It’s impossible to deny at this point that streaming services are investing a lot into the anime world, with the medium growing in popularity year over year. Most recently, Netflix announced that it would be partnering with Studio MAPPA to make anime originals in the future. In recent years, MAPPA has become a powerhouse within the anime world, thanks to creating output such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Hell’s Paradise, Attack on Titan’s final season, and almost too many other series to count. In a recent interview, a TV Asahi producer, a major network for anime in Japan, discussed how this union changes the anime game forever.
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Hiromichi Shizume, a former producer for TV Asahi, discussed how traditional television simply isn’t enough for anime to flourish in the future, expecting more anime studios to link up with streamers. “When you consider the global market, not just the small Japanese market, the budget is on a completely different level. This means you can create something extravagant from the start. Naturally, the quality also goes up. Rather than promoting a hit made for Japan in Japan to the world, you can aim for a global appeal from the start. If streaming channels pay better, have more freedom in production, and produce hits, they won’t be able to bring their programs to terrestrial broadcasting. If that happens, it will mean fewer opportunities for stations to make money.”
A Match Made in Anime Heaven
Following the announcement of the upcoming Netflix/MAPPA partnership, MAPPA President Manabu Otsuka shared his thoughts on the union, “We have worked with Netflix on various projects in the past, but this expanded partnership is based on MAPPA’s core belief in being an independent studio — both creatively and in business. Japanese animation studios must proactively lead every stage, from understanding global audience needs and developing projects, to reaching viewers and expanding related businesses. MAPPA is committed to deepening our collaboration with Netflix, aiming for a long-term, win-win partnership.”
Netflix Vice President Kata Sakamoto also had thoughts to share when it came ot this surprising event within the anime world, “MAPPA is a remarkable studio that has continuously taken on bold challenges and achieved unprecedented forms of expression. At Netflix, we also value the passion and dedication of creators. By combining MAPPA’s unique approach to anime production with Netflix’s global reach and the courage to take risks, which is essential to creating compelling content, we hope to further expand the possibilities of anime. We are fully committed to delivering new works and excitement to fans around the world.”
At present, no projects have been announced for the Netflix/MAPPA partnership. This doesn’t mean that the anime studio doesn’t have quite a bit on its plate, as currently, the production house has two concurrent anime running on the small screen. Jujutsu Kaisen’s third season and Hell’s Paradise’s second season are currently streaming on Crunchyroll, but one big anime return from MAPPA is coming later this year to Netflix. Dorohedoro’s second season will land in 2026, once again bringing us back to the strange anime world of magic and protagonists with lizard heads.
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