Picture this: it’s the late 1990s, and you’re an Aussie growing up amidst a significant rise in technology, the internet, gaming, and children’s cartoons. Kids, teenagers, and even some adults are waking up early to watch Cheez TV on Channel 10, and eagerly searching for more content on ABC, SBS, and Saturday morning cartoons. Adults are making their morning coffees, dropping off the kids, heading to work, and sensing that a new era is on the horizon as they step into the 2000s. TV networks and licensing partners are on the lookout for the next big show to bring to the Western market.
Raphael Guimaraes, Associate Director, LATAM & APAC Licensing
Raphael is a seasoned professional with over 17 years of experience in the licensing industry, specializing in the development and management of licensing and merchandising programs. Currently, Raphael spearheads initiatives for Crunchyroll Consumer Products Business in the LATAM and APAC regions, driving growth and engagement through innovative strategies that resonate with diverse audiences. Raphael’s extensive background has equipped him with a deep understanding of market dynamics, enabling successful collaborations and impactful brand partnerships. With a passion for creativity and a commitment to excellence, he continues to shape the future of licensing in the entertainment sector.
ENTER ANIME.
In the 90s, anime was quite niche—well, except for Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Digimon… and the list goes on! It was a bubbling subculture quietly merging into mainstream pop culture. But if you were a fan, you were the coolest kid on the playground collecting and trading anime-branded Tazos or cards from chip packets at the primary school canteen.
Fast forward 20 years, and anime has become a powerful pop culture mainstay. For many young people today, anime is a central and essential part of life. For those unfamiliar, anime is a globally celebrated artform, defined by its distinct animation style originating from Japan.
From heart-wrenching stories to intense, action-packed battles, lighthearted comedies, coming-of-age tales, love, friendship, and everything in between, anime offers a vast array of stories that resonate with people in some way, shape, or form. As fan interest grew, so did the cultural phenomena surrounding anime: cosplayers, conventions, and other outlets celebrating the medium.
Anime’s presence in the Australian market quickly became a key part of pop culture, and its integration into everyday life felt like a pot of ramen noodles about to boil over.
ENTER CRUNCHYROLL.
With 15 million paying subscribers and millions of fans across 200+ countries and territories, Crunchyroll connects fans with the stories and characters they love. Anchored around a premium streaming service, Crunchyroll immerses fans in the world of anime through events, theatrical releases, gaming, consumer products, collectibles, news, and more—celebrating anime in every way imaginable.
The anime titles we represent in consumer products resonate with fans across the entire spectrum—from new audiences to lifelong enthusiasts—creating deeper connections with every level of the fandom with shows such as Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family, Kaiju No. 8, and Solo Leveling. For the nostalgic, there’s Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, or the iconic Robotech, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025. For the fans of kawaii (cute) shorts, you should look towards Bananya for your fix of anime entertainment.
So what’s stopping your business from licensing anime? Post-COVID, there’s been a huge shift in energy across lifelong, current, and new Australia and New Zealand fans, with a new generation of fans driving this momentum tenfold. Over 20 years of sustained fan interest isn’t a phase in the slightest. If you hop on social media, you’ll find fan edited videos, cosplayers, and excited fans sharing news of their favourite anime being greenlit for a new season.
Someone on your morning train might be watching anime on our Crunchyroll app, while another person you pass on the street could be listening to our Crunchyroll x Spotify playlists after leaving a store with their newest anime figure or plush. A retailer such as JB HIFI might be celebrating Ani-May, our global retail initiative celebrating our anime titles all month long.
Still on the fence? Just look at megastar Megan Thee Stallion, who hosted this year’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo, Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles, or Grammy-nominated Rapper Logic, who teamed up with Crunchyroll in the US for a Cowboy Bebop-inspired apparel collection.
Anime isn’t leaving mainstream pop culture…
It’s here to stay!
For all licensing opportunities with Crunchyroll across Australia & New Zealand, please connect with Indiana Muir, Associate Licensing Manager — APAC
Email: indiana.muir[@]crunchyroll.com
This article originally appeared in Edition 12 of The Toy Universe Magazine
