Sword Art Online Director Says Anime Could Rival Hollywood

Japanese anime has reached a scale where it could rival, or even be positioned as a replacement of Hollywood as a global cultural force, according to Tomohiko Ito, best known for directing Sword Art Online.  In a recent interview with Daily Shincho on Jan 4, 2026, Ito argued that anime’s rapid international expansion has created an opportunity for Japanese studios to lead the global entertainment industry. However, he cautioned against chasing “global appeal” at the expense of creative identity. 

Ito’s comments come amidst another strong year for the anime industry. In 2025, anime films and series continued to observe steady streaming demand and growing box office revenue. The record-breaking success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle proved that anime is no longer a niche export but a mainstream pillar in the global entertainment market, particularly across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Ito stressed that this expansion began when “Aniplex acquired Crunchyroll in 2020 (as reported by Automaton),” and the pandemic situation worked as an accelerator for anime’s global reach. Additionally, he thinks “the influential power of Hollywood movies has been weakening,” which could create a void that is gradually being filled by Japanese anime.

Why Ito Believes Anime Can Rival Hollywood

Ito’s optimism rests on both market performance and creative resilience. He pointed out that the anime industry already has a pre-sold audience because it is often adapted from manga. He underscored the success of Demon Slayer movies, starting with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, which he believes proved the success potential of manga adaptations for theatrical releases.

He also mentioned Toei's Dragon Ball theatrical releases, which were not based on the original manga. He further noted that in recent years, after the success of Mugen Train, authors have been incorporating original works in movie productions.

He also mentioned that Toho has recently acquired a British anime distribution company, hinting that it might further the anime's global reach. Even though Ito didn't highlight how streaming has further amplified this reach, platforms like Netflix and Crunchyroll’s expanded simultaneous global releases reduced the lag that once limited anime’s international impact.

Like Hideki Anno, Ito Warned Against Chasing Global Appeal

Despite the confidence, Ito issued a clear warning that designing anime primarily for an assumed “global audience” could undermine the qualities driving its success. He argued that when creators overcorrect for overseas tastes, simplify themes, or decrease cultural specificity, the result often feels creatively weaker.

He emphasized the situation, stating that such measures could make the American audience think, “Japan is the only country that still produces works in which scantily clad girls battle, the kind of stuff that would be considered strange in North America.”

This view aligns closely with long-standing positions held by Hideaki Anno, the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Anno has previously stated that he does not believe creating works “for the global market” is the right approach, adding that audiences should adapt to the work rather than the work adapting to them.

Like Ito, Anno has repeatedly argued that anime’s global appeal emerged precisely because it remained rooted in domestic sensibilities, not because it tried to imitate Western storytelling. In this scenario, Ito also highlighted that Japan’s anime industry often does not provide opportunities for producing original works. He believes that to create good screenplays for movies, screenwriters should keep practicing, noting that “you can't develop them unless you keep putting them into the field (machine translated from Japanese),” he stated. 

Disclaimer: Data obtained from the original interview in Japanese was machine-translated.