TV Asahi Details Blueprint for Anime's Enduring Success in India, Highlighting Co-Production Push
4 days ago
Share this news:
TV Asahi executives have confirmed that the enduring success of Japanese animation in the Indian market rests squarely on massive episode counts and consistent, long-term broadcasting. Maiko Sumida, who handles International Business Development for TV Asahi, explained that foundational shows like Doraemon, Ninja Hattori-kun, and Crayon Shin-chan established a crucial foothold two decades ago.
These series became fixtures on local kids' channels, offering thousands of episodes ready to fill airtime year after year. This volume strategy built deep viewer trust and familiarity, capitalizing on India’s massive youth demographic, which currently includes roughly 230 million people aged 10 or younger—a population double the size of Japan's entire population.
While the content originates in Japan, TV Asahi relies heavily on local partners to manage distribution. These partners handle necessary dubbing, cultural adjustments, and strategic scheduling to ensure the shows hit peak viewing times for children in the morning and evening.
The focus is now shifting toward co-productions to secure future growth. TV Asahi is actively teaming up with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) to revive Obocchama-kun, based on Yoshinori Kobayashi’s 1986 manga.
This new comedy series about a rich kid involves Japanese teams handling scripts and designs while animation production is executed in India. The project is set to result in 26 half-hour episodes. Obocchama-kun premiered at MIPCOM 2024 and screened in Nagoya on December 14, 2025.
Sumida noted that shared cultural touchpoints—such as family dynamics, school life, and student-teacher conflicts—help the content cross borders easily. She attributed TV Asahi’s initial success simply to being the pioneers who arrived early with Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan. SPNI’s Ronojoy Chakraborty backed this assessment, citing the show's relatable, playful nature as key to its success.
India is currently leading TV Asahi’s co-production efforts, demonstrating a clear blueprint of volume, timing, and partnership for lasting international reach.