The Problem: Current State of Anime

The current anime industry operates through a complex web of intermediaries and agents, creating several key challenges:

• Lack of Transparency: Legacy anime licensing is dominated by large conglomerates that limit global access, especially for small and mid-sized licensees. Deals are too complex, resulting in suboptimal global distribution and leaving many IPs under-monetized.

• Misaligned Incentives with Suboptimal Value Distribution: Current production committee systems fragment decision-making and profit-sharing. Creators and fans often find themselves at the bottom of the value chain, capturing only a fraction of the value they help generate.

• Passive Fandom with Limited Influence: Despite being home to some of the most engaged and active fanbases, anime fans have long been relegated to the role of passive consumers, with minimal avenues to connect with industry participants and express their fandom through more impactful means.

tl;dr

The anime industry is tightly controlled by big corporations and centralized platforms, limiting access to creators while leaving fans on the sidelines. This stranglehold stifles innovation, prevents meaningful collaboration, and relegates fans to passive consumers instead of active participants, ultimately resulting in missed opportunities and suppressed creativity.