Happy New Year 2025! We look forward to working with you this year.

Happy New Year 2025! We look forward to working with you this year.

What works made an impression on you in 2024?

I think we have seen some great work in the last year. Anime, games and comics are entertainment. In other words, they are things that we could do without. However, they do make our lives more enjoyable and richer.

Last year, it was announced that the Japanese animation industry is rising steadily and will exceed 3 trillion yen by 2023. According to the article, overseas expansion has been strong. However, there is also information that many overseas people are watching illegally uploaded anime. The author thinks that an environment should be created where overseas viewers can watch anime more easily. For example, d-Anime Store and DMMTV are expanding overseas. (This is just one example)

アニメ産業の市場規模 初の3兆円超え 海外展開の好調続く | NHK | アニメ

As the author realised when studying English, the language barrier is bigger than one might imagine, and it is clear that this barrier is a barrier to the overseas development of anime. However, it is also true that this language barrier protects Japanese anime and manga from the wave of neutrality, or so-called ‘political correctness’, that is so popular abroad these days. This wave appears to be weakening in view of SHOGUN’s Emmy Award win and comments from Disney’s CEO. I also believe that this wave will weaken further with Trump’s re-assumption of the presidency on 20 January.

In any case, we wish creators the freedom to express themselves and thereby create wonderful works of art this year.