Sony Launches Anime Academy to Develop Talent!

Sony Group Corporation has announced plans to establish an academy aimed at nurturing talent involved in the creation of anime, a move unveiled during the company's annual corporate strategy presentation.

According to Sony Group chairman and CEO Yoshida Kenichiro and president, COO, and CFO Totoki Hiroki, the initiative will be spearheaded by Aniplex and Crunchyroll, in collaboration with various industry partners, with the primary goal of cultivating anime creators on a global scale.

Anime constitutes a significant and expanding segment of Sony's business, with Aniplex, a creator and distributor of Japanese animation, currently operating as a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan). Notably, Aniplex has achieved considerable success with popular anime franchises such as "Demon Slayer."

Meanwhile, Crunchyroll, a specialized streaming service and anime distributor, falls under Sony's pictures division, which encompasses Sony Pictures Entertainment content production and distribution operations, as well as Sony's TV channels business.

Earlier this year, Crunchyroll reported approximately 13 million paying subscribers, marking a significant increase since its acquisition by Sony in 2021 and subsequent merger with Funimation. Sony opted to retain the Crunchyroll brand name for the merged platform, gradually phasing out separate access to Funimation earlier in 2024.

In addition to the anime academy initiative, Sony aims to enhance anime production capabilities through the development of "AnimeCanvas," a new animation production software designed to improve efficiency and output quality. This move signals a shift towards greater integration of computer graphics and AI technologies in the traditionally hand-drawn anime industry.

A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks, both subsidiaries of Aniplex, are central to this endeavor, collaborating with engineers from Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) and across the Sony Group.

Furthermore, Sony is placing increased emphasis on the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which celebrate anime creators and foster engagement with fans. The awards received a record-breaking 34 million user votes in the 2024 edition, underscoring the genre's global popularity and cultural significance.

In a statement earlier this year, Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini emphasized anime's status as a "dynamic art form," noting its profound impact on pop culture and its ability to connect fans worldwide.