August 24, 2025 : Anime’s Popularity Is… Hurting Crunchyroll?

Getting a subscription to Crunchyroll is long overdue for me. It’s been on my to-do list for a while, and the only thing preventing me from doing it has been my lack of time (aka laziness). However, I expect it to happen in the near future… promise.

A thumbnail of the Crunchyroll logo and a female anime character

That said, Crunchyroll has had its ups and down in the news lately. While recently announcing a partnership with Delta, they also announced a reorganization, which includes layoffs. Since Sony purchased Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021, there has been three rounds of layoffs; and while subscribers have tripled to 15 million during that time, they look to miss on their previously stated goal of 25 million subscribers by the end of 2025.

A key part of all of this is the newly competitive landscape of the genre. The rising popularity of anime has brought in the likes of Netflix, Disney, and Amazon. This drives up licensing costs, making it harder for Crunchyroll to maintain a stranglehold on the anime market.

This probably won’t deter me from getting it, but I am concerned this will cause a splintering of anime properties – much like a lot of other regular series/movies – where you will only be able to access it if you have the right app, and it’s possible rights will change from time to time. Fortunately, I have the previously mentioned streamers, but it could become problematic if other ones jump in the fray (AppleTV, Paramount, etc.).

posted by Pi Visuals at 1:38 am

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June 14, 2025 : Tom & Jerry Gokko

Back in 2022, Cartoon Network Japan began airing an anime version of Tom & Jerry Gokko, a kawaii anime of the cat and mouse series. The 52 mini-shorts is making its way to YouTube.

I wasn’t aware an anime version of Tom & Jerry was made, but it’s an interesting twist on the 85-year old franchise. With the trailer being on the WB Kids YouTube channel, that probably means the shorts will end up on (HBO?) Max at some point. I’m also curious what else Cartoon Network  Japan has been working on. Did someone say a Justice League/My Hero Academia mashup?

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:35 am

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November 5, 2023 : 24/7 Anime Channel By Crunchyroll

Over the years, I’ve considered getting a subscription to Crunchyroll but always passed due to the lack of time to actually utilize it. This still holds true, but a smile was definitely put on my face upon hearing of their newly created (and free) 24/7 anime channel.

No doubt they have a ways to go before it can be widely accessible (for me that would mean YouTube TV), but you have to start somewhere. Hopefully there’s enough of an audience where it continues to grow; and when I do finally have time to watch more, it’ll be around… and still free.

posted by Pi Visuals at 1:08 am

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October 10, 2023 : Scavengers Reign

I’m a sucker for Sci-Fi, which is probably why this trailer for a new HBO Max series piqued my interest:

Visually, I’m all in. I am curious about the pipeline. While going for the 2D look, there are clearly 3D elements. Are the characters actually hand drawn, or was 3D used to make it look 2D? I doesn’t look like a 3D cel shader, but I’m not a 100%.

Story wise, I’m a little less on board. The sci-fi hook is definitely my brand, but the thriller part can lend itself to too many WTF moments. The trailer implies the pacing can be a little slow, and I got some serious Akira vibes. We’ll see, but I’ll probably put this on the list of shows to check out (eventually).

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:23 am

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January 27, 2022 : Scott Pilgrim The Anime?!

I was a fan of Scott Pilgrim (the film… I haven’t checked out the graphic novel yet). There was tons to like: the story, the cast, and of course the visuals. With its Japanese influences, I guess it’s not a shock I enjoyed it; and that’s also why I was stoked to hear Netflix is developing it into an Anime series.

While the creator’s involved, it’s worth noting there isn’t a series order yet so it’s not a sure thing. I suppose either way I should temper my expectations. After all… Bebop 🙁

posted by Pi Visuals at 3:51 pm

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December 30, 2021 : Akira Animator’s Secret Message

Akira’s attention to detail has been lauded by anime fans and movie critics alike – and was even the subject for a brief post here. However, it turns out that didn’t always go over well with the crew.

A Twitter user recently discovered a message around the 38 minute mark from one of the animators who didn’t seem to appreciate the work required to provide such detail:

In English, the text translates to: Why do we have to draw this far! Knock it off! Enough

The movie came out in 1988, which seems crazy that the internet took so long to find this gem of a jab. Bravo unknown animator… hats off to you!

posted by Pi Visuals at 11:22 pm

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November 19, 2021 : Anime’s Global Popularity

With today’s release of the live-action Cowboy Bebop, it seems fitting to celebrate the popularity of anime.

Earlier this month, the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) released its annual Animation Industry Report. It’s in Japanese, but the Anime News Network has a great analysis article, highlighting the key points.

It’s an interesting read, but one of the big takeaways for me was the fact that 2020 marked the first time that the overseas market size surpassed the domestic market. Moving into 2022 and beyond, the article anticipates a growing global demand for anime. All in all, great news for fans of the genre.

posted by Pi Visuals at 9:13 am

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August 10, 2021 : Adult Swim and Crunchyroll… and Cartoon Network and Original Anime

I recently heard about Adult Swim’s upcoming show, Blade Runner: Black Lotus. The trailer is below; and while it doesn’t blow me out of the water, I find it intriguing:

First, I know nothing about Blade Runner, having never watched any of the films so I have zero attachment to franchise. However, the environment shots and action sequences look pretty cool. That said, the character design seems lackluster, and the show doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the Toonami’s anime block. The interesting tidbit is that this is a co-production between Adult Swim and Crunchyroll.

To add a little extra spice to the pepper, it was just announced that Toonami co-creator Jason Demarco will lead a new division in charge of producing anime at Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network. On his Twitter feed, he goes as far to say it won’t be ‘anime inspired,’ but created and produced in Japan.

Personally, I don’t think the former is worse than the latter, as long as it tells a good story. However, I am curious what types of shows get made. Demarco is currently overseeing production on Black Lotus, but I assume this doesn’t fall under the ‘genuine anime’ label.

posted by Pi Visuals at 10:54 pm

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October 30, 2020 : Deep Dive Into Akira’s Animation

I’ll be honest, I’m not really a fan of Akira. I found the story to be both ‘bleh’ and confusing. Plus, I also could never get past the main character’s name (Dick Army… I mean Kaneda). As such, I’ve only seen it once and pretty much moved on.

I remember the animation being solid, but not enough to save it for me. The video dissects the big intro action scene and gave me a better appreciation of the movie:

It’s pretty technical, but not enough to prevent someone unfamiliar with animation to enjoy it (and appreciate the work). I still won’t say I like Akira, but I might at least give it another watch one of these days.

posted by Pi Visuals at 11:53 pm

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August 3, 2019 : Lupin Goes CGI

A new Lupin movie will be released in Japan this coming December. A trailer has recently made the rounds, showing the film will be CGI:

Overall, I’m digging the look. Although to be honest, I’ve never been very high on Lupin. I always liked it – the animation, story, character design, voice acting, etc – but for whatever reason, the series never grabbed me enough to make it a must watch. This past season I didn’t even bother recording, which was mostly due to the prioritization of other shows I wanted to watch more.

That said, I would be more inclined to watch a movie versus a full season, and the CGI look has be genuinely intrigued. A U.S. release date hasn’t been set, but I’m hoping it becomes readily available when it does come stateside.

posted by Pi Visuals at 11:26 pm

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