news culture Dragon Ball exclusive on DNA: Is the Netflix of Japanese Crunchyroll anime in danger?
The announcement had the effect of a bomb in the spheres of insiders, and even beyond. Dragon Ball, the greatest manga of all time, arrives exclusively on DNA. Does this endanger Crunchyroll, the SVOD service specializing in Japanese anime that has dominated the market since its merger with Wakanim in 2022?
Summary
- A historic agreement with ADN
- Alternatives to DNA in France to see Dragon Ball
- Crunchyroll’s answer to DNA
A historic agreement with ADN
On November 22, 2022 at 5:59 p.m., Animation Digital Network, a French simulcast (for Simultaneous broadcast) platform, signed an agreement with the rights holders of Dragon Ball, which is a milestone in the history of manga and Japanese animation. Indeed, from mid-December, the 5 animated series adapted from the work of Akira Toriyama land on ADN in the original (thus Japanese) and French version. Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z Kai, a remastering of the 1989 series, are due out on December 15, 2022. On January 4, 2023, it’s Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super’s turn to make a grand entrance on the service. SVOD. Finally, in 2023 without further details, Dragon Ball Z will complete the saga. This partnership, which required several years of work represents an unprecedented achievement for ADN.
Alternatives to DNA in France to see Dragon Ball
Seeing or reviewing Dragon Ball in France has always been an obstacle course, with rights being shared, often partially, by multiple actors. Fans (or not for that matter) wishing to (re)discover the adventures of Son Goku and his allies had to change SVOD service according to the signed agreements. Between MYTF1, Amazon Prime Video, etc. you had to juggle all the time. Worse still, the various animated series mentioned earlier were no longer available in 2022 on French territory. The only credible alternative was to obtain the complete version in physical format, on DVD and/or Blu-ray, for several tens or even hundreds of euros.
At the time of writing these few lines, only the film Dragon Ball Super: Broly as well as Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super are listed on a competing DNA streaming platform. Amazon Prime Video offers the confrontation between the Z warriors and the legendary warrior (Broly) while MYTF1 still displays the series mentioned above. However, the episodes are no longer available on the site.
Crunchyroll’s answer to DNA
On March 1, 2022, Crunchyroll formalizes its merger with Wakanim and therefore their respective catalog of anime from Japan. Started on April 1, 2022, what is actually an absorption is still continuing in December and should end in 2023 with the arrival of the last diehards on Sony’s “orange” SVOD service. Crunchyroll then became the main player in the Japanese animated series market in France., and more generally in the West. Can the arrival of Dragon Ball on DNA shake the Netflix of the simulcast?
Yes and no. Admittedly, Dragon Ball has an aura like no other, far beyond the Big Three formed in the mid-2000s by One Piece, Naruto and Bleach. That’s a fact. There is on one side of the chessboard Dragon Ball and on the other the outsiders… except for the work of Eiichiro Oda which is on a par with that of Akira Toriyama. By the way, One Piece anime series is available on Anime Digital Network and Crunchyroll. However, only ADN currently owns the rights to broadcast the films and OAVs.
ADN’s main strength lies in its catalog of “retro” anime (Naruto, Death Note, Detective Conan, Saint Seiya, etc.) ideal for perfecting its culture. Nevertheless, Crunchyroll presents solid arguments to seduce Japanimation lovers, starting with the new Big Three – My Hero Academia / Demon Slayer / Jujutsu Kaisen – as well as the unmissable Attack on Titan. These anime series alone justify the subscription to this platform for thousands of people. And these are not the only arguments put forward… far from it.
Just this fall (2022), two other series are delighting subscribers. Indeed, the first seasons of Chainsaw Man and Blue Lock unleash passions and can be found after each trending episode on Twitter and the internet at large. It is also worth mentioning Mob Psycho III and Spy x Family Part 2. Finally, the 2023 calendar is already looking full with the no less expected Tokyo Revengers Season 2, Trigun Stampede and Hell’s Paradise, to name but a few.