TLDR;
The video discusses how Toho, a major anime producer, has called out Crunchyroll for monopolizing anime distribution in the West. This stems from Crunchyroll's alleged hindrance of "Dond Dawn's" promotion and broader issues of mismanagement. Toho is now pushing for wider distribution of anime content across multiple platforms to maximize revenue and improve accessibility for viewers. This shift could potentially challenge Crunchyroll's dominance in the anime streaming market.
- Toho criticizes Crunchyroll for hindering the promotion of certain anime and monopolizing distribution.
- Toho is shifting towards licensing deals for individual regions and multiple platforms.
- This move aims to increase revenue and provide wider access to anime for viewers.
Toho's Criticism of Crunchyroll [0:00]
The video starts with the fact that Toho, a big name in anime production, has called out Crunchyroll for having a monopoly over anime in the West. This wasn't expected, but it's not a total shocker considering what happened in 2024. Basically, Crunchyroll allegedly went out of their way to hamper the promotion of "Dond Dawn," and didn't really advertise it much when it came out, even though it was a super popular anime.
Toho's Background and Concerns [1:22]
Toho is a major company with a lot of weight in the anime industry, especially through Toho Animation, which has worked on popular series like "My Hero Academia" and "Free Ren." They're understandably upset with Crunchyroll's mismanagement and attempts to hinder the promotion of "Dond Dawn." Toho believes that content won't spread if it's monopolized by one platform.
Financial Times Report and Licensing Strategy [2:33]
The report from the Financial Times says that anime owners want their content on multiple platforms instead of just one. Kaiji, a chief of anime whose company makes "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "My Hero Academia," mentioned that they used to just sell the master license and get a big chunk of money upfront, without knowing how well the anime and merchandise were doing in different regions. Now, they want to have overseas teams making licensing deals for each region, spreading the content to multiple platforms to get more money.
Toho's Moves for Overseas Distribution [4:55]
In recent years, Toho has been making moves to improve the overseas distribution of its anime and merchandise. They bought North American film distributor GIS, which acquired the North American rights to the "Jujutsu Kaisen" movie set to release in July 2025. This move, along with Toho International taking over the North American distribution of "My Hero Academia Your Next" after Crunchyroll distributed the previous movies, shows that Toho isn't too happy with Crunchyroll.
The Future of Crunchyroll and Anime Distribution [6:56]
Toho's actions indicate that Crunchyroll might be losing ground. By releasing their content on multiple platforms like Netflix, Toho is benefiting consumers by making anime more accessible. If Crunchyroll doesn't improve its relationships with Japanese companies, it could face serious competition and potentially decline in the next 5 to 10 years. The shift towards wider distribution is good news for viewers, allowing them to watch anime on their preferred platforms.