Sony wants anime franchises to last for generations, and its latest plans bring PlayStation closer to that goal. In a Bloomberg interview, Aniplex chairman Atsuhiro Iwakami said Sony hopes Demon Slayer will endure for decades, potentially for 50 to 100 years.
The PlayStation plan is already on the calendar. Sony says a dedicated anime destination will arrive within the PS5 home experience in spring 2027, bringing anime, anime-inspired games and easy Crunchyroll access into one place. Sony announced the PS5 destination in October.
Sony is also expanding its production pipeline. In October, Sony Pictures announced Crunchyroll Storyworks, a division connecting Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Sony Pictures and Japanese creators to develop global stories into anime and Japanese anime into live action. Storyworks will develop projects for HAYATE, the Aniplex-Crunchyroll joint venture established in 2025 to plan and produce anime. Sony reported that Crunchyroll had more than 21 million paid subscribers at the end of March 2026.
Iwakami also told Bloomberg Sony could consider investing in Shueisha if an opportunity arose. Shueisha publishes the Demon Slayer manga. Sony already holds roughly 10% of Kadokawa and became its largest shareholder through a strategic alliance announced in 2024. Sony and Kadokawa outlined that agreement as a way to work together on adaptations and other uses of their intellectual property.
