A major anime company knows what American audiences want: more shows with "vampire and zombie themes"

A woman wearing a hat in Uzumaki — (Image credit: Junji ITO, Shogakukan / Production I.G., LLC/Adult Swim)

Prolific anime and manga publisher Kadokawa is aiming to crack America and, now, its chief anime officer Daijo Kudo has outlined one of the surprising ways it can grow on western shores.

When discussing Kadokawa's overseas plans in an interview with Toyo Keizai (H/T Anime Corner), Kudo said, "We haven’t done a great job of it yet, but [at] Kadokawa too we must consider producing anime featuring vampire and zombie themes, which are well-liked by Western audiences."

Kudo added, "However, I don’t think there are many shortcuts. We need to create good animation and monetize it in various places, not just through Crunchyroll. Our basic strategy hasn’t changed, so for now, we want to continue on the same path we’ve always followed."

Arguably, anime has never been more popular in the US – and it's not down to the brain-munching undead or garlic-shunning bloodsuckers. Demon Slayer Infinity Castle has already broken pre-sales records before its September release in the US, with the likes of Solo Leveling proving to be a huge draw on Crunchyroll after its own record-breaking performance.

There's plenty more new anime on the horizon too in the coming fall season – including One-Punch Man season 3, Spy x Family season 3, and the Chainsaw Man movie.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.