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Japanese anime director Tomohiko Ito believes the industry is well-positioned to fill the space left by weakening Hollywood influence, but warns that trying too hard to appeal to international audiences could hurt rather than help.
Ito, who directed popular series including Sword Art Online and Erased, shared his views on the anime industry’s global expansion in an interview with Daily Shincho. His comments come as Japanese anime continues its strong performance worldwide, with films like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc drawing large audiences internationally. The Japanese government has also increased its support for bringing Japanese content to Western markets.
According to Ito, Japanese anime began gaining major traction overseas around 2020, when Aniplex acquired streaming platform Crunchyroll. He noted that Hollywood’s influence appears to have weakened in recent years, affected by events like the WGA strike and COVID-19. “I think [Japanese anime] have managed to become a good replacement for them,” Ito said.
However, Ito cautioned against creating anime specifically designed for global audiences. “There have actually been many cases where focusing too much on ‘global appeal’ has led to failure,” he explained. He suggested that what Japanese creators think will work internationally often doesn’t match what overseas audiences actually want to see.
Ito also pointed to cultural differences in content standards. While political correctness is emphasized strongly in America, he noted that Japan continues producing content that might be considered unusual in North America, such as works featuring scantily clad female characters in battle scenes.
Other prominent anime creators have expressed similar views. Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno stated in a recent interview that he never creates content with overseas audiences in mind. Anno added that production companies often push creators to think about the overseas market, but his approach is to first make something that works well in Japan. If international audiences also enjoy it, he considers that a bonus.
