Netflix has been investing in anime ever since it first produced its original anime, Blame

“Anime Is a Global Medium Now”: Netflix Anime Head, Kohei Obara, on the Streamer’s Thriving Anime Titles

Netflix made its first splash in anime with Blame! in 2017 two years after the
platform was launched in Japan.  Also, it contributed to making anime the
“global medium”. At the AnimeJapan convocation, Kohei Obara, Netflix’s creative
director of anime disclosed the streamer’s plan to release 40 new titles. 


KOHEI OBARA TALKS ABOUT VIEWS ON ANIME

“In Japan, it’s always been very big. But the popularity has been rising on a
global basis quite a lot as well,” says Obara. The numbers don’t lie. In 2021
almost 222 million subscribers watched anime. There has also been a 20 percent
increase in anime watchers on Netflix. Devilman Crybaby, The Disastrous Life of
Saiki K, and The Way of the Househusband brought in huge streaming numbers. All
these titles resonated well with both the Japanese and international audiences.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

“The way anime titles resonate is quite diverse and unique in a way, where you
never know what will hit,” he expressed. 

Apart from these titles, Crunchyroll’s Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Demon Slayer the
Movie: Mugen Train also had incredible achievements outside Japan. Especially
after the latter earned a blockbuster status after earning $454.7 million
worldwide. 

However, he isn’t sure whether the influx of international capital can lead to
increased output. Citing the small size of the industry, he added, “It’s not
like we can have twice or three times more of them instantly, just because the
money is there.” Obara worked with Disney, and Tori Animation studio before
working for the steamer.

ALSO READ: “We have done some good work”: Cillian Murphy on ‘Peaky Blinders’
Ending, “unexpected” Popularity of the Show, and More
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-we-have-done-some-good-work-cillian-murphy-on-peaky-blinders-ending-unexpected-popularity-of-the-show-and-more/]


MORE ANIME SERIES ACROSS DIVERSE CATEGORIES ON NETFLIX

“We have about 40 titles to be announced and released this year as originals,
but we’re trying to diversify the programming by getting into, say, lean-back
content, romantic dramas, and things that are different from what we’ve usually
been pursuing,” said Obara to The Hollywood Reporter. 
[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-anime-kohei-obara-interview-1235124676/]

The streamer plans to bring back new seasons of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure STONE
OCEAN and Ghost in the Shell: SAC:2045. Also in the pipeline are Tetsurō Araki’s
movie, Bubble, and Studio Colorido’s Drifting Home. 

ALSO READ: Understanding Finn Shelby’s Betrayal in ‘Peaky Blinders’ Season 6 and
a Possible Hint for the Movie
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-understanding-finn-shelbys-betrayal-in-peaky-blinders-season-6-and-a-possible-hint-for-the-movie/]

Srabani Biswas

Comment

“Anime Is a Global Medium Now”: Netflix Anime Head, Kohei Obara, on the Streamer’s Thriving Anime Titles - Netflix Junkie

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Srabani Biswas is a writer at Netflix Junkie. She is a sociology graduate from Lady Brabourne College. Previously, she has contributed to Sports India Show and The Sports Room as a sports writer, and interned at Ripples Learning. A daydreamer, a dancer, and a lover of dogs, she enjoys quiet evenings with her laptop and a cozy blanket. With so much to do and so little time, she is constantly worried about her growing pile of unread books and unwatched shows on Netflix. Her favourites include Stranger, Vincenzo, Hello! My twenties,  Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, Reply 1997 and Sex Education.

https://netflixjunkie.com/anime-is-a-global-medium-now-netflix-anime-head-kohei-obara-on-the-streamers-thriving-anime-titles

“Anime Is a Global Medium Now”: Netflix Anime Head, Kohei Obara, on the Streamer’s Thriving Anime Titles - netflix-junkie

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Netflix made its first splash in anime with Blame! in 2017 two years after the platform was launched in Japan.  Also, it contributed to making anime the &#8220;global medium&#8221;. At the AnimeJapan convocation, Kohei Obara, Netflix&#8217;s creative director of anime disclosed the streamer&#8217;s plan to release 40 new titles. 
<h2>Kohei Obara talks about views on anime</h2>
&#8220;In Japan, it’s always been very big. But the popularity has been rising on a global basis quite a lot as well,&#8221; says Obara. The numbers don&#8217;t lie. In 2021 almost 222 million subscribers watched anime. There has also been a 20 percent increase in anime watchers on Netflix. Devilman Crybaby, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, and The Way of the Househusband brought in huge streaming numbers. All these titles resonated well with both the Japanese and international audiences.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26650 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/61983-16364554521188-1920.webp" alt="" width="1920" height="948" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/61983-16364554521188-1920.webp 1920w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/61983-16364554521188-1920-300x148.webp 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/61983-16364554521188-1920-1024x506.webp 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/61983-16364554521188-1920-768x379.webp 768w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/61983-16364554521188-1920-1536x758.webp 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />
&#8220;The way anime titles resonate is quite diverse and unique in a way, where you never know what will hit,&#8221; he expressed. 
Apart from these titles, Crunchyroll&#8217;s Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train also had incredible achievements outside Japan. Especially after the latter earned a blockbuster status after earning $454.7 million worldwide. 
However, he isn&#8217;t sure whether the influx of international capital can lead to increased output. Citing the small size of the industry, he added, &#8220;It’s not like we can have twice or three times more of them instantly, just because the money is there.&#8221; Obara worked with Disney, and Tori Animation studio before working for the steamer.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-we-have-done-some-good-work-cillian-murphy-on-peaky-blinders-ending-unexpected-popularity-of-the-show-and-more/">“We have done some good work”: Cillian Murphy on ‘Peaky Blinders’ Ending, “unexpected” Popularity of the Show, and More</a>
<h2>More anime series across diverse categories on Netflix</h2>
&#8220;We have about 40 titles to be announced and released this year as originals, but we’re trying to diversify the programming by getting into, say, lean-back content, romantic dramas, and things that are different from what we’ve usually been pursuing,&#8221; said Obara to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-anime-kohei-obara-interview-1235124676/">The Hollywood Reporter. </a>
The streamer plans to bring back new seasons of JoJo&#8217;s Bizarre Adventure STONE OCEAN and Ghost in the Shell: SAC:2045. Also in the pipeline are Tetsurō Araki&#8217;s movie, Bubble, and Studio Colorido&#8217;s Drifting Home. 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-understanding-finn-shelbys-betrayal-in-peaky-blinders-season-6-and-a-possible-hint-for-the-movie/">Understanding Finn Shelby’s Betrayal in ‘Peaky Blinders’ Season 6 and a Possible Hint for the Movie</a>

Understanding Finn Shelby’s Betrayal in ‘Peaky Blinders’ Season 6 and a Possible
Hint for the Movie

“We have done some good work”: Cillian Murphy on ‘Peaky Blinders’ Ending,
“unexpected” Popularity of the Show, and More

kohei

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Netflix has been investing in anime ever since it first produced its original anime, Blame! Now Netflix has plans to release more.

Srabani Biswas is a writer at Netflix Junkie. She is a sociology graduate from Lady Brabourne College. Previously, she has contributed to Sports India Show and The Sports Room as a sports writer, and interned at Ripples Learning. A daydreamer, a dancer, and a lover of dogs, she enjoys quiet evenings with her laptop and a cozy blanket. With so much to do and so little time, she is constantly worried about her growing pile of unread books and unwatched shows on Netflix. Her favourites include Stranger, Vincenzo, Hello! My twenties, Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, Reply 1997 and Sex Education.

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“Anime Is a Global Medium Now”: Netflix Anime Head, Kohei Obara, on the Streamer’s Thriving Anime Titles

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