Crunchyroll CEO Kun Gao (Left) stands with Crunchyroll General Manager Vince Shortino (Right)
Could this be a match meant to be?
Earlier today, Crunchyroll and Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corporation announced that they’ve entered a joint venture. The two organizations will create a new company that focuss on funding anime co-production projects. As of press time, the new company’s name, total investment, and scope of each player’s investment in the new organization is unknown.
The two companies hope that, by being part of anime production committee, they will be able to immediately acquire international rights and promote shows outside of Japan.
Sumitomo Corporation’s corporate officer and general manager Iehisa Nakamura stated that “with this partnership, the voice of worldwide anime fans can reach anime production studios directly through the Crunchyroll platform, which I believe will produce fascinating anime for a worldwide audience as a result. We would like to contribute to the development of the anime industry by creating new anime for worldwide Japanese anime fans with Crunchyroll.”
Source: Anime! Anime!, Anime News Network
