'Netflix of the Anime World' Crunchyroll Announces Entry Into South Korea in the Second Half

Crunchyroll, dubbed the "Netflix of the anime world," is set to enter South Korea.

Crunchyroll, an OTT platform, said it would expand into South Korea for the North American market for a variety of anime, on June 16 (local time). At the time, Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini said it would strengthen its presence across Asia through South Korea and Taiwan.

Crunchyroll built a distinct brand image by focusing on Japanese anime aimed at the North American market. Going beyond a simple OTT platform, it captured anime fans in North America by theatrically distributing 〈Theatrical Jujutsu Kaisen 0〉, 〈Theatrical Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle〉, and 〈Theatrical Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc〉.

Crunchyroll is reportedly preparing to target entry into the South Korean market in the second half of the year. While South Korea currently has LAFTEL, an anime-focused OTT platform, and Netflix taking the lead in anime distribution, attention is on how Crunchyroll plans to shake up the market.