is a promising start.
But how will Toho survive and prosper in today's overseas anime industry as they now seem to be stepping into the ring?
Commentaires
I think the recent notable TV licenses of Gkids, like Witch Watch and Dandadan, show the most logical way forward: get the anime on multiple platforms to maximise the potential audience, and reap the rewards of that exposure with merch, Blu-rays and theatrical versions. If they stick to that kind of long-term, horizontal thinking - which they're in a uniquely good position to make use of compared to most other Japanese companies - instead of taking the quick check from exclusive licensing, they have a lot of potential to succeed.
>Gkids, like Witch Watch and Dandadan, show the most logical way forward: get the anime on multiple platforms to maximise the potential audience, and reap the rewards of that exposure with merch, Blu-rays and theatrical versions
Dandadan and Witch Watch being syndicated to multiple platforms is done by the Japanese rights holders themselves and not by GKIDS. GKIDS just gets home video and theatrical rights. Here in this case Toho Global gets the rights and they syndicate to other services like Netflix and Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video.
>If they stick to that kind of long-term, horizontal thinking - which they're in a uniquely good position to make use of compared to most other Japanese companies - instead of taking the quick check from exclusive licensing, they have a lot of potential to succeed.
Let's see how this will allow Toho Global to stand its ground against Crunchyroll, given that company's monopoly. But Japanese rights holders want to get away from Crunchyroll and they haven't found truly good enough alternatives. Toho's new anime venture could be that thing to fill in the void for alternatives the Japanesw rights holders have been looking for
MBS still licenses other shows exclusively to other streamers (such as Welcome to Japan Ms. Elf on Crunchyroll) and has a [licensing deal](https://animecorner.me/anime-streamer-hidive-exploring-sequel-rights-co-productions-re-releases-and-legacy-titles-in-new-details-of-mbs-deal/) with Sentai/HiDive, with Dusk Beyond the End of the World the most recent MBS title on HiDive.
It’s likely Toho could follow MBS and license some future major shows to multiple streamers and some exclusively to Crunchyroll.
They most likely are gonna follow that path. Syndicate them to multiple streaming services and have GKIDS and AL release them on retail and theatres. I could imagine Toho Global directly commissioning some of these dubs. As for Crunchyroll exclusives, it'd most likely be the biggest stuff. Crunchyroll would still get legacy shows like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man by themselves though.
As for Netflix & PrimeVideo they are not seriously competing with CR, Both Netflix & Prime is seeing anime as a extension of its service as they get enough anime so the people dont cancel their sub. But Netflix & Prime has piles of money and if they really want they can wipe the floor with CR. Specially PrimeVideo as they are one of the biggest anime streaming platform in Japan besides Abema. Prime also has MGM studios so they can also do theatrical worldwide distribution, if they want to. And if Netflix WarnerBros deal goes through then Netflix also gains similar powers.
And I think Universal is a sleeping giant in anime industry, if they want they can give head to head competition to Sony. Their Japan arm NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan already produces 8-10 anime per year, they have Universal Music in Japan which does OP/ED for many shows, They have Universal Pictures for worldwide theatrical release, Peacock for streaming in N.A and streaming deals with other provides for rest of the continents. But they are not taking anime as a serious business, because if they do they can vertically integrate all this and have Sony level monopoly power.
Toho has a Singapore branch https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/93649/announcement-of-the-launch-of-toho-entertainment-asia-operations-in-singapore
> I think in future they might merge all these to make a mega distribution company.
It's called Toho Global
>they have Universal Music in Japan which does OP/ED for many shows
Note that NBCUniversal Japan's music operations are unrelated to Universal Music Japan (they're not even owned by the same company).
>And I think Universal is a sleeping giant in anime industry
Nah
>Specially PrimeVideo as they are one of the biggest anime streaming platform in Japan besides Abema. Prime also has MGM studios so they can also do theatrical worldwide distribution, if they want to.
Amazon would need to create a dedicated division for anime, like Manga Entertainment.
While the "Universal" name is shared, the two companies split ways decades ago.
There’s also the strength of Toho’s non-anime IP too, such as the highly anticipated release of *Godzilla Minus Zero* later this year. *Godzilla Minus One* was the highest grossing Japanese film in UK box office history until it was overtaken by *Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle*. That’s nothing to snuff at.
Do you mean like a new streaming platform because if so then that would be business suicide because nobody can best Crunchyroll sadly.