It turns out that TikTok has done so much to change viewing habits for many anime fans that the industry itself has begun to explore delivering shorter, more bite sized projects as a result. Media has seen quite a lot of change over the decades as radio eventually gave way to TV, TV eventually gave way to streaming services, and now those streaming services are making way for social media and more isolated video experiences. Through platforms like TikTok and other social media, viewers have been able to more precisely curate the kinds of media they want to watch and how they want to watch it.
Those behind the scenes at Crunchyroll have made note of this changing media landscape as well. Because while it’s clear that interest in anime has been at an all time high (with one study even claiming that there will soon be one billion anime fans worldwide), anime needs to change in order to keep up with the shifting landscape. Speaking with Nikkei Xtrend, Crunchyroll COO Gita Rebbapragada and President Rahul Purini explained that changing habits on TikTok is also making them explore offering anime options that are much shorter and more appealing to the audiences of those platforms.
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TikTok’s Going to Change How Anime Is Watched
When asked about trending changes the two have noticed about anime and how they think will evolve in the future, they noted that they will need to find a way to connect with the upcoming generation that’s into creating their own content for social media. Explaining that the “younger generation is spending a lot of time creating their own content, and the platforms are providing the tools to do so” And that while it’s not immediate, they will “need to think about how to engage with the generation that creates their own content.”
More specifically, the two explained that the length of anime episodes themselves might need to change in order to appeal to the shorter watch times of social media videos, “Most anime are 21-24 minutes long. Meanwhile, younger generations are used to watching short 2-4 minute videos one after the other (on TikTok etc.). We need to think about how to tell anime stories differently than we traditionally have done. The anime ecosystem itself needs to continue to evolve.” Naturally, this idea has sparked a bit of debate among anime fans as the thought of making these episodes shorter doesn’t appeal to everyone.
Crunchyroll Has Already Been Making Changes
Anime fans might have already noticed how Crunchyroll is appealing to those shorter attention spans with the likes of music videos and shorter anime offerings like Bananya or other gag series. But for those worried about the potential source of these newer offerings, Purini spoke to Nikkei Xtrend earlier this Summer and asserted that, “I believe that anime must be inherently ‘Japanese’ and told from the perspective of Japanese creators. We want more anime, more diverse stories, and it’s important that Japanese creators continue to be involved in them.”
But in stating this, Purini also made sure to note that worthy anime adaptations could also still come from anywhere, “Stories worthy of being adapted into animation can come from anywhere, including Korean webtoons and games. Crunchyroll is always on the lookout for new trends and signs of hits. For example, we may introduce Indian IP to Japanese creators and suggest that if they turn this IP into an anime and tell a story, it might resonate with audiences in the region.”
It’s clear that Crunchyroll is looking into TikTok and how it’s shifting the environment, but it’s also clear that they are unlikely to throw out what works in favor of completely shifting to a new, shorter format.
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