Dragon Ball and One Piece veteran director says "predictable Disney-style works" are to thank for anime's increasing popularity outside Japan

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Wish upon a star

A close-up of Luffy holding his fist during the anime One Piece.
(Image credit: Toei Animation/Crunchyroll)

It's impossible to ignore anime's growing popularity. In Japan, the likes of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle are breaking records but, in the US and beyond, shows such as Solo Leveling are becoming genuine bonafide hits.

Speaking to President Online (H/T Automaton Media), Dragon Ball and One Piece director Tatsuya Nagamine and Toei producer Shinji Shimizu share their grand theories as to why anime has become such a sensation on western shores – and it's partly down to Disney.

"Right now, only Japanese animation offers bizarre stories where you truly can’t predict what will happen next," Nagamine offered.

Shimizu weighed in, "Japanese anime comes from comics. There is great care put into the characters. Disney, on the other hand, has predetermined storylines, and there is always a happy ending. In Japanese anime, you may see a protagonist die halfway through, or a villain turn out to be a hero – it’s made to be satisfying even for adults."

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

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.

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