Southeast Asia Enters New Animation Era
Southeast Asia Enters New Animation Era After Jumbo’s Success
Breakout hit Jumbo, and rising animation market growth in Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea signals Southeast Asia’s push toward a scalable, IP-driven animation industry.
Highlights
- JAFF Market 2025 signaled a major shift for Southeast Asian animation, with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Korea stating that the region is entering a growth phase.
- Indonesia’s record-breaking hit Jumbo proved that large-scale animated films from outside Japan and the West can dominate APAC animation box offices.
- New animated projects show momentum, but long-term global competitiveness will rely on sustained budgets, faster production cycles, and distribution pipelines that support premium storytelling.
Asian animation took center stage at the 2025 JAFF Market in Yogyakarta, where producers from Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea argued that the region is entering a decisive expansion phase. The panel discussed the potential of regional animation efforts, citing Indonesia’s breakout hit Jumbo (2025), which became the highest-grossing motion picture in Southeast Asia.
The box office success of Jumbo challenged the assumption that only Japanese or Western animated features can succeed in Asian markets. Visinema’s (the studio behind Jumbo) chief content officer, Anggia Kharisma, emphasized that they need an industry ecosystem and distribution partners who can believe in them to get ahead.
Across the board, panelists also suggested that these markets currently need new investors and better distribution partners for quality animation. Finecut’s CEO Suh Young-joo stated, the market is “expanding to wider audiences more than ever now.”
What’s Driving Asia’s Animation Acceleration
After Japan and China cemented their seats in the global animation market, other Asian markets, such as South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia, are aiming to create original IPs and expand market presence. Visinema CEO Herry B. Salim emphasized that Indonesia consumes a lot of foreign animation without contributing anything to its market. He aims to create entire IPs, an endeavour he welcomed the government and investors to join.
The momentum centered around the vision to promote regional IPs. Malaysian marketing firms have boosted slice-of-life narratives, such as Boboi Boy and Ejen Ali. Malaysia’s Komet Production representative, Ahmad Izham Omar, announced their upcoming animated series, Kisah Bawah Tanah, explores “a sense of entering adulthood,” stepping away from usual 12 and under themes. Visinema also announced their upcoming project, which they said “carries on the essence of its previous hit counterpart.”
Kharisma emphasized the need to “create stories that help them [children] to grow.” She underscores that the way a story is told impacts the reception. A strong reception of Jumbo has proved that.
However, the panelists also highlighted some constraints. Kharisma informed that Jumbo took seven years to be completed, which is quite a lengthy production time for an animated feature. Young-joo also revealed that their $20M budgeted Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarves was a “very ambitious production” for them.
Albeit the issues, these emerging markets are preparing for their next step with new projects, strategy, and investment calls. The JAFF Market 2025 pointed out that Southeast Asia’s animation sector is scaling up, but its long-term success will depend on sustained financing, consistent production quality, and stronger regional distribution pipelines.
Author
Kamalikaa Biswas is a content writer at Outlook Respawn specializing in pop culture. She holds a Master's in English Literature from University of Delhi and leverages her media industry experience to deliver insightful content on the latest youth culture trends.
