Prime Video Aims to Become Global Anime Destination
By securing worldwide rights to two iconic franchises and framing anime as a global priority alongside Korean and Indian content, Prime Video is positioning itself as a direct competitor to Netflix and Crunchyroll in the streaming anime market.
Reporting from 1 sources: Deadline Anime.
Prime Video held its first Prime Video Presents: International Originals showcase in London on Thursday, where Vice President for APAC & ANZ Gaurav Gandhi outlined the streamer's ambition to become "the preferred destination for anime content globally." Gandhi called anime "a category truly experiencing explosive growth" and pointed to three upcoming titles: a reboot of *Fist of the North Star: Hokuto No Ken* from TMS Entertainment that combines CGI and hand-drawn animation for the manga's 40th anniversary, a new *Ghost in the Shell* series set in a hyper-connected 2029 metropolis, and *From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman* Season 2, whose first season ranked among Prime Video's top ten titles in 45 countries. Prime Video holds worldwide rights to *Fist of the North Star* and *Ghost in the Shell* (except Russia and China), with an early exclusive window in Japan for the latter. The showcase also highlighted Korean romance originals and Indian content, with Gandhi noting that 25% of local content consumed on Prime Video India now comes from outside India.
The showcase, held in London, featured appearances from Stanley Tucci, Nicole Wallace, Mercedes Ron, Park Min-young, Wi Hajun, and Alia Bhatt, but the anime announcements carried the strongest strategic signal. Gandhi described *Ghost in the Shell* as "the most influential Japanese sci-fi work of all time" and *Fist of the North Star* as a property whose "cultural impact" few can match. The *Fist of the North Star* reboot marks the manga's 40th anniversary and will use a hybrid of CGI and hand-drawn animation-a technical choice that distinguishes it from prior adaptations. *From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman* Season 2 follows a first season that performed strongly across 45 countries, suggesting Prime Video sees proven audience demand for that series. Beyond anime, Gandhi showcased Korean romance originals including *Absolute Value of Romance*, *Human x Gumiho*, and *Siren's Kiss*, as well as Indian projects like Alia Bhatt's *Don't Be Shy*. The event's framing-tying anime, Korean drama, and Indian film under a single APAC content strategy-indicates Prime Video is treating anime not as a niche but as one pillar of a broader regional push.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.