Netflix Set to 'Eat' Crunchyroll with Its Next Big Anime (and It's a Must-Watch for Spy x Family Fans)

Summary

• The world of anime is a battleground for streaming platforms these days.
• Netflix has been strategically expanding its anime library and investing in original content.
• One of its original series is finally landing on the platform after more than four years of anticipation from anime fans everywhere.
• If this isn't going to be a hit, we don't know what is.

The competition for eyeballs is getting fiercer by the quarter. As public companies, the streaming giants need to show constant growth to their shareholders, so they are actively exploring new regions and new genres that can bring in subscribers.

Anime is certainly one of those genres. Every year, more and more viewers around the world discover and become addicted to the stories told in the unique Japanese style of animation. Typically, people choose specialized platforms like AnimeLand, HIDIVE or Crunchyroll to watch popular and emerging anime titles.

Crunchyroll takes the crown among them. In January this year, the company reported that its paid subscriber base had reached 13 million people. Just last week, the company absorbed one of its biggest competitors, Funimation. But it looks like Crunchyroll itself should be on guard, as Netflix has apparently set its giant eye on anime fans.

Netflix's Anime Strategy

The giant platform has been building its anime library for years. And it gets bigger and bigger every month. Basically, with a few exceptions, you can find all the major projects there. But that's not all the studio is doing to ensure the flow of new subscribers.

Netflix is flooding the streaming space with its original titles.

Netflix's live-action remakes of popular anime have been the talk of the town for some time now. After a few failed attempts like Death Note and Bleach, the studio seems to have found its groove, giving us One Piece, which became the sensation of 2023, and more recently Parasyte: The Grey, which people can't stop praising.

The same is true for animated series. In just a few days, Netflix is releasing a highly anticipated series that could very well steal quite a few fans from other anime streaming services.

Highly-Anticipated Anime

Yes, anime fans, the day has finally arrived. Next week, on April 17th, The Grimm Variations will be released on Netflix.

Why is everyone so excited about this show, you might ask? Well, the project, which was announced over four years ago (can you believe it's been that long?), sounds perfect on paper, thanks in large part to the people who surround it.

The Grimm Variations will be animated by WIT Studio, who brought us the early seasons of Attack on Titan and of course everyone's favorite Spy x Family. The script is by Michiko Yokote (Juken Sentai Gekiranger and Cowboy Bebop). Some of the character designs are by CLAMP, who did Cardcaptor Sakura and X.

If that's not the team that makes you automatically tune in, just listen to the concept of the show. As the title suggests, the series is basically a collection of Grimm's fairy tales with a modern setting and a dark, gore-ish twist (not that the original Grimm's tales were that lighthearted). So basically, it is a dark fantasy thriller made by all your favorite animemakers.

The six stories chosen for the remake are

• Cinderella
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Hansel and Gretel
• The Elves and the Shoemaker
• The Musicians of Bremen
• The Pied Piper of Hamelin

If you've forgotten any of these, now's the perfect time to catch up. After all, there's probably a book or two of Grimm's fairy tales lying around your house from when you were a kid.

Just make sure your kids don't join you in watching the new series that explores the eternal dark side of humanity. For now, they might be better off with the classic fairy tales.