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Anime-Live Action Series Brought by Netflix
From Full Metal Alchemist to Bleach and Death Note, Netflix has already adapted some of the popular anime titles in the world into live-action series and films. As you might have suspected, the movie streaming platform is looking to add more titles to its catalog in the coming years.
Netflix has always considered the anime market the next frontier. The movie streaming site has long wanted to dominate this market. Its ambitions in this genre only show the company is keen on growing its global anime fanbase.
One of the latest examples of Netflix’s voracious appetite for the anime genre is the announcement of a Pokémon live-action series. The long-running anime video game has worldwide popularity and appeal. It only makes sense that Netflix would latch on to this as the next big release. With the Pokemon Go craze swept across the globe, the series is prospected to be a hit among fans. Over two decades in pop culture, Pokemon remains in high demand, with 47.66x the average longevity of TV shows. Its average reach stands at an impressive 66.57x the average of your typical hit series. With such numbers, Pokemon is a truly exceptional title.
It Started with Video Game IP
Netflix first tried adapting famous video games into series to see how fans would receive these. Releases such as The Witcher, Far Cry: Blood Dragon, and Castlevania have proven that audiences worldwide enjoy how the company can bring different sections of pop culture into live-action films and series. If you are a beginner in watching anime series, you can see our list of top anime series full of fun and action.
As you might have guessed, the idea behind such adaptations is to get pre-existing fan bases to watch the new releases. Adaptations of anime in live-action series are just another ingenious way for the company to keep its viewership glued to its screens.
Rather than whip the next big title out of thin air, the company is choosing to revamp already proven success to tap into such success. Such releases come with millions of enthralled fans eager to see what new offering there is on their favorite game or anime title.
Having seen how well video game adaptations do, Netflix took another genre of comics and games and brought these to the silver screen. Little wonder why Netflix would jump on anime as the next genre to make adaptations. Anime ranks among the fastest-growing entertainment genres. More titles have been produced in the last ten years compared to the decades before.
Anime Has Global Appeal
Anime has a history of resonating with fans worldwide. It travels exceptionally well on a global scale. Some anime titles never lose their spot on the top ten most-watched series worldwide.
With such demand, anime goes toe to toe with some of the biggest releases from Marvel, like Stranger Things and The Walking Dead. For instance, Attack on Titan attracts 64.85x of other shows worldwide. My Hero Academia comes in second with an average demand of 50.82x what other shows on average. With such numbers, these shows sit in an exclusive category that only 0.2% of shows across the world ever reach.
While you would be correct to call anime a niche category, these brilliant Japanese comics are slowly becoming mainstream. Part of this is better accessibility enabled by a catch-up, available not only on Netflix but other streaming platforms like Hulu, Crunchyroll, and HBO Max. With such convenient watching, younger generations get to enjoy more content.
Some of the most in-demand anime series in the United States are Jujutsu Kaisen, Arcane, Attack on Titan, One Piece, My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball Super, Pokemon, Naruto: Shippuden, One Punch Man, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. These are equally in high demand in the rest of the world.
The Influence of Anime in the Gaming Industry
Many of the popular anime comics named above are gearing up for live-action revamps from other entertainment conglomerates. Anime and manga are not only popular on streaming sites as the craze has spread across all of entertainment. In the iGaming industry, anime and manga are among the most sought-after slot genres.
Anime geeks are always looking for new ways to connect to their favorite characters. Games like Koi Princess, High School Manga, and Thunder Cats are among the most played slots. Fans can enjoy these popular titles at plenty of online casino sites with well-equipped game libraries. When it comes to slot games, Canadian casinos are ranking high among other competitors on the iGaming market. Canadians cherish Japanese culture, so it is no surprise that you will unlock the ultimate anime-game experience at the best Canadian online casinos. We hope we’ll see more thrilling adaptations in the near future, or maybe a new anime series on Netflix, as they have announced new partnerships.
Netflix’s brilliant move is partnering with large corporations like the Pokemon Company and getting licensing rights. When a company secured licensing rights to a brand like this, it entered a world already thronged with super fans. It helps get newer titles out there faster. If Netflix were to be the home of the Pokemon live-action adaptation, it would land one of the most in-demand series worldwide.
A series like this would bring in a hoard of new fans while winning back lapsed subscribers. Add the sizable Pokemon series catalog, and you have content to keep subscribers coming back month after month.
More in Demand than Netflix Originals
A comparison between Netflix originals and anime adaptations shows that there is much room to explore titles in the genre. It is one of the reasons that inform Netflix’s decision to enter this genre. Anime titles like My Hero Academia, and Attack on Titan, attract a wider viewership than shows like Shadow and Bone and the hyped-up La Casa de Papel. With anime shows eclipsing Netflix originals in demand, the shift in interest gets much more prominent as you add on more popular titles that still fall short.
A New Audience is Great for Netflix
In adapting anime series, the importance of such shows and their value on the catalog depend not only on individual shows. How well such shows do also depends on what people are watching. It is up to Netflix to blend anime into its catalog of live-action adaptations from different parts of the world. If the company can find titles from other regions that go mainstream, then anime fits snugly into Netflix’s content strategy.
The company can improve overall engagement with a wide array of shows across different styles of live adaptation. Content strategies like these capture a section of viewers, changing their perception of the platform. This way, viewers who previously only occasionally got on Netflix make it a nightly thing.
Anime live-adaptation shows will also benefit from affinity with other shows of the action genre, like Quantico. Such affinity is how new anime shows can reach the right audience quickly. Raking in the numbers fast is how shows can announce their dominance. Aside from winning viewers quickly, such shows are sure to increase consumption.
The Best Export from Japan Yet
Anime is one of the biggest cultural exports from Japan, and it keeps spreading into new territories. Around the globe, more than 100 million households have watched at least one anime title. The figure indicates a significant leap in the percentage of viewing anime. The viewership for anime shows grew by 50% from 2019 to 2020.
Netflix executives recognize the importance of having content that travels on a global scale. In finding a global audience, the company intends to translate the shows into different languages, as has been the case with high-demand series. Such efforts have seen viewers in the US increase their selection of non-English titles.
With content transcending borders, viewers in different parts of the world can enjoy new stories. It also provides a broader audience for storytellers. With its core customer base in the US and Canada, the importance of getting its audience to gravitate toward foreign content is not lost on Netflix. Presently, the company has a wide range of titles, such as Hunter X Hunter and many others, that has grown in popularity
Conclusion
Anime is one of the genres set to take the world by storm in the coming years. With exciting titles in the works for different streaming sites and entertainment companies, anime live-action adaptations are set to become the new shows to binge-watch.
