By: Godfreyna Canja
Anime has come a long way from its humble beginnings as local animation in Japan, but one thing remains the same: anyone from any age and race can continue to enjoy these works that bring different cultures, ideas and stories together. Looking back on the first time we discovered anime on TV and dubbed in our local language, we can see how it has truly become a part of our lives and has been a gateway to discover a different culture we have come to love.
Despite how anime has evolved, the issue of piracy has continued to plague the industry causing it to lose millions every year with creators and animators suffering the consequences. One of the reasons why anime piracy has continued to persist even today may be the limited availability of quality translated content for international audiences. Although legitimate online platforms exist, the region blocking and expensive subscription fees may have become a barrier for fans to opt for these platforms.
But whether or not piracy is justified is not the issue – early this year, Japan has taken a huge step in shutting down a number of major websites that pirate anime. While these actions caused a debate among fans, it is evident that Japan is taking measures to provide a more streamlined (and legal) way to distribute anime internationally.
Netflix, one of the world’s leading streaming services, continues to support the anime industry by adding more and more anime titles. In an exclusive livestream, Netflix unveiled a whopping 16 new upcoming anime to stream on their platform this 2021! But this isn’t the only thing in store for otakus as the Netflix Anime Festival showed exclusive first looks to upcoming anime. Fans are especially excited about fantasy period drama Yasuke which is inspired by real life historical figures, the first animated adaptation of Pacific Rim dubbed The Black, ZERO-G Studio’s horror series High-Rise Invasion, the anime adaptation of beloved comedy manga The Way of the Househusband, and finally an updated adaptation of Spriggan by David Productions.
Netflix Chief Anime Producer Taiki Sakurai
Guests, both on-ground and virtual, were welcomed by Chief Anime Producer for Netflix, Taiki Sakurai, who shared how the anime industry has continued to grow in recent years. Blame was the first anime to be available on Netflix, but since its addition in 2017, more and more titles have been added to the platform as well as a number of Netflix Original Anime.
Trese, the Filipino graphic novel by Budjette Tan was one of the titles revealed to have an anime adaptation in 2021. The story is set in the heart of Manila featuring terrifying and awesome creatures from Filipino mythology. It’s exciting to see another creation from the Philippines make its way to the international scene, and we’re sure fans from the Philippines and abroad cannot wait to see this adaptation!
Manga Artist, Essayist and Author Mari Yamazaki
A Creators Panel was also held during the Netflix Anime Festival with Mari Yamazaki (mange artist/essayist, author of manga series Thermae Romae), Shuichiro Tanaka (producer, David Production), and Taiki Sakurai (chief anime producer, Netflix), where they discussed their views on anime and why they chose to work in the industry. As producer Shuichiro Tanaka said, anime is borderless, with people from all over the world discussing, loving and appreciating these works. And even during this pandemic, people look to anime for stories that bring them to fantastical worlds.
David Production Producer Shuichiro Tanaka
As one of the hosts humorously stated, Japanese has become the language of otakus. Anime has connected people with each other, to the point where people from different countries converse in Japanese during fan events. Imagine how influential something is for it to inspire people to learn a new language?
It’s exciting to see the industry grow over the years, and it is safe to say that anime is definitely here to stay. Are you excited about the upcoming titles on Netflix announced during the Anime Festival? Let’s talk about it below!