The keynote “Anime in APAC: Identifying Audience and Market GAP,” presented by Motohiko Ara from Ampere Analysis at ATF 2025, made it clear that the Asia-Pacific region not only has one of the most active audiences in the world, but also an ecosystem where large catalogs, strong local competition, and increasingly sophisticated consumption coexist.
Motohiko Ara explained that the global growth of anime is supported, in part, by the volume of Japanese titles, historically the most profitable, and the expansion of players such as Crunchyroll, which are especially powerful in Western markets. But the real difference in APAC lies in the presence of local platforms that offer thousands of titles, in some cases surpassing the catalog of global services.
The analysis showed that countries such as Taiwan and South Korea have more than 4.000 titles, driven by local operators that maintain a robust offering. In contrast, markets such as the Philippines and Malaysia rely more heavily on global distributors. In terms of consumption, the Philippines stands out with 59% of users watching anime, while China shows more moderate figures.
The session also revealed a clear demographic pattern: the audience is young, very active on social media, and inclined toward long-form content, a key factor in retaining subscribers. In addition, IPs from gaming, such as Cyberpunk, continue to gain ground and are emerging as drivers of new successes.
Ara closed with a look to the future: 2024 marked the peak of new production commissions, and the OTT anime market in APAC will continue to grow strongly until 2029. To capitalize on this expansion, he noted, local players will need to invest precisely in familiar genres and recognized IPs, where the greatest competitive opportunity lies today.
