A thread on Japanese forums has gone viral this week, revealing a collective feeling about how “SONY “It's dominating Japan's content.” Through commentary, fans are connecting the dots that support this theory, the music (Sony Music with YOASOBI, Kenshi Yonezu), the anime (Aniplex), the global distribution (Crunchyroll), the movies (Sony Pictures) and video games (PlayStation). In short, there is a division of SONY that controls different aspects of the otaku content consumer perfectly and with plans to continue growing.
This observation is not a simple coincidence, it is the visible result of a strategy of vertical integration that sony has perfected and continues to improve to cover more markets where anime and Japanese culture are booming. They are not just distributing anime; They are controlling the entire production chain and in some ways it even seems to sound dangerous to many fans. We look at how Sony built this silent monopoly and why the entire anime industry now depends on them.
The Central Pillar: Aniplex (The Producer, not just the Distributor)
The most common mistake is to think that sony only “distributes» anime abroad through its streaming platform Crunchyroll. When the truth is that, through its subsidiary Aniplex, sony is one of the producers and financiers largest in the industry, having a fairly robust franchise portfolio that grows exponentially each year, adding hundreds or even thousands of titles.
For example, a massive hit like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Frieren either Bocchi the Rock!, Aniplex is not a junior partner; is a key member of the production committee (製作委員会). This means that they finance the anime and in return they get a massive share of the profits from everything (merchandising, music, global distribution). Therefore, they are involved in multiple ways with high-impact franchises, even though the title in question is exclusively acquired by a platform such as Disney+.
The Perfect Synergy: The Aniplex Circle, Sony Music and Crunchyroll
The real one expertise of sony lies in how its divisions work together to create a closed ecosystem from which it is impossible to escape and monetize multiple sections of each franchise. It's a perfect profit circle:
- Production (Aniplex): They finance the anime (Ex: Jujutsu Kaisen).
- Music (Sony Music): Aniplex (sony) “hire” an artist Sony Music (Kenshi Yonezu, Tatsuya Kitani) for the opening. The anime becomes a global advertisement for the song, and the song becomes viral marketing for the anime. They make money from each series they release and at the same time from the theme song, while using the franchises they are involved in to position their artists.
- Distribution (Crunchyroll): sony bought Crunchyrollgiving them the largest anime distribution platform in the world. Now Aniplex (sony) licenses his greatest hits to Crunchyroll (sony). In short, sony pays to sony to have their own animes and it is Crunchyroll who licenses franchises to distribute globally from the competition, guaranteeing almost total control of anime outside of Japan.
- Games (PlayStation): When the anime is a success, even if the distributor is another company, Aniplex ends up involved. A clear example is Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chroniclesa title that is distributed by segabut ends up involving Aniplexwho also appear in the copyright legends of said title, ensuring that profits from sales in PlayStation (sony) return to sony. Although by having their own ecosystem of consoles, even if they are not directly involved, it is enough for them to buy a copy of said game to earn a percentage.
Why does it matter? The End of the “Subcontracted” Study
For decades, the industry complaint (as we saw in the analysis of MAPPA) was that animation studios were “subcontractors” who didn't make money even if the anime was a success. Although it is important to highlight that Aniplex Also, from time to time, they end up making animations for projects unrelated to them. sony.
sonythrough Aniplex and its ownership of studies such as A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks (that are of Aniplex), has resolved this. Being owners of the studio, the production committee (Aniplex) and the distributor (Crunchyroll), all profits stay at home. As one fan said on the forums: “They are the Tencent of Japan.”
Verdict: Is It Good or Bad for Anime?
Sony's total dominance is a double-edged sword for the industry.
- The Positive: Budgets are bigger. The visual quality of the productions of Aniplex (Demon Slayer, Jujutsu) is usually spectacular because they have the financial backing to bet big.
- The Negative: Reduce diversity. sony You can decide what becomes popular and what doesn't. If a manga doesn't interest them, it will have a hard time competing against the “Sony Ecosystem.”
Our verdict as analysts is that the domain of sony It is the natural evolution of the market, replicating the model of disney/Marvel. Having the advantage of having very well diversified IPs at your hands to attack different service niches. They've proven that anime is a multi-billion dollar industry, but the price is that the days of independent, surprise hits are getting harder.
Do you think Sony's dominance is good for anime quality, or do you prefer the old era with more independent studios competing? Leave us your expert opinion in the comments!
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