Netflix launching 40 new anime shows, including its first original Japanese anime

At the virtually-held AnimeJapan 2021 Expo, Netflix announced that it would launch 40 new original anime series in 2021 – nearly double the number of anime series that it released last year. 

One of the new anime series is Eden, Netflix’s first original Japanese anime series. 

Previously, Netflix had released original anime programmes, but they were usually Japanese-American co-productions or licensed from different Japanese studios. 

Animated by Qubic Pictures and CGCG Studio, Eden is set thousands of years into the future, where sentient robots have replaced humans for so long that humans are known as “forbidden ancient myths”. When two robots discover a human baby who had been cryogenically frozen, they raise her in secret.

The four-episode sci-fi series is set to be released on May 27. 

Other notable anime series coming to Netflix include The Way of the Househusband, an adaptation of a beloved manga series, and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, which is based on theJapanese horror video game franchise.

Netflix’s new original anime releases couldn’t have come at a better time – according to Taiki Sakurai, Netflix’s chief anime producer, the global viewing of anime shows has been gradually growing by about 50 per cent a year. He added that half of Netflix’s 200 million subscribers watched at least one anime show in recent months.

He said: “The growth of our business is directly connected to the growth of our anime. We want to be able to pride ourselves as being the top entertainment destination with good quality content.”

The global market for animed reached US$23 billion (S$31 billion) in 2019, and is estimated to expand to more than US$36 billion (S$48.6 billion) by 2025.