Popular anime streaming service Crunchyroll continues to
expand its presence in India with a strategy that includes creating anime based
on Indian stories and franchises in collaboration with Japanese creators. In a recent
interview, Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini revealed that the platform plans to
work directly with Japanese creatives to develop anime series that
explore characters, themes, and stories originating in India. Additionally,
Crunchyroll is expected to launch merchandise products in the country, with
Purini stating that “very soon, fans will be able to wear the merch of our
franchises that they are so passionate about.”
This announcement follows the opening of Crunchyroll’s
first office in Mumbai in October 2022, with plans for a second office in
Hyderabad. The company already licenses between 25-40 anime on a
quarterly basis in India, and collaborates with local partners to offer dubbed
versions of these series, as well as sponsoring related conventions and events. Crunchyroll
recently hosted a special program on “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” featuring
the series’ voice actors.
As part of its strategy to combat piracy, Crunchyroll
has introduced extremely low subscription fees in India, where the service can
be accessed for just Rs 79 per month (about 94 cents). Additionally,
the company has launched a free, ad-supported channel on Amazon Prime Video in
India, similar to the Crunchyroll Channel in the US, with the aim of attracting
new fans before converting them into paying subscribers.
Crunchyroll’s plans to adapt Indian stories into anime
reflect Purini’s vision of maintaining the Japanese essence of anime. As he
explained, while source material can come from anywhere in the world, it is
crucial that Japanese creators remain actively involved in these
projects. Purini highlighted the success of Korean webtoons as an
example of how Crunchyroll has collaborated on series production, citing the
case of “ Solo Leveling , ” a series that
Crunchyroll pitched to Aniplex and which has been well-received by fans.
Source: Restof World
