Reading Between The Lines of Anime Expo

Here's what this year’s Anime Expo programming tells us about the anime and manga industry moving forward.

As our team prepares to travel to North America’s largest anime convention next week, we’ve already found some interesting insights from the announced programming and industry attendees.

But first…. - Klaudia A.

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Chart of the Week

The May anime simulcast engagement ranking is in. Let’s look at some of the most interesting results:

• The Beginning After the End was #1 in our viewership metrics for May, despite being the lowest-rated anime with over 100k viewers on MyAnimeList, and all the negative attention regarding its production quality. It seems that in this case, all press was good press. Its built-in audience of fans of the webnovel and webcomic adaptation might be disappointed, but they’re still building the hype.

• To Be Hero X is having a massive moment this season, likely due to prominent promotion from Crunchyroll, as the title is a co-production of Sony sister company, Aniplex. The show’s format of changing protagonists every few episodes, switching animation styles as a storytelling device, and the meta element of viewers being able to influence the hero rankings IRL plays into younger viewers fan behaviors online, creating constant weekly engagement.

• Old Country Bumpkin and Brilliant Healer both saw massive MOM increases in viewership from April to May. Both of these fantasy titles released mid-season PVs for the next season arcs, a new trend that seems to be aiding in maintaining and igniting interest with already well-performing seasonal titles.

  • Viewership for Brilliant Healer in English-speaking territories rose with the release of the English dub, which is on a two week delay from the Japanese simulcast. This follows what we regularly see in both web and survey data: isekai and isekai-adjacent fantasy title viewers are more likely to watch dubs over subs, because these formulaic, “comfort food” shows are often second screen forms of entertainment. - Chloe C.

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Entertainment At Large

NEON ICHIBAN is a $7 mil digital comics and manga platform from the folks behind DSTLRY (Comics Beat)

There’s a new western digital comics platform hitting the scene, with a ton of venture capital and the industry calling it a potential “Amazon killer,” since the Amazon acquisition of Comixology was such a mess. At launch it will have both western comics and manga titles, but it’s interesting that it has a partially Japanese name—a key indicator that any association with anime or manga is essential for any kind of comics to thrive in the modern market. - Klaudia A.

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On The Current State of the Webtoon Industry (Webtoon-ish)

Understanding the vertical webcomic, or webtoon industry, is now key to understanding the anime and manga industry, since there’s so much crossover nowadays. Mike Song has great analysis of the increasingly global medium every issue, and this issue in particular has essential insights. - Klaudia A.

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Ones to Watch

READ: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is an autobiographical work by author Nagata Kabi describing her life and mental health issues both before and after losing her virginity to a female sex worker. In a medium often (rightly) accused of a lack of realism, overindulgence, and fetishization, this is an extremely realistic insight into the types of issues people at the margins of normativity can face in society.

Anyone who has ever struggled with lack of acceptance, depression, or understanding their own needs and desires will surely take something away from this work. She turned this one-shot into an autobiographical series, with 5 more manga you should also read: My Solo Exchange Diary, My Alcoholic Escape From Reality, My Wandering Warrior Existence, and My Wandering Warrior Eating Disorder, in that order. - Miguel M.

WATCH: Princess Jellyfish

Kuragehime, or Princess Jellyfish, is a beloved josei manga by Akiko Higashimura, published from 2008-2017, whose 2010 anime adaptation is now old enough to be considered a classic. Its story of self-discovery, growth, and found family is timeless, and an essential watch (or read).

The characters are full of life, and have the kinds of interests and idiosyncrasies that make them feel like close friends. With just 11 episodes, it’s a great watch you can do in a night or a weekend. - Chloe C.

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Reading Between The Lines of Anime Expo

For the last seventeen years, I have rebuffed invitations to 4th of July BBQs and camping trips to endure 100° weather and endless crowds in downtown LA, for North America’s biggest celebration of all things anime: Anime Expo.

While I am doubtful that it will remain the largest event on the continent for long – that honor will likely shift to Anime NYC within the next few years – it is still “the big one”, the “if you can only do one event, do this one”, the best opportunity to flex for your fans/investors/peers, the launching pad for new players in the industry. Many big names in the anime and manga industry are featured guests and panelists, and an order of magnitude more will be attending incognito, opting for meetings in private venues. No longer will most key players risk being spotted or overheard in the JW Marriott lobby – anime is big business now.

When an event becomes this much of a focal point, it makes the topography of the industry easier to study. Each player is trying to plant their flags. The peaks and valleys of what each company prioritizes reflects on their goals and resources, in ways that are normally obscured. While some of the most critical observations will only be visible to those on the ground at the event, the Anime Expo 2025 schedule provides plenty of insights in advance.

Here are my biggest takeaways so far: