Beyond the Screen: How Anime Shapes Global Pop Culture
Anime demand continues to surge, propelled by immersive storytelling, accessible streaming platforms, and a rising global fanbase transcending conventional age brackets. Via anime historically attracted teens and young adults, data from industry reports show that an increasing number of viewers in their late 20s and beyond are picking anime for its dramatic depth and visual innovation.
Major production studios such as Studio MAPPA and Toei Animation are capitalizing on this expanded audience, helping the global anime market reach an estimated US$ 63.41 billion valuation by 2034. Popular titles like “Demon Slayer” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” have recorded record-breaking international viewership, while “Suzume” grossed more than US$ 330 million worldwide by mid-2023, illustrating the genre’s cinematic strength.
The economic structure of the anime ecosystem is still evolving, and a report by Astute Analytica Projects that the global anime market is expected to reach a market size of US$ 63.41 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 8.1% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2033.
A brief about the market: -
Alongside these powerhouse studios, major distributors and streaming services emphasize the industry’s growth. Crunchyroll, hosting more than 1,300 anime series as of 2023, registered more than 120 million users globally. Netflix has also funded heavily in exclusive anime projects, licensing more than 50 new series in 2023 alone. Meanwhile, manga remains integral to anime’s success, with “One Piece” surpassing 516 million copies in circulation as of 2023, reinforcing the synergy between screen and print. In addition, the cosplay market—valued at approximately US$ 6.6 billion in 2023—reflects how anime-centric events and merchandise experiences support the entire ecosystem, enticing fans to engage beyond merely watching shows.
Japan remains the innovative epicenter in the anime market, but the United States, China, and emerging regions in Southeast Asia have also become important consumers. Conventions like the Anime Expo—which hosted roughly 115,000 unique attendees in 2023—demonstrate how these fandom hubs contribute to cultural exchange. Streaming platforms have reshaped viewers’ habits by delivering simultaneous releases and multilingual subtitles, which has accelerated anime’s acceptance in mainstream entertainment. Other factors, such as social media engagement, where anime hashtags accumulate billions of monthly interactions, further push the genre’s popularity. As the medium continues to diversify its genres and themes, the demand will likely maintain its dynamic ascent, propelled by devoted fan communities and the global reach of digital distribution.
Expanding worldwide streaming platforms effectively access diverse audiences across multiple demographics.
The accumulation of streaming platforms has revolutionized anime consumption. Once confined primarily to DVD sales and niche hobby shops, anime is now showcased on global services such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Crunchyroll, ensuring direct visibility to millions of users. In 2023, Crunchyroll, one of the key platforms in the anime market, became available in more than 200 territories, doubling its catalog accessibility compared to just a few years prior. Moreover, Amazon Prime Video reported in early 2023 that it had secured the rights to stream more than 70 new anime series, including expected titles that utilized to be exclusive to Japanese networks.
Meanwhile, one of the fastest-growing markets for anime streaming is India, where local telecom operators formed alliances to combine anime channels into their content bundles, reaching an audience base of 30 million anime fans. Such widespread availability has enlarged the demographic spectrum of anime viewers. Recent surveys from major streaming services in the anime market reveal that about one in three new subscribers watch at least two anime series in their first month of membership.
In the United States alone, more than 3,000 public libraries started delivering digital anime episodes to local communities via collaboration with streaming platforms, reflecting the medium’s mainstream acceptance. Furthermore, Disney+ entered the anime arena in 2023 by co-producing a premier series with Japanese studios, emphasizing the growing market competition. Finally, data from industry trackers indicate that the number of anime-related social media discussions on Twitter reached an all-time high of 840 million tweets worldwide in the first half of 2023, highlighting how streaming platforms not only deliver access but also fuel strong fandom engagement.
Growing demand for immersive anime experiences at large-scale international conventions
Large-scale conventions have been displayed as cultural crucibles, where anime fans converge to celebrate their favorite series, fulfill industry experts, and participate in themed activities. In 2023, more than 50 anime events were held across the North American anime market alone, with notable gatherings like Anime Expo hosting more than 115,000 unique attendees. Meanwhile, Europe’s biggest anime-focused convention, the Japan Expo in France, registered 75,000 tickets sold on its opening day, underlining the fervor for experiential engagement. Beyond simple meet-and-greets, these traditions have developed into multimedia spectacles, featuring exclusive music concerts, advanced VR demonstrations, and official merchandise reveals that frequently sell out within hours.
Beyond the West, Asian conventions have also witnessed significant growth. The annual AnimeJapan event in Tokyo pulled 150,000 visitors in 2023, with industry stakeholders revealing more than 40 new projects during the official press days. Also, organizers in the anime market reported a marked uptick in international attendees, citing more than 20,000 tourist registrations. The Indonesia Comic Con diversified its program to include specialized eSports tournaments inspired by anime properties, drawing 5,000 participants in collaborative gaming competitions. Likewise, Malaysia’s Comic Fiesta launched a new record for on-site sales: a single merchandise store recorded US$ 300,000 in transactions over the weekend. These gatherings spotlight how fans crave more than just watching anime; they aim for immersive, communal experiences that deepen their connection to the medium.
Recent Launches and Developments: -
In 2024, the global anime platform and Sony subsidiary, Crunchyroll, opened its new tech development and shared services center in Hyderabad, India. The center, which has opened with about 10 employees and a capacity to accommodate about 90 employees, is slated to appear as their largest site in the Asia Pacific region over the next 12 months, Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini said. "The new office will house everything from engineering teams to data analytics and insights teams to marketing to content curation, localization, and programming, as well as finance and events. “In Hyderabad, we intend to hire for enterprise technology, IT & security, product engineering, data and insights, and finance to support our global ambitions. We are looking for skills in payments, data engineering, software development, app development, data analytics,” he said. On India as a market, he said it is a big and unique market with an anime fan base of about 53 million, it is among the top three priority markets, second only to the US which has around 56-60 million fans.
Further, Crunchyroll, which has nearly 13 million paying subscribers globally, has witnessed a 50-fold growth in the number of viewers in India in the last 6 months and a 2X growth in watch time, with 58% of viewership coming from local language content, he said. Talking about the strategy for India, a large part of which is centered around tackling piracy, he said it revolves around the volume of content, localization, and pricing. The approach, he said, centers around offering the customer a compelling, competitive, suitable value proposition just the way it played out with the music industry. “We have to make it so suitable, make the value compelling enough that they have to switch. We have supported in content in the last six to nine months. We are also dubbing in Indian languages such as Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil,” he explained.
“We have a library of more than 830 shows, including 70 dubbed in Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu with plans to add more languages. We are adding 25-40 shows per quarter, and in September 2022 we adjusted the pricing, which was earlier at US$ 7.99 and US$ 9.99 per month. We now offer two tiers at Rs 79 per and Rs 99 per month,” he said. For deeper engagement with Indian anime fans, Crunchyroll plans to roll out a devoted TV channel – Crunchyroll TV -- over the next 12 months and is also looking at partnerships with local players for producing shows based on Indian IP or characters over the next 12-24 months, he said.
Talking about the overall business globally, he said currently OTT accounts for 75% of the business while games, theatricals, merchandise, and e-commerce account for the remaining. Crunchyroll is an independently managed joint venture between US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, which is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both of which are in turn subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.
Closing Note: -
As anime continues its global ascent, the genre proves that it is much more than an entertainment medium; it is a dynamic cultural force that resonates with audiences of all backgrounds, ages, and regions. Propelled by technological innovations, captivating narratives, and expansive digital access, anime has redefined what it means to be a global phenomenon. Whether via immersive storytelling, diverse genres, or cultural exchange, anime’s influence on global pop culture is undeniable, and its journey is only just beginning. The world has adopted anime not only as a form of entertainment but as a living, breathing cultural movement that continues to shape and redefine the global terrain.