By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Toymaker Jazwares is teaming up with the anime streamer Crunchyroll to develop a new anime collectibles portfolio.
Jazwares is a global toy manufacturing company that creates products based on its portfolio of wholly-owned and licensed brands. Jazwares was acquired by the international holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, in 2022.
The new Crunchyroll x Jazwares venture will kick off with an extensive consumer products collection featuring eighteen different anime series from Crunchyroll’s IP portfolio.
The anime properties involved in the deal will include series such as Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, JUJUTSU KAISEN, My Hero Academia, SPY x FAMILY, and more.
“Anime is a dynamic storytelling medium, spanning many genres from action to comedy to horror,” said Crunchyroll VP, Anna Songco Adamian. “We are so excited to work with our partners at Jazwares to deliver products that allow fans to celebrate their fandom from must-have collectibles to adorable plush, and in a wide array of categories and products that offer something for every kind of fan and demo, from kids to adults.”
Jazwares will create cross-category product lines that include authentic figures, playsets, vehicles, plush, costumes, and more. The first product collection is expected to launch across mass retail, specialty collector destinations, and on the Crunchyroll platform in summer 2024.
“Jazwares continually provides a connective tissue between pop-culture, a passionate fandom and the creation of high-quality collectibles that are highly detailed sculpts and decos,” said Jazwares SVP, Gerhard Runken. “As long-time enthusiasts of the anime phenomenon, we are proud and ready to collaborate with Crunchyroll to give fans incredible experiences with collectible figures, plush, and other surprise-and-delight moments across multiple retail channels globally.”
The titles featured in the upcoming product collections can be streamed on Crunchyroll in more than two hundred countries and territories.
Crunchyroll is an anime and manga platform that provides free ad-supported and subscription-based premium content, events, theatrical releases, games, consumer products, collectibles and published works.