A Sony executive recently compared the company’s current anime business to the early days of the first PlayStation. We summarize.
Anime business is still in its infancy
Toshimoto Mitomo has been working at Sony for more than forty years and has experienced the development of the Japanese electronics giant first hand. He currently holds the position of Chief Strategy Officer and is responsible for global IP strategies as well as medium and long-term corporate development.
The seasoned Sony veteran was asked about his company’s position within the anime industry during a recent interview with Japanese financial magazine Toyo Keizai. He dared to make an interesting comparison:
»If we compare it with previous examples, I have the impression that it is very similar to the PlayStation 1. At the time, Namco had a racing game called Ridge Racer, and the PlayStation sold on that basis. After that, the PS2 came out and our own IP spread. I feel a similar dynamic now.
The number of anime titles continues to increase and the fan base is expanding not only in Japan but all over the world. With data showing that the anime market is growing rapidly, we can expect great things for the future.«
Focus on your own IPs
Sony is in any case extremely successful with anime through its subsidiaries Aniplex and Crunchyroll, but does not yet have too many anime IPs of its own, which may have been the reason for the establishment of a strategic business alliance with Bandai Namco, announced in July 2025.
The upcoming anime adaptation of the successful video game “Ghost of Tsushima” is one of the best examples of Sony’s desire to own and distribute its own IPs. The title is produced exclusively by four Sony Group companies – Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Sony Music and PlayStation Productions.
Sony has also shown a good hand beyond its own brands: Aniplex is part of the comparatively small production committee of the “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” trilogy, which has already achieved great success with the first part.
With two films still to go, Sony probably has little reason to worry about anime results in the next few years.