Netflix plans to launch 40 new anime series in 2021, according to Variety. The 40 series total is approximately twice the amount of anime Netflix launched in 2020.
Among the series Netflix will launch in the coming year are Record of Ragnarok, an adaptation of the popular gods-against-humans battle manga, Yasuke, a LaKeith Stanfield-led (Judas and the Black Messiah, Sorry to Bother You) series about Black samurai Yasuke, The Way of the Househusband, in which a former yakuza attempts to settle into a life of domesticity, and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, an animated entry to the video game franchise’s various adaptations.
This announcement from Netflix, which came during a virtual animation event in Japan, is part of push for Asian audiences, according to Bloomberg. The anime industry is estimated to be worth $23 billion, and other companies like Sony, which is working toward a potential acquisition of AT&T’s anime streamer Crunchyroll, have been trying to enter the space.
Taiki Sakurai, Netflix’s head producer for anime, said anime is important for the future success of Netflix.
“We want to be able to pride ourselves as being the top entertainment destination with good quality content,” Sakurai said, according to Bloomberg. “The growth of our business is directly connected to the growth of our anime.”
Blood of Zeus, an animated series rooted in Greek mythology, launched in 2020 on Netflix and became one of the top ten most watched shows on the streamer in over 70 countries, according to Bloomberg.