About our Anime news
Latest news on anime, covering new series, movies, streaming releases, manga adaptations, Crunchyroll, Studio Ghibli, Demon Slayer, One Piece and more.
Anime — the distinctive style of Japanese animated storytelling — has grown into one of the world's most commercially and culturally significant entertainment forms. The global anime market is projected to expand from around $37 billion in 2025 to nearly $94 billion by 2031, driven by the reach of streaming platforms and robust merchandise and licensing revenues. Netflix reports that around half of its global audience watches anime, while Crunchyroll, the genre's dedicated streaming leader, has seen double-digit subscriber growth in recent years.
The medium's box office ambitions were dramatically confirmed by Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which shattered records upon its international release in 2025. The film opened to $70.6 million in the United States alone — the biggest opening weekend in anime film history — and went on to gross over $780 million worldwide, ranking among the year's top ten highest-grossing films globally. The result more than doubled the long-standing US benchmark set by Pokémon: The First Movie in 1999, marking a coming-of-age moment for theatrical anime.
Behind the scenes, the industry faces serious structural challenges. A chronic labour shortage — driven by low pay, excessive working hours and high burnout rates — has triggered debate over the use of artificial intelligence in production workflows. Studios including Toei Animation have invested in AI tools to automate tasks such as background art, colouring and in-between animation, provoking fierce backlash from fans and creators alike. A United Nations human rights report has warned that poor working conditions in Japan's animation sector have created an environment ripe for exploitation, and that the proliferation of AI could compound the crisis.
Anime's cultural footprint extends well beyond Japan. Conventions such as Anime Expo and MCM Comic Con draw hundreds of thousands of fans; cosplay has become a global craft culture in its own right; and social media platforms including TikTok and YouTube play an increasingly decisive role in driving new audiences to series. Webtoon and manhwa adaptations — notably Solo Leveling, which became the most-viewed title in Crunchyroll's history — are expanding the medium's source material beyond its traditional manga roots.
Anime's origins lie in early 20th-century Japan, but the modern industry took shape in the 1960s under pioneers such as Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. Decades of iconic franchises — from Dragon Ball and Naruto to Neon Genesis Evangelion and Studio Ghibli's celebrated films — built the loyal global fandom that underpins today's boom. A current trend towards remakes and sequels of 1990s and early 2000s titles reflects the purchasing power of fans now in their thirties and forties, while original storytelling continues to push the medium's creative boundaries.
Our NewsNow anime feed aggregates the latest headlines from across the web — covering new series announcements, streaming releases, box office results, industry news, studio controversies, convention coverage and fan culture. Whether you follow specific franchises or want a broad overview of what's happening in Japanese animation, the feed keeps you up to date with everything that matters in the world of anime.
