Crunchyrollone of the largest anime streaming services globally, is exploring the idea of producing shorter animes to adapt to changes in the consumption habits of new generations, who prefer short content, such as that seen on platforms such as TikTok. In a recent interview with Nikkei Xtrend, Gita Rebbapragada, Crunchyroll's COO, and Rahul Purini, the company's president, discussed emerging trends in the anime industry and how the traditional format could evolve.
During the conversation, Purini noted that these days most anime are between 21 and 24 minutes per episode, but younger generations are used to consuming 2-4 minute videos on platforms like TikTok. Given this, he highlighted the need to rethink how to tell anime stories differently: “The anime ecosystem itself needs to continue evolving”.
It is not the first time that Crunchyroll has expressed its intention to attract a younger audience through short-form content. In August this year, Rebbapragada said the platform was exploring new formats, such as anime music videos and promotional content through platforms popular with young people, such as TikTok. The official Crunchyroll Twitter account has also increased the publication of short clips of anime scenes with the aim of attracting viewers to watch the full series on its platform.
However, these latest statements suggest that Crunchyroll could be considering taking this strategy even further, reducing the length of some anime projects. The company, which generated more than $1 billion in 2023 through the sale of licensed products, is not the only one taking this direction.
Masayuki Ozaki, president of Bandai Namco Pictures (known for his work in animes such as “Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun” and “Gintama”), He recently left his position to found a new anime studio called Creadom8, specializing in shorter animation projects. Additionally, Japanese production studio TOKYO EPIC announced the creation of an anime distribution platform and a studio specifically dedicated to short-form content.
Other companies have followed this same trend. For example, Azuki, an NFT-based company, collaborated with legendary director Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass, One Piece Film: Red) and Junichi Yamamoto (Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion) for the production of a short anime earlier this year. Even content creators with well-known brands, like Intertrend, have found success with short anime produced for companies like Toyota.
Fountain: NIKKEI XTREND