Can Crunchyroll beat Netflix in anime content with dubs in Hindi?

What Crunchyroll’s move to add Hindi dubs to its anime for Indian users reveals about the country as its top-growing market with a thriving fanbase

Renowned for its stunning visuals and set designs, anime originated in Japan as a diverse medium of expression. From nail-biting action such as Naruto, One Piece, Demon Slayer, and Attack On Titan, to whimsical fantasy and light-hearted comedy such as Haikyuu, Spy Family, and Dragon Ball Z, classic and contemporary entrants comprising Manga stories, Studio Ghibli movies, and anime of an eclectic mix of genres showcase gripping narratives that cater to Indian anime enthusiasts. 

According to recent statistical data, India boasts an anime fanbase of over 30 million enthusiasts, making it the second-largest anime-consuming nation worldwide. With anime gaining immense popularity among the masses across the globe, the ever-expanding Indian media landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation.

Cross-cultural appeal

Google Trends data reveals that one in four adults in urban India has been exposed to anime, making it a significant cultural phenomenon. India stands out as the only country outside Japan to embrace characters like Doraemon and Pokemon, making anime a multi-generational phenomenon. With popular series like Avatar, Demon Slayer, Naruto, and Death Note, anime has found a perfect landing spot in the country, solidifying the popularity of Japanese characters outside Japan.

Crunchyroll, created by students in California in 2006 as a pirate site (one that profits from user-uploaded content, much of it stolen), began officially licensing shows in 2008, and by 2017, it had passed 20 million registered users. By 2021, Crunchyroll boasted 120 million registered users. 

As per research, Crunchyroll's reported market size in 2022 was US$31.22 billion and post-pandemic, the revenue is expected to double by the year 2030 with US$60.06 billion. Only the Asia Pacific region accounted for a significant revenue of over 25 per cent in 2022 and it is expected to follow the same trend from 2023 to 2030. As Crunchyroll successfully attended Comic Con in Mumbai in February this year, alongside multiple podcast shows, cosplays, film festivals and cultural events such as Atsumaru–India’s biggest Japanese cultural event– it is evident that Indian anime is being democratised in various formats. 

“In a move to expand the availability of anime and Japanese entertainment in India, KC Global Media, owner of several TV channels across Asia, has made their channels Animax and Gem accessible to Indian audiences via Prime Video Channels. All content will feature Japanese audio with English subtitles, and are slated to feature Hindi dubs in the future.” says Arjun Goyal, features writer at Anime India.

Finance student Sachin Gupta took to LinkedIn to explore the impact of COVID-19. He says, “Until now, Crunchyroll has been the biggest  OTT platform for anime viewers. It is a US-based company selling Japanese anime. Since the pandemic, the valuation of Crunchyroll went to over US$20 billion from US$1.175 billion. Crunchyroll subscribers increased to about five million in 2022 from approximately 2.5 million in 2019. Anime is becoming so popular in India that the Japanese anime industry has started its conventions in India under ‘Anime Con’. Recently, an edition was organised in Guwahati where director Makoto Shinkai was present. PVR Cinemas has also started buying rights to these movies and have started dubbing them in India. Officially, they recently released the Shinkai-directed movie Suzume in Hindi.”

Anime market segmentation

The Indian anime market is expected to reach US$1 billion by 2025—the platform has surely bet on a winning horse. "But it isn’t just the numbers and statistics that support the views. A massive rise in streetwear brands and the adoption of anime characters as their design reference has also hyped up the overall case. Gen-Zs and late millennials are more into the quickly evolving micro-fashion trends,says - Aditya G, Founder of Cyber Breach, which organises webinars on topics related to tech, online privacy, networking, and ethical hacking.

The Pokemon phenomenon

Pokémon, an iconic anime franchise, has left a lasting impression on Indian audiences. Its enduring cross-cultural appeal has paved the way for many other Japanese animated franchises in India, dominating platforms like Voot Kids with its vast collection of 21 movies and more than 500 episodes with multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Digital marketing expert Shobhita Narayan says, "In the early 2000s, Cartoon Network had established a firm stronghold in India. You had the usual cartoons which hooked kids like me, such as Tom and Jerry and Swat Cats. I remember there was this new cartoon—the lines were sharper, the mood was mellow, the feeling was magical, the colours were beautiful—it was Heidi by Miyazaki. A generation of little children loved it. In 2004, Animax was launched in India introducing cartoons with narrative depths and immersive story lines. I later learned that these were called ‘anime’. For kids much younger than me, anime was introduced on different channels. There was Pokemon, Digimon and BeyBlade on Cartoon Network, Ninja Hattori on Nickelodeon and Doraemon and Shin Chan on Hungama channel.”

The differentiating factors 

While most of us may have grown up watching, or at least hearing about the aforementioned cartoons, there is a significant difference between anime and cartoons at present. The former is something challenging; while the characters seem fierce and have an alpha tonality, there are subdued notes intertwined within the dialogues and visuals, making us root for the underdog hero. With multi-layered storytelling and relatable characters, anime produced nowadays is quite advanced; it sets itself apart from cartoons once termed as anime by late millennials. With predominant rags-to-riches narratives and unexpected plot developments resonating strongly with audiences worldwide, its unique blend of entertainment and depth appeals to youngsters. 

The rise of Pirate Bay and Torrents

“Most households generally had only one television. It meant Animax was fighting with other mainstream channels. Once we had DTH, many parents didn’t subscribe to Animax. Given the burgeoning popularity of Anime on OTT platforms, Animax was discontinued in India in 2017. Additionally, the lack of understanding consumer demographics and licensed merch curation lead to the failure of Animax. A fair amount of anime works on long-form storytelling. There were quite a few anime series being uploaded on pirated sites. Animax's loss led to many gains. Manga distribution by Viz Media (distributed by Simon & Schuster India) saw unprecedented interest in Manga in India following the introduction of anime on Netflix and Crunchyroll," says Narayan.

OTT platforms and mainstream resurgence

OTT platforms like Voot Kids and Muse Asia TV have played a significant role in bringing anime to Indian audiences. There is some insider buzz from TV channels that are trying to change their programming to accommodate anime shows due to Sony's success in airing Naruto and the growing demand for related merchandise along with Pokemon-branded consumer durables.

"Major OTT platforms like Netflix and Hulu doubling down on anime titles and licenses is a pure sign of where the anime market is going. And the one which has one of the largest directories of titles and anime content is more likely to become the pioneer within the next few years. However, there’s still a slightly less chance of Crunchyroll taking over the Indian market, because most Indians don't opt to pay for services. Multilingual subtitles aren’t an issue if it's traded for money for most, as seen in the case of Netflix’s 60 per cent freeloaders costing them millions to manage.” says Aditya G.

Explaining if Crunchyroll can beat Netflix in anime content, Aditya says,  "Crunchyroll knows what its niche audience craves and releases new anime episodes just one hour after they air in Japan, giving them an edge over Netflix. Even though Netflix acquires the rights to stream anime shows after their initial release, it doesn't prioritise timely releases for anime fans. Crunchyroll also partners with anime studios to create original content, such as Tower of God and Noblesse. Moreover, Crunchyroll hosts virtual events, like  Anime Awards and Anime Expo Lite to engage with its audience and promote its brand. It has a vast library of anime shows, with over 1,000 titles available to stream, offering anime content in various languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, focusing more on Hindi dubbed anime specifically for India.”

In contrast, Netflix's anime content library is limited, with only a few titles available in different languages. “With 73 per cent of Indians watching 10 hours of anime on average, it would be fair to consider Crunchyroll becoming the Netflix for anime content in India. Within just a year of the official launch of the Hindi-dubbed version of its app, Crunchyroll is already winning over customer psychology. Most OTT platforms in India are up to this but haven’t figured it out well. Crunchyroll’s affordable subscription fee doesn’t just bring viewers from tier-1 cities, but even those residing in tier-3 cities find it reasonably cheap for a premium viewership experience on their platform," adds Aditya. 

Aligning business decisions with stakeholder expectations

Abdulaziz Alnaghmoosh, Director of BD, Marketing and Content Distribution at Manga Production, says: “The rise of live-action adaptations of popular anime series highlights the industry's efforts to cater to a broader audience while maintaining the essence of the original work. Production companies and international distributors collaborating is key to creating a successful end product. One great example is the collaboration between the popular anime series—Attack on Titan, and the widely-known video game franchise—Call of Duty bringing fans of both anime and gaming together, creating a unique experience that resonated with both audiences." 

Global influence of multilingual UI interface

“Crunchyroll rolling out its Hindi UI is a big step forward for the global anime brand. The phenomenon of dubbing anime started during the times when cartoon channels like Animax and Toonami came to India. Younger millennials remember Pokemon, Digimon, Ultraman, Shin Chan and many other Japanese cartoons and anime being dubbed in Hindi and in regional languages too. However, with the evolution of anime itself, the media isn’t limited to kids. Moreover, there are people in India who don’t know English, making English dub a limitation. So, this initiative is going to prove to be quite a breakthrough in terms of audience reach,” says Nilanjana Chatterjee, writer and movie and TV show analyst. 

 “Anime has a great influence on audiences worldwide because it acts as an escape of sorts. Who wouldn’t want to dream of having Katanas from Demon Slayer or know jutsus from Naruto? That would make regular life quite interesting, right? Anime is not just a part of Japanese culture, it has seeped into Chinese and Korean cultures too. In China, it’s called Doghua while in Korea it’s called Hanguk Aeni. Similarly there are terms for Manga too. In Chinese, Manga is Manhua and in Korean, Manhwa,” adds Chatterjee. 

 She also feels that it is about time these cultures rubbed off on India too, given that India has influences from multiple cultures. “I guess it’s generational too. Every generation is open to welcoming a new culture. Our generation (the millennials) welcomed Japanese while Gen Z pulled in Chinese and Korean. Korean culture—better known as the Hallyu wave—is a rage worldwide." 

Crunchyroll recently announced joining the Korean K-pop supergroup BTS’s animated superhero adventure Bastions—the animation follows a group of seven  rookie superheroes. Fusing K-pop and animation, it was first ordered by South Korean network SBS. While BTS has composed the theme tune, music from K-pop girl band Le Sserafim and singers Heize and AleXa will also feature on its soundtrack.

“Crunchyroll has an extraordinary opportunity to introduce fans to more animation styles from Asia, and this exciting new series from Korea does just that. Having the music of so many K-pop stars really broadens the appeal of Bastions,” said Asa Suehira, Crunchyroll’s chief content officer.

Balancing global and local elements

Experts have opined that as the anime industry evolves, it will continue to shape cultural trends, providing a diverse and immersive entertainment experience for anime enthusiasts across the country. However, to resonate with Indian viewers, striking a balance between global aesthetics and local identity is crucial for the Indian anime industry. 

An Indian anime expert says: "We are used to watching anime in a certain way. Watching dubbed content conflicts with how our conditioning is. Avatar: The Last Airbender is a good reference to mythology and folklore but Indian mythology is a direct reference to our culture and traditions, so it is a huge risk to create original Indian content. OTT platforms spend anywhere between ₹100-200 crores on an annual basis to keep their licenses and to ensure parallel premires. But if  everything becomes gentrified, there are chances of fans not accepting this form of content as anime has its own appeal" 

According to research, 75 per cent of viewers in India prefer watching anime with English subtitles. This is driven by the desire to capture the visual nuances of the original content while maintaining a faster pace of consumption, ensuring that the authenticity of the anime experience is not compromised. 

While it is evident that the power of the major companies is massive, anime production companies typically set the budgets for shows —historically much smaller than for Western animation—which determine the pay not only of voice actors but everyone involved. 

Up until the 1990s, anime was virtually unknown in the United States. Even into the 21st century, according to voice actor Marin Miller, the entire anime-dubbing industry involved “basically the same 10 people.” In the 2000s, as more people discovered anime, fans of the genre  began entering the industry.

The way forward 

As per expertised prediction, “The anime industry in India witnesses significant consumption through pirated sites, but with the entry of international players like Crunchyroll, the scenario is expected to change. YouTube and platforms like Muse Asia TV also contribute to the growing popularity of anime. As mainstream TV channels explore programming changes to accommodate anime shows, Sony's Naruto has emerged as a favourite among viewers. This increasing demand has led to a surge in Naruto merchandise, along with branded consumer durables featuring Pokemon. The mainstream industry is taking cues from the niche market, as seen with collaborations between Toonami channel and Warner Bros., targeting young adults and teenagers. China and Korea are also adapting their animation output to incorporate new features.” 

Moreover, the influence of anime extends beyond entertainment, with families traveling to Japan and indulging in themed parks and cafes. The source goes on to add: “Merchandise specialists are also securing consumer profiles by legitimising the anime business, although the gray market still dominates in various countries. Hence, collecting figurines, keychains, T-shirts, and merchandise featuring anime characters is  growing in popularity and promoting segment growth. Verified platforms like Muse Asia TV, with its parallel drops on YouTube, have shown promise.”

The prospect of multilingual anime

Experts suggest that maintaining authenticity in anime consumption becomes a consideration when launching apps in India. However, according to multiple anime fans, the debate around watching anime in regional languages versus the authenticity of the original language persists. While regional subtitles ensure that the visual nuances are preserved, many fans are learning Japanese to fully enjoy anime in its original format and avoid mistranslations. 

Melbourne-based content creator Robert Waldun says, "There are limits to translations. Translating a piece of work isn't as easy as copy-pasting the dialogues into Google Translate. To evoke the intended feeling, a close attention to detail is required for accuracy in sentence-structures and word formations"

According to anime fans, "The anime industry uses a combination of traditional and digital marketing techniques to reach a global audience. Anime conventions such as Anime Expo, Otakon, and Anime NYC provide an opportunity for anime studios to showcase their latest series, merchandise, and meet fans face-to-face. Anime series that have video game adaptations, like Sword Art Online, Dragon Ball Z, and Attack on Titan, leverage the popularity of the games to promote the anime series as well." 

The success of an anime in India ultimately hinges on its appeal to a young audience. Incorporating technology allows for forward-looking imagery, interactive storylines, faster pacing, and alternative endings, which will make anime even more engaging. “Ultimately, it's the strategy that matters, especially when we are talking about the Indian market. Hopefully, Crunchyroll has its success well-defined for dominating in India," says Aditya.

As the popularity of OTT platforms catered to anime grows, ultimately, if Crunchyroll aims to introduce original anime content in India, it would require a detailed and collaborative approach with an inclusive team of talented local artists to ensure success in this evolving landscape.

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