By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Crunchyroll is launching a long-term anime-focused celebration called Ani-May with global retail and digital licensing partnerships.
The partnerships will include a variety of consumer products collections, digital activations, and in-store promotions based on licensed anime series.
The licensed consumer products will include apparel, accessories, footwear, home, back to school, toys and more. Properties celebrated through the month of May will include Attack on Titan, JUJUTSU KAISEN, My Hero Academia, Toilet Bound Hanako-kun, Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, and more.
“Anime is a global phenomenon, capturing the hearts and minds of fans all over the world,” said Crunchyroll VP, Anna Songco Adamian. “To celebrate this dynamic medium, we’ve curated an incredible lineup of products with best-in-class retail partners that will help the anime community express their fandom not just in Ani-May, but all year long.”
The specialty retailer Hot Topic will host several themed in-store retail activations for Crunchyroll’s Ani-May promotion. These will include dedicated Ani-May window takeovers at Hot Topic stores, a wide range of licensed merchandise and collectibles, and a free 30-day trial offer of Crunchyroll Premium with the purchase of anime merchandise. The Hot Topic x Crunchyroll promotions will run throughout the month of May across all Hot Topic stores in the United States and Canada.
The UK-based retailer HMV will offer merchandise and home entertainment products for purchase online and at over a hundred HMV retail locations that are based on licensed Crunchyroll anime franchises.
Games Academy Funside is offering a collection of anime-themed consumer products at stores across Italy. A licensed Crunchyroll gift will be given with each in-store purchase. The retailer will also offer additional activations on their e-commerce website.
FNAC España has prepared official Ani-May-themed podiums that feature official Crunchyroll merchandise at their FNAC San Augustin store in Valencia and their FNAC l’illa store in Barcelona. During the month of May, fans can visit these stores for a chance to win a free 30-day Crunchyroll Premium trial.
FNAC France’s Paris-based retail store, FNAC Ternes is also offering an Ani-May-branded area, a licensed product selection, and a chance to win a free 30-day Crunchyroll Premium trial.
The specialty fashion retailer, Piticas will feature Ani-May apparel and accessories in over four hundred retail locations across the Brazil region.
Cuidado con el Perro will serve anime fans in Mexico with a variety of licensed products across more than two hundred retail locations.
The Falabella department store chain will also feature a wide selection of anime merchandise throughout Ani-May in Chile, Colombia and Peru.
The German book retailer, Thalia will feature licensed Crunchyroll manga franchises and Ani-May marketing activations for the month-long event.
In addition to these retail partnerships, the Crunchyroll Store is offering May-long discounts, limited-edition product launches, and an exclusive pin featuring the company’s mascot, Crunchyroll-Hime. These offers will be available for customers in both the U.S. and Canada.
Crunchyroll is an independently-operated joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex that offers an extensive catalog of both
free ad-supported and paid subscription-based anime, gaming, and manga content.
The Crunchyroll platform currently offers more than forty-four thousand episodes of anime content in over ten different languages.