Anime streamer Crunchyroll is set to expand into Taiwan and South Korea as part of a broader effort to deepen its presence across Asia, president Rahul Purini revealed during a keynote conversation at APOS in Bali on Wednesday.

The expansion includes new investments in content, localization, marketing and fan engagement, with a localized service scheduled to launch in Taiwan this summer and in South Korea later this year. Taiwanese fans will have access to the platform’s full catalogue and simulcast lineup from launch.

While the market announcement was the headline news, Purini framed Crunchyroll’s strategy around a larger shift in how entertainment companies engage with audiences.

“Fandom is no longer just about what people like,” Purini said. “For many fans, it has become part of their identity and how they connect with others.”

Purini noted that anime now reaches approximately 1.5 billion fans globally, with particularly strong engagement among Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. Of that global fan base, around 10% are categorized as “fandom fans” – highly engaged viewers for whom anime is not just entertainment, but part of their cultural identity. Nearly 70% of fans also said shared interests and communities have a positive impact on their social lives.

Purini argued that anime’s growth can no longer be measured solely through streaming metrics. Crunchyroll increasingly views the business through a wider ecosystem encompassing theatrical releases, merchandise, gaming, live events and online communities.

“Crunchyroll sits at the intersection of entertainment and technology,” Purini said. “Our goal is to use storytelling to create deeper human connections.”

The expansion follows recent localization efforts in India and Thailand, both of which have delivered significant audience growth. In India, Crunchyroll now offers more than 900 titles and over 180 dubbed series across the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages, with dubbed content accounting for more than 65% of viewing. Total watch time has increased 3.5 times, minutes watched per viewer have doubled, and users average more than 60 minutes a day on the platform.

Thailand has also emerged as a key growth territory. Following the launch of a fully localized service earlier this year, viewership has grown fourfold. The market ranks fourth globally in anime engagement, a depth illustrated by the performance of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle,” which became both the highest-grossing Japanese film and the highest-grossing animated film of all time in the country.

The company is also set to announce a new season shortly, with around 40 new simulcast titles arriving from Japan.

The announcements reflect a broader trend discussed throughout APOS, where media executives have increasingly emphasized audience engagement, community-building and cultural affinity as key drivers of future growth across Asia’s entertainment industry.