Major anime streaming service Crunchyroll is continuing its expansion into India with specific plans to develop anime based on Indian stories and brands in collaboration with Japanese creators.
Following a recent interview between Rest of World and Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini, it was revealed that anime platform Crunchyroll plans to work directly with Japanese creators to develop anime series based on “Indian characters, themes, and stories.” Crunchyroll will also produce anime merchandise for India, with Purini saying, “You’ll see some of our IP merchandise launching here soon. Fans love to wear their love on their sleeves.”
Crunchyroll Continues Expansion Into India With Low Prices, Local Dubs & New Events
The news follows Crunchyroll's expansion into India in recent years, first opening an office in Mumbai in October 2022, before a planned second office in Hyderabad. The company licenses around 25–40 anime per quarter in India, works with partners to offer series in dubbed form, and regularly sponsors conventions; Crunchyroll recently hosted a Demon Slayer talk show featuring the series' voice actors. Part of the plan to encourage fans to use Crunchyroll instead of piracy sites includes extremely low subscription fees; Rest of World reports that a monthly subscription costs just 79 rupees (94 cents).
Crunchyroll also offers a free ad-supported streaming TV channel (FAST) through Amazon Prime Video in India, just as they do in the United States with the Crunchyroll Channel. FAST channels are quickly becoming a popular way to attract potential anime fans with free offerings, before converting them to paid subscribers for a more comprehensive experience. The Pokémon Company International and WildBrain recently announced that the first 22 seasons of Pokémon will be available for free streaming on a new channel in the United States and select territories. This is followed by VIZ Media partnering with Amazon on a similar free Naruto channel.
Crunchyroll's Success With Korean Webtoons Paves the Way for More International Stories
Crunchyroll's plans to adapt Indian manga into anime follow Purini's statement that anime needs to remain authentically Japanese. “We want more anime, more diverse stories, and it's important that Japanese creators continue to be involved in them,” he said, adding that source material can come from anywhere, praising the success of Korean webtoons. Crunchyroll is on the production committee for Solo Leveling and, according to Purini, pitched the series to Aniplex. “That's an example of where we co-produced a show that we came up with based on what we heard from fans,” he said in February.
Source: Rest of the World
