Aniplex, the Sony Music Entertainment Japan subsidiary behind the global hit "Demon Slayer", has laid out a global expansion strategy under Nishimoto Shu, who was appointed president earlier this year. In his first extended interview since taking the role, Nishimoto set out plans to deepen the studio's presence in international markets, treat each of its intellectual-property franchises as long-term global assets, and move cautiously into artificial intelligence, while keeping anime at the heart of a business spanning theatrical film, live-action drama and live events. The move matters because anime has shifted from a niche import to a mainstream force in global pop culture, and Aniplex is positioning itself to capitalise on that growth.

Nishimoto, who joined Aniplex in 2009 and served as president of Aniplex of America from 2017, succeeded Atsuhiro Iwakami after the latter was promoted to lead parent company Sony Music Entertainment Japan. He values Japan's anime industry at around JPY4 trillion (roughly $25 billion), with more than half already generated overseas and that share expected to keep rising. Rather than reshaping what Aniplex produces, his approach is to widen each IP's reach across streaming, merchandising, games, exhibitions and other formats, while protecting a two-track model that balances adaptations of manga and novels against original works. He stresses preserving "the essence of Japanese creativity" rather than diluting titles to suit global tastes, and argues that building a genuine global franchise requires an international perspective from the very start of planning and production.