Disney+ Will Give Viewers More Anime Thanks To An Expanded Deal With Kodansha
When it comes to streaming, Disney+ is considered one of the top platforms by many viewers. This is primarily due to its staggering content that soars well beyond the company's trove of memorable animated classics. Disney+ also boasts tons of original content based on numerous Marvel properties and the "Star Wars" franchise, arguably some of the biggest cornerstones of pop culture. With hit shows like "Andor" and "The Falcon and the Winter Solider," it's easy for Disney to have the upper hand in the contested streaming wars.
In addition, Disney+ may already be bracing itself for some significant changes down the line, especially with the returning Disney CEO Bob Iger. Iger has already shared plans with company employees to focus on supplying Disney+ with more excellent content down the line. And its latest move may soon get the ball rolling in that regard. At the very least, it's sure to excite the hearts of many anime fans. Thanks to an expanded deal with the manga publisher and anime producer Kodansha, Disney+ is slated to give viewers more anime.
Disney+ will air Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney will co-produce more anime originals for its streaming service Disney+, thanks to expanding its deal with Japanese publisher Kodansha. As reported by Variety, Kodansha representative director and president Yoshinobu Noma noted that the 70-year partnership between the companies will now expand beyond the publishing realm and into anime and streaming. Other streaming competitors like Netflix and Crunchyroll already have a solid foothold in co-producing hit anime series such as "Baki" and "Blade Runner: Black Lotus." So it makes perfect sense that Disney would also seek to expand within this avenue.
Disney couldn't have also found a better company to team with for this venture considering Kondasha's legacy of classic and modern anime and manga titles. Some of Kondasha's most well-known works include "Attack On Titan," Ghost In The Shell," "Fairy Tail," and "Akira" (via Anime News Network). As far as new original anime series to produce and air, Disney will have a king's buffet of worthy titles to choose from. And we at least know that Disney+ already has exclusive streaming rights to one of the publisher's current hit anime.
The Hollywood Reporter further wrote that Disney+ will stream "Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc" in 2023. It is the follow-up to the first season of "Tokyo Revengers," which streamed on Crunchyroll. This wouldn't be the first time Disney shook up the anime world with exclusive anime streaming. Surprisingly, "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" is currently streaming through Disney+ and Hulu.