Overview
- Netflix will exclusively stream a slate of original MAPPA-produced anime worldwide, with multiple new projects now in the works, according to the companies’ announcement.
- Beyond streaming, the collaboration covers story development, production and merchandise, with MAPPA CEO Manabu Otsuka emphasizing studio independence and Netflix’s Kaata Sakamoto highlighting global reach.
- Netflix says more than half its members watch anime, viewership has tripled over five years, and anime titles were viewed over 1 billion times in 2024.
- Industry reaction mixes enthusiasm with concern over creative direction for “global” audiences, MAPPA’s past labor issues, and Netflix’s newly signaled expansion of AI-assisted localization and merchandising tools.
- The companies have not said which series or seasons will be exclusive, and separate catalog shifts continue as Fate/Apocrypha departs Netflix on February 8.