This is the Netflix's Originals category.
You're probably used to seeing a bunch of new shows
when you scroll through, but have you noticed
a lot more anime recently?
It's not just because you watch "Aggretsuko"
on your lunch break.
Netflix's Director of Anime Taito Okiura
said it planned to add 30 new anime series that year,
and the company has already announced
over a dozen anime series coming in 2019.
Adding tons of content might sound like business
as usual for Netflix, but all of this anime
could actually be Netflix's secret weapon
in its fight against Disney.
The Netflix versus Disney arc has already begun.
Disney's own streaming service, Disney+,
will launch in 2019.
As the launch of Disney+ gets closer,
more and more Disney content has been leaving Netflix.
There was a time when a new "Avengers" movie
was almost guaranteed to show up on Netflix,
but that's no longer the case now
that their distribution deal has ended.
Because Disney owns so much content,
Netflix could lose big names
like Pixar, Lucasfilm,
Marvel, and even 20th Century Fox,
and Disney isn't the only company
launching their own streaming service.
WarnerMedia, the parent company of The CW,
HBO, and DC, is launching a new service in 2019.
So besides Disney's content, Netflix might also have
to say "goodbye" to films and shows owned by WarnerMedia,
like "Friends" and "Riverdale."
As more entertainment companies start their own
streaming services, Netflix will be forced
to rely on its own original content,
But just like Midoriya cleaning up the beach,
Netflix has been busy.
Over the past few years, Netflix has
ramped up production of original content,
producing more than five times
the number of shows in 2018 than in 2016,
and analysts think Netflix could spend
around $15 billion on original content in 2019.
For comparison, HBO usually spends around $2 billion.
In addition to its live action shows,
Netflix has added original anime series,
like "Castlevania" and "Devilman Crybaby,"
and they have plenty of anime classics,
like "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "Bleach,"
but Netflix isn't just buying a lot of anime,
they're changing the way deals
are made in the anime industry.
Normally, several different companies
negotiate together to produce, fund, and distribute a show.
That way, the risk is distributed across all the companies.
Netflix, on the other hand, is willing
to take on more of the risk on its own.
In March, Netflix announced partnerships
with three Japanese production houses,
adding to the two partnerships it already had.
These production houses will create
five new anime series for Netflix.
Working conditions in the anime industry
can be strenuous with long hours and slim margins.
Many are hoping that direct deals with Netflix
could allow for greater creative freedom
and larger profits for production houses,
and because Netflix is available in over 190 countries,
it's possible that having these anime series on Netflix
could bring in a broader audience.
But why is Netflix putting
so much focus on anime specifically?
Anime could be a big differentiator
between Netflix and Disney+.
Disney's original content doesn't include any anime,
and Disney has said that
their service will be family-oriented.
So it probably won't include mature content
seen in shows like Netflix's "Devilman Crybaby."
Having an entire category of content that Disney+ lacks
could be a huge advantage for Netflix,
especially since demand for anime
has continued to grow over the last decade,
but not everyone is happy about Netflix announcing
that they're gonna combine with all of this anime.
We're gonna combine?
They're gonna combine.
They're gonna combine!
Funimation's President
Gen Fukunaga heavily criticized Netflix
when it acquired the rights
to stream "Neon Genesis Evangelion."
Fukunaga and others worry that good anime series
will get buried in Netflix's large library
instead of getting the larger release they deserve,
and Netflix isn't without competition
in the anime streaming space.
Anime streaming giant Crunchyroll, now owned by AT&T,
boasts 45 million users and 2 million subscribers.
In March, Crunchyroll announced an expanded partnership
with Adult Swim, allowing Adult Swim
to air more of the content available on Crunchyroll on TV.
A similar agreement allowed Adult Swim
to air "Mob Psycho 100" last year.
Hulu also boasts an impressive anime library,
and it has even acquired exclusive streaming rights
to "One Punch Man" season 2,
and now that Disney owns a 60% stake in Hulu,
they might have an opening to the anime world after all.
Netflix's anime journey is less of a Netero versus Meruem
and more of an Eren Yeager versus a world of titans.
We'll have to wait to see the broader impacts
of Netflix's anime investment, but all this content
is definitely good news for anime fans.
There are fewer barriers than ever
for fans across the globe to get into new anime series.
There's going to be a lot to watch in 2019.
Our My Lists won't be getting shorter anytime soon.