Anime Hit 'Jujutsu Kaisen' Expands Indian Streaming Footprint

JioHotstar has begun streaming the second season of popular anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" with Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubbing, positioning itself in India's rapidly expanding anime market as platforms compete for viewers through localized content.

The shift toward localized content has become particularly pronounced, with roughly 65% of Indian anime viewers now preferring dubbed versions over Japanese audio with subtitles.

JioHotstar recently added the show's first season and now offers the complete series to date, using audio dubbing previously aired on Sony YAY!'s television broadcasts. This differs from competing streamer Crunchyroll, which offers its own Hindi, Tamil and Telugu tracks for the series among its catalog of over 80 Hindi-dubbed titles.

The localization push gives JioHotstar a competitive edge over international platforms. While Netflix and Amazon Prime Video stream "Jujutsu Kaisen" in Japanese with subtitles, they lack Indian language options for the series, creating an opening for platforms offering regional dubbing.

Streaming Platforms Expand Language Options to Capture Growing Anime Demand

Based on Gege Akutami's manga series, "Jujutsu Kaisen" centers on high school student Yuji Itadori, who becomes host to an ancient curse called Ryomen Sukuna. The 23-episode second season, which originally aired from July 2023, covers two major story arcs including a flashback sequence and the climactic Shibuya Incident.

Animation studio MAPPA produced the series with Hiroshi Seko as writer. While Sunghoo Park directed the first season, Shōta Goshozono helmed the second installment.

The franchise's expansion continues with the prequel film "Jujutsu Kaisen 0," which has received certification from Culver Max Entertainment for Hindi dubbing and is expected to debut soon on Sony YAY! with Tamil and Telugu versions. Sony YAY! plans further language expansion into Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada, reflecting anime's growing pan-India appeal.

The localization strategy has proven particularly effective in reaching beyond metropolitan centers. Anime viewership has expanded significantly into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where regional dubbing has helped titles like "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Demon Slayer" achieve breakout success. Indian streaming platforms now report over 60 minutes of average daily anime watch time among users, driven largely by action-oriented shonen titles including "Solo Leveling" and "Jujutsu Kaisen."

JioHotstar's anime push follows its recent rebranding and merger with JioCinema, as the platform seeks to compete more directly with specialized services like Crunchyroll, which is expanding its own Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi offerings.

For viewers preferring the original Japanese audio with English subtitles, the series remains available on Netflix and Ani-One Asia. The varied platform strategies highlight how streaming services are tailoring their approaches to capture different segments of India's diverse anime audience.