Anime is more popular than ever around the globe, and the fortunes of Anime streamer Crunchyroll have also soared in terms of new licensing deals.
Crunchyroll is a global anime brand with more than 5 million subscribers and over 120 million registered users, and just last week became even more influential as it was acquired by Sony Pictures Entertainment from AT&T. The acquisition was funneled through Sony’s existing anime company Funimation Global Group, creating a powerful synergy for the combined enterprise. (See link below for details on the Crunchyroll acquisition deal).
This week, Sony’s big bet on Crunchyroll appears to be paying off, as the company announced a massive slate of anime licensing deals for series including Jujutsu Kaisen, Junji Ito Collection, Dr. Stone, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, and Captain Tsubasa, among many others.
“This has been a big year for anime and we’re proud to serve a global community of fans by bringing them the best merchandise from all of their favorite series across categories,” understated John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll. “This diverse slate of domestic and international licensing partnerships proves that anime truly is for everyone!”
The list below from Crunchyroll details all of the new licensing deals for this summer:
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Berserk, the anime series based on the iconic manga by Kentaro Miura, was recently granted to First 4 Figures for figurines and vinyl figures.
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Bungo Stray Dogs, the supernatural mystery series, was recently granted to Otaku Lamps for lamps and signs.
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Burn the Witch, the latest anime from the popular Bleach universe, was recently granted to D&D Entertainment for accessories and home decor.
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Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, the dreamy anime series based on the beloved manga from Clamp, was recently granted to Fukuya USA for Plush.
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Darling in the Franxx, the popular science fiction mecha series, was recently granted to Otaku Lamps for lamps and signs.
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Dr. Stone, the action-packed science series based on the popular Shonen Jump manga of the same name, was recently granted to Boss Fight Studios for action figures, D&D Entertainment for accessories and home decor, Don’t Panic Games for board games, Monogram International for novelties.
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given, the musical romance series that released a new film within the last year, was recently granted to Otaku Lamps for lamps and signs.
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Haikyu!!, the beloved volleyball series, was granted to Otaku Lamps for lamps and signs and Monogram International for novelties.
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Jujutsu Kaisen, the smash-hit horror series, was recently signed to a number of licensees including Abysse Corp for novelties, Kitsune Statue, Megahouse, and Taka Corp for figurines, D&D Entertainment for accessories and home decor, and Espada Art for wall art.
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Rent-A-Girlfriend, the high-energy romantic comedy, was recently granted to D&D Entertainment for accessories and home decor.
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That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime, the heartwarming shonen series, was recently granted to D&D Entertainment for accessories and home decor.
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The God of High School, the high-octane Crunchyroll Original series animated by MAPPA (the powerhouse studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen and other hot titles), was recently granted to Just Funky for a variety of categories from accessories to home decor, along with beverage, dinner and drinkware.
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Junji Ito Collection, the spooky stories from legendary horror manga creator Junji Ito, was granted to Monogram International for novelties and Ata-Boy for magnets, buttons, patches pins and more.
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The Rising of the Shield Hero, the dark fantasy isekai series with new seasons coming soon, was recently granted to D&D Entertainment for accessories and home decor.
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TONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You, the Crunchyroll Original series focused on the comedy and charm of married life, was recently granted to Great Eastern Entertainment for apparel and accessories.
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Tower of God, the dark fantasy Crunchyroll Original series based on the WEBTOON title of the same name, was granted to Just Funky for novelties and accessories.
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Finally, the Crunchyroll brand was granted to Running Press for the recently announced Essential Anime, a guide that highlights 50 classic, unforgettable Japanese animated series and feature films. This upcoming title will give an insightful look into the history and true impact of anime on Japanese and Western pop culture. Essential Anime will be published in April 2022 by Running Press and is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold.
New European Crunchyroll licensing partnerships include:
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Captain Tsubasa, the beloved football phenomenon that won a Licensing International France award earlier this year has been granted to McDonald’s for promotions in France, to Célio for direct to retail collections in France and EMEA, to Parga Basim for gifting in Turkey and to Ulupinar for textiles in Turkey.
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My Hero Academia, the popular superhero franchise, was recently granted to Urban City for a direct to retail collection in Poland. My Hero Academia was also granted to A Plus Media for the launch of a popular mobile game with more than 2.3 million downloads across Europe.
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Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card was recently granted to Bershka for a whimsical direct to retail collection available across Europe now.
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Bleach, the long-running hit shonen series based on the manga from Tite Kubo, was recently granted to Bershka for a direct to retail collection launching soon.
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Finally, Stor SL was granted the licenses to One Punch Man, My Hero Academia and Death Note for tableware across Spain, Portugal, and France.
Crunchyroll serves anime fans in more than 200 countries and territories with a robust anime library of more than 1000 titles and 30,000 episodes. The Crunchyroll Consumer Products team manages the rights for more than 350 titles and more than 100 licensees, offering fans the best in fashion, home goods, lifestyle and more.
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