Crunchyroll streaming channel is for Anime fans
Category: Television and Streaming
The streaming channel Crunchyroll is all anime. Gita Rebbapragada, Chief Operating Officer at Crunchyroll, recently spoke to the media about anime and the channel.
“I’ve worked in the anime industry for about six years now, but my love for these characters and through these stories actually started for me when I was very young. My father lived in Japan. He would bring home Japanese manga, which is Japanese comic books.”
Rebbapragada explained that contrary to popular thinking, anime is a medium, not a genre. Within anime are genres: comedy, action, horror, etc. Much of anime comes from Japanese comics and it has a specific look.
The hair and eyes of the characters are unique to this medium.
“Shonen,” she explained, “is high-action, high-octane, fast-paced storytelling. There’s Shojo which is more of a personal and romantic relationship. And then there’s one of the fastest growing subgenres which is Isekai, and that is where a protagonist is transported or reincarnated into a different world, often a fantasy realm, parallel universe, or a video game-like setting.”
Last year, the anime movie “The Boy and the Heron” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. This was a change from past winners.
“Gen Alpha and Gen Z, they over-index on anime. This generation finds this medium incredibly and deeply resonant,” she explained. “So here are some facts, courtesy of our friends at Polygon, that, when I saw them were pretty eye-opening for me. 42% of Gen Z are watching anime weekly. That’s compared to 25% of Gen Z that’s watching the NFL. 65% of anime viewers find that anime is more emotionally compelling than any other medium, which is why I believe this resonates so deeply with younger audiences.”
What is the competition for Crunchyroll? She stated unequivocally that it is gaming. And parents know how involved their kids get in their games. So Crunchyroll is another outlet in which they can explore and indulge in the medium of anime.
The medium has been integrated into pop culture. “If you look around you, you will see anime’s influence integrated into film, television, art, music, gaming, sports, you name it.”
According to Rebbapragada, Attack on Titan is one of the most popular and iconic anime shows and ranks high on the list of top TV episodes. She stated, “So with a broad mix of genres to offer, deep, deep resonance with young and diverse audiences, massive influence on popular culture, and growth that seems boundless, the punchline here is that anime is not niche. It is massive, it is mainstream, and it is the future.”
Even though she insists anime is beloved by multi generations, there are many older viewers that prefer good old-fashioned animation. To each his or her own. Nevertheless, it does look like anime is gaining popularity and with Crunchyroll fans have a dedicated channel for their anime adventures with a large anime library.
Crunchyroll is a joint venture with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Aniplex, Sony PlayStation, plus Sony Music Japan, which she explained “produces some of the most iconic opening and ending music in anime shows.”
For those who want to check it out, Crunchyroll offers a free 7-day trial.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.