Sony Acquisition Gets Kadokawa to Double Publishing Goal: 9,000 Volumes Annually!

by

Summary

  • Sony’s 10% investment in Kadokawa is valued at 50 billion yen and aims to expand operations.
  • Kadokawa raises publication target to 9,000 volumes annually under CEO’s direction.
  • Collaboration between Kadokawa and Sony will impact anime industry growth and global reach.

Kadokawa is planning to broaden its business scope following Sony’s acquisition of approximately a tenth of its shares. This purchase, which includes shares that Sony had owned previously, totals 50 billion yen or roughly $322 million. The transaction was finalized on January 7, 2025.

In this arrangement, these two corporations have been partnering extensively on various ventures. However, this agreement elevates their partnership to unprecedented heights, with potential consequences that could significantly shape the anime industry over both the intermediate and long run.

Kadokawa’s CEO, Takeshi Natsuno, has shared that they plan to increase their original goal of releasing 7,000 books (including novels, manga, and various other book types) annually, up to a new target of 9,000 volumes.

The Original Target Was Set In 2023

Originally, the objective set back in 2023 was quite daring, especially when paired with their aim to boost anime production. As early as 2021, they had declared their intention to create 40 anime productions (TV shows, movies, and other formats) every year by 2023. However, they raised the bar even higher in 2023 with an even more challenging goal.

Beyond simply increasing the amount of content they provide, their goal is to reach a broader range of viewers. However, for some, Kadokawa has attempted to grow at a pace that exceeds the industry’s capacity. This rapid expansion has led to delays in many anime series they produce due to “production challenges” and other quality concerns.

Kadokawa Wants To Reach A Wider Audience

Kadokawa Corporation, with its focus on international growth and multilingual content dissemination, has been making strategic moves. The recent news about Crunchyroll Manga’s return could imply that Sony is a crucial part of their strategy. Kadokawa has disclosed that the deal involves a partnership for book distribution.

It’s worth noting that Kadokawa has a share in Yen Press too, meaning they aren’t solely reliant on Sony for the publication of their works in English. Furthermore, Crunchyroll can potentially offer a more convenient route for Kadokawa to distribute their publications globally, particularly in regions where anime is streamed with local subtitles. This could make it simpler for them to expand beyond English-speaking markets.

It’s important to note that the earlier versions of Crunchyroll Manga were never translated into other languages, even after they started expanding globally. This might be due to contractual constraints, as it’s possible that Crunchyroll was not permitted to translate those manga into languages other than English according to their contracts.

Read More

2025-01-17 08:34