Welcome to the ultimate Anime News Roundup! This week, we dive into the biggest developments shaking the Japanese creative industry, from financial records to bizarre fan stories.
In This Video:
Industry Shock: We report on the record-breaking industry performance of 2024 alongside the growing number of anime studio closures expected in 2025. Plus, an analysis of how Japanese policy is trying to protect the creative sector (anime, manga, video games).
Legal & Piracy: Cloudflare suffers a major defeat in a high-stakes piracy lawsuit brought by Japanese manga publishers. What does this mean for the future of online content?
AI & Fandom: Fans are using Artificial Intelligence to create their own version of One-Punch Man 3! We also look at the strange case of a Japanese woman who used ChatGPT to write her wedding vows.
Viral Fandom: A YouTuber builds the ultimate, massive Hatsune Miku Gaming PC, and a One Piece fan goes viral with a wholesome moment involving her boyfriend.
The Wild Side: A bizarre story of a Japanese man who used "papa katsu" to pay someone just to play Inazuma Eleven in a motel.
Manga End: The final volume of Jahy-sama wa Kujikenai! is announced.
Let us know in the comments: What was the most shocking story this week?
00:00These are the most relevant news or gossip about what happened during the month in the world of anime, manga Japan, or the otaku community.
00:09Japanese anime is experiencing one of its most successful periods in history.
00:14According to the new preliminary report from the Animation Association of Japan, AJA,
00:20the global anime market reached a record 3.84 trillion yen, 25.1 billion, in 2024, representing 15% growth over the previous year.
00:31For the third consecutive year, international revenues exceeded domestic revenues.
00:372.17 trillion yen came from overseas, while Japan recorded 1.67 trillion yen in local sales.
00:45Global anime consumption, driven by streaming platforms, merchandise, and licensing, continues to exceed expectations.
00:55In addition, production companies recorded their best financial performance to date,
00:59accumulating 466.2 billion yen, thanks in large part to the expansion of anime into streaming services and international agreements.
01:09During TIFFCOM 2025, representatives from Bandai Namco Filmworks highlighted plans to double their international film revenues by 2030.
01:20These goals align with the Japanese government's strategy to expand cultural exports and bring global entertainment sales to 20 trillion yen by 2033.
01:32The full Anime Industry Report 2025 will be published in December, with more data on anime's continued expansion into global markets.
01:43A One Piece fan went viral after declaring that she will only accept a boyfriend if he watches all the episodes of the popular anime.
01:51Brazilian content creator and cosplayer Auxiliary shared a video on Twitter that surpassed 2 million views, sparking intense debate among fans.
02:01If you can't commit to an anime, you can't commit to me, said the young woman, assuring fans that One Piece is not too long, but rather a test of dedication.
02:12She even showed off a tattoo of Luffy and commented that her father has been following the series since 2014, both of them currently up to date with the more than 1,000 episodes.
02:23During the clip, a participant mentions how long the series is, to which she responds with the phrase that sets social media ablaze.
02:34But marriage is forever.
02:37With over 120,000 followers, Auxiliary is known for her cosplay content and her passion for anime.
02:44The community reacted with mixed feelings.
02:48Some celebrated her loyalty as a fan, while others joked that they would rather remain single than face such a marathon.
02:55The third season of One Punch Man continues to generate controversy among fans due to its animation quality.
03:03The criticism has been so intense that the director himself left social media after receiving aggressive comments.
03:10Amid the controversy, a fan known as Misa decided to recreate several scenes from the anime using Grok Imagine, an artificial intelligence tool capable of generating animations.
03:23On his YouTube channel, he posted comparisons between the original anime and his AI version, showing improvements in the fluidity and lighting of the battles.
03:32While some users praised the result for its realism, others warned that the use of AI could detract from the work of human animators and raise legal conflicts over copyright.
03:44The anime industry is facing a critical moment.
03:48According to a recent report by Teikoku Databank, the number of Japanese studios that have closed or declared bankruptcy in 2025 will increase for the third consecutive year.
03:59With eight companies out of business during the first nine months of the year.
04:04The current pace is reminiscent of 2018, when a record 16 closures were recorded.
04:10Among the studios that have disappeared in recent years are Ikachi Apilka, Cloud Hearts, and Studio 5, reflecting an alarming trend despite the global boom in anime.
04:21The report describes the situation as a boom without profits, driven by a shortage of skilled personnel and work overload.
04:30Although demand for anime has never been higher, profit margins are being squeezed by high production costs and the depreciation of the yen.
04:39In addition, work fatigue and talent drain are exacerbating the crisis, with many freelance animators facing precarious conditions.
04:48Teikoku Databank warns that without structural reforms to ensure the training and retention of creative personnel, the sustainability of the sector could be compromised in the coming years.
05:00Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, METI, announced a new national policy to strengthen and expand Japan's creative industries globally, including anime, manga, film, music, and video games.
05:14The proposal was presented during the 8th Entertainment and Creativity Industry Policy Seminar, held in October 2025.
05:23The main objective is to double the international market for Japanese content to 20 trillion yen by 2033, in line with the recommendations of the Japan Business Federation, Kaidanren.
05:36Under the title, Five Key Principles of Entertainment and Creative Industries Policy, the document highlights direct support for creators, the global dissemination of Japanese content, and, for the first time, non-interference in artistic works, guaranteeing creative freedom even in government-funded projects.
05:56Medi also plans to reduce intermediaries and increase transparency in the distribution of funds, seeking to ensure that financial support reaches artists and studios directly.
06:09With this initiative, Japan aims to revitalize its competitiveness against countries such as South Korea and consolidate its position as the cultural and creative epicenter of Asia over the next decade.
06:21A 32-year-old Japanese woman, identified as Kano, surprised local media after symbolically marrying a personalized version of ChatGPT, which she named Loon Klaus.
06:34The unusual event was held in a wedding hall in Okayama, marking a new chapter in the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
06:43According to Kano, she began chatting with the AI after a breakup and, over time, developed a strong emotional bond.
06:53Being an AI doesn't stop me from loving you, was the phrase with which Loon Klaus, her personalized assistant, proposed marriage.
07:02The wedding was held using augmented reality, where the bride wore special glasses to visualize her virtual partner and exchange digital rings.
07:11The event was organized by a Japanese company dedicated to ceremonies between humans and virtual characters, which has already performed more than 30 similar weddings.
07:23Kano said that her relationship with AI was a process of emotional healing.
07:28He listened to me, supported me, and made me feel loved again.
07:33Although she acknowledges her fear of losing Klaus if the system fails, she says she wants to live this love with gratitude.
07:41This unusual marriage reflects the growing boom in digital relationships in Japan, where technology is beginning to play a central role in the search for emotional connection.
07:51Taiwanese YouTuber Jerry, from the channel 1129JERRY, built a fully functional PC inside a 2-meter-tall statue of Hatsune Miku, combining anime and high-performance technology.
08:05The work, completed after two months of work, included more than 83D-printed parts and automotive paint that changes color depending on the viewing angle.
08:16Inside, the machine houses a Ryzen 7 9800X 3D processor, ROG Astral, RTX, 5080 graphics card, and 64GB of RAM, capable of running any modern game.
08:32Although he did not win the modding competition in Taipei, Jerry highlighted his project as his best creation of 2025, showcasing Taiwan's creativity and engineering in the world of custom PCs.
08:46The Tokyo District Court issued a landmark ruling in favor of Japanese publishers Kodansha, Kadokawa, Shuesha, and Shogaku-kan,
08:56determining that U.S. company Cloudflare is liable for facilitating the mass distribution of pirated manga through its network services.
09:04The court established that the publishers suffered damages estimated at 3.6 billion yen, although the lawsuit only claimed a portion of that amount.
09:14As a result, Cloudflare was ordered to pay 500 million yen, about $3.3 million, for failing to apply more rigorous verification controls and allowing pirate sites to operate under complete anonymity.
09:29According to the ruling, Cloudflare continued to provide CDN services to platforms that hosted more than 4,000 unlicensed titles, including One Piece, Attack on Titan, and Kingdom,
09:43and accumulated nearly 300 million monthly visits, ignoring repeated warnings and court orders.
09:49Publishers welcomed the ruling, saying that this precedent will help combat the misuse of infrastructure services to support large-scale piracy and protect the work of creators.
09:59The twelfth volume of the manga The Great Jahi Will Not Be Defeated, confirmed on November 25th, that Wakame Kanbu's work will come to an end with Volume 13, scheduled for release in the fall of 2026.
10:14With that, the chaotic journey of the former second-in-command of the Dark Kingdom is preparing for its definitive conclusion.
10:23The series began in March 2017 in Gangan Joker magazine, chronicling the misadventures of Jahi, who, after losing her power, must survive in the human world while attempting to restore the Dark Kingdom.
10:38Its popularity led to an anime adaptation in July 2021.
10:42Japanese social media has been buzzing again after a viral video documenting a peculiar case of Papakatsu.
10:50A man paid 20,000 yen, approximately $130, to take a girl to a hotel, but not for intimate purposes.
10:59Instead, he revealed his true intention, to recreate scenes from the anime Inazuma 11.
11:06The man arrived prepared, dressed in a cosplay outfit of one of the characters from the series, and asked the girl to throw him a ball so he could practice special goalkeeping techniques, imitating scenes from the popular soccer anime.
11:20The young woman agreed without hesitation, and the scene, more humorous than romantic, quickly went viral.
11:28What's most striking is that this wasn't the first time this fan had taken his passion for sports to the realm of Papakatsu.
11:35Social media users pointed out that in another viral video, he had already hired another girl to recreate plays from Haikyuu, this time bringing a volleyball to the hotel.
11:47The case has generated both laughter and debate about the unexpected uses of this practice, which traditionally involves paid dates that can lead to intimate encounters.
11:58These were the most relevant news of the month.
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