'Squid Game' and anime show strength of Asia strategy: Netflix VP

Half of streaming service's global users watch anime, Minyoung Kim says

20250717N Netflix interview 2

Netflix brought an interactive version of "Squid Game" to this year's Anime Expo in Los Angeles. (Photo by Rei Nakafuji)

REI NAKAFUJI

LOS ANGELES -- U.S. streaming giant Netflix is doubling down on anime, for which viewership has tripled since 2021, Minyoung Kim, vice president of content for Asia, told Nikkei.

Through years of trial and error with different titles, the company realized that what anime fans outside Japan really want is "the Japanese culture that is very naturally melted into stories," said Kim, who oversees such global hits as "Squid Game."

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