Crunchyroll Sets Sights on Taiwan and South Korea with Localized Services and Fan Events

Anime streaming giant Crunchyroll is gearing up to deepen its foothold in Taiwan and South Korea, rolling out tailored content, marketing, and community initiatives in both markets. President Rahul Purini announced the plan during a fireside chat at the APOS conference in Bali on Tuesday, noting that localization efforts will begin in Taiwan this summer, followed by South Korea later in the year.

Calling Taiwan and Korea “high-affinity markets,” Purini said the strategy aims to strengthen what he described as the anime ecosystem—covering multi-generational fans, mobile-first viewing, and engagement that stretches beyond streaming into social media, movie releases, and conventions. Some of Crunchyroll’s biggest hits, like Solo Leveling, actually originate from Korean webcomics and intellectual property.

The company has already tested this playbook in India and Thailand with strong results. In India, where Crunchyroll now offers over 900 titles with dubs in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, total watch time has jumped 3.5 times. Viewers there spend an average of more than 60 minutes per day on the platform. In Thailand, a fully localized service launched in February 2026—complete with Thai interface, subtitles, and dubs—has driven viewership up fourfold. The recent box office success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, the highest-grossing Japanese film ever in Thailand, underscores the market’s appetite.

“Asia is a priority because it’s home to some of the world’s most passionate anime communities,” Purini said. “Our ambition is simple: to be the best place for fans to experience anime, wherever they are.” He added that Crunchyroll will soon announce its next season lineup, with roughly 40 new simulcast titles arriving from Japan.