TikTok has announced huge plans for anime as part of a new partnership the video platform is kicking off in Japan.
As one of the biggest social media applications in the world, TikTok holds considerable influence. The corporation has decided to use some of that power for good within the anime industry, by partnering with Nippon Anime and Film Culture Association.
The collaboration is aiming to help more people garner the skills necessary to one day make the best anime, with tutorials, unique spotlights on established creators, and other content from the NAFCA.“We are very grateful to TikTok for their support of the ‘Animator Skills Test’ that we’re planning to help develop human resources in the anime industry,” Masuo Ueda, NAFCA president, said in a statement. “In the future, we plan to distribute information about the ‘Animator Skills Test’ and one-point lessons for creators on TikTok.”
This deal isn’t unprecedented, since recent anime show Kaiju No 8 was simulcast on X/Twitter as part of a streaming agreement. Although platforms such as Netflix and Crunchyroll are the viewing option of choice for many, working with social media corporations opens up huge potential audiences that might not give any of this stuff a chance otherwise.
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As you might imagine, anime is already extremely popular on TikTok. A search of the tag at any given moment will give you a wealth of edits, memes, unboxings, and more. Lessons and process clips are there too, but they don’t stand out among the deluge of cosplays and skits, so this deal might help them find more viewers.
Yoichi Sato, general manager of TikTok in Japan, alluded to as much, saying that the company will “work extensively with people in the anime industry to provide various forms of support and spread the word about the industry.”
We’ll let you know if any of your favorite franchises are about to become TikTok sensations. In the meantime, keep our list of upcoming anime and our guides to Solo Leveling Season 2 and Tower of God Season 2 handy.
