Disney Invests in Anime but Limits Marketing to Asia
Disney is expanding its anime library, securing exclusive streaming rights to roughly 2-3% of new anime production through a long-term output deal with Kodansha. However, the company's marketing and promotion for these titles remains heavily concentrated in Asia, leaving global audiences largely unaware of the expansion. The upcoming series "Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation," a wholly Japanese-produced original anime featuring multiple Disney intellectual properties, exemplifies this strategy. Despite being announced nearly four years ago and having a major presence at AnimeJapan 2025 in Tokyo, Disney only recently confirmed its global streaming availability to outlets like Variety and Deadline, just two months before its premiere. Other titles, such as "Bullet/Bullet" from "Jujutsu Kaisen" director Sunghoo Park, received English-language promotion only from the Disney+ Singapore YouTube channel. Disney+ monthly release calendars in July detailed numerous documentaries and resort walkthroughs but omitted anime titles. On Hulu, anime remains a tertiary focus within the Animayhem brand. This limited marketing has led fans to describe anime on Disney+ as being in "Disney Jail."