In a recent interview with RadioTimes, Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll, spoke about topics such as “KPop Demon Hunters”, competition with Netflix and the use of artificial intelligence. We summarize.
»KPop Demon Hunters« is not an anime
After Rahul Purini recently explained his definition of an anime, the Crunchyroll president now explained that the Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters” is not considered an anime, but rather an anime-style production.
At the same time, however, he acknowledged that American animation has contributed significantly to increasing interest in anime and anime-inspired works worldwide.
According to Purini, the popularity of the Netflix film has even had a direct impact on the perception of the medium. A noticeable increase in general interest in anime was observed after “KPop Demon Hunters” was viewed by more and more people worldwide.
Competition from Netflix is growing
What is particularly noteworthy is that “KPop Demon Hunters” was produced by Sony Pictures for Netflix, even though Crunchyroll also belongs to the Sony Group. The success of the film shows quite clearly that Sony is now benefiting from the global anime boom on several platforms.
Purini emphasized that the increasing interest in anime from Netflix and other streaming services comes as no surprise to Crunchyroll.
In recent years, the medium has developed into a global market with a young and committed target group, which is why many companies are increasing their investments in this area.
In order to stand out from the competition, Crunchyroll does not rely exclusively on streaming, but rather on a comprehensive anime ecosystem that also includes manga, games, films and merchandising.
No AI for creative tasks
In addition, Purini reiterated the platform’s stance on the use of artificial intelligence. Crunchyroll does not want to use AI for creative processes such as subtitles, translations or dubbing in the future.
The reason he gave was that the creative vision and authenticity of the creators must be preserved and that AI should only be used in technical functions such as recommendations, personalization or improving the platform.
Finally, Purini pointed to “Solo Leveling” as an example of how international success stories can be adapted by Japanese studios. According to him, Crunchyroll could increasingly promote similar projects in the future.
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Via RadioTimes
©KPop: Demon Hunters [Sony Pictures Animation / Netflix]