Written by 
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 saw reports come out alleging that Sony is in talks to acquire Kadokawa, a move which would certainly shake up the anime industry. Multiple sources who claim to be familiar with the matter claim that talks are ongoing, with a deal potentially signed in the coming weeks. As of this article’s writing, neither Kadokawa nor Sony have provided any official comment on the rumors.
However, anime fans everywhere are understandably questioning how Sony’s acquisition of Kadokawa would affect the larger anime industry overall. While it may seem relatively unimpactful in isolation, there are extenuating factors regarding Sony’s current presence in the industry which makes the potential acquisition more significant.
Sony set to become an anime industry juggernaut if alleged acquisition of Kadokawa plays out
As mentioned above, the biggest implication regarding Sony’s potential Kadokawa acquisition is their overall presence in the larger anime industry as a result. Firstly, Kadokawa itself is a massive Japanese media conglomerate which itself owns several other notable companies. This includes several manga publishers, publication imprints, and animation studios, notable anime game developers, and more, both domestically in Japan and internationally overseas.
Sony itself also has a hand in many of these industries, especially in the wake of its acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T via its Funimation Global Group. This allowed Sony to acquire the biggest competitor to their Funimation platform, which was the only other major anime streaming platform besides Crunchyroll at the time. While HIDIVE did exist at this point, it had a much lesser presence at the time than it does currently thanks to hit shows like Oshi no Ko.
Sony also had a pre-established presence in the anime industry via its Sony Music Solutions division, which is involved in the larger industry’s music sector. The label both has production credits from various notable series, such as KONOSUBA, Tensura Slime, and Made in Abyss. Beloved Japanese artists known for their contribution to series theme songs such as LiSA are also signed under the Sony Music Solutions label, giving them a further foothold.
Essentially, Sony’s acquisition of Kadokawa would lead to the company having a significant presence in multiple areas of the larger industry. While it can’t quite be called a monopoly, this purchase could lead to a homogenization of ideas which dilutes creative diversity in the industry. At a minimum, this will likely occur for the animation studios and other creative houses which help to make an anime series what it is that fall under the larger Sony brand.
In any industry, competition is what drives creativity and product diversity, especially in something like the anime industry which is predicated on a creative medium. This is likewise what’s concerning about Sony’s recent confirmed and alleged upcoming industry moves; if Sony continues to gobble up and absorb competitors, it will undoubtedly lead to the homogenization of ideas and aesthetics to a certain degree, limiting the industry’s creative growth likewise.
Final thoughts
As mentioned above, nothing is officially confirmed regarding Sony’s talks with Kadokawa. Both companies have refused to comment publicly, and while there are multiple sources for this information, nothing is official as it stands. However, if Sony does move through with acquiring Kadokawa, it will undoubtedly prove to be a major shakeup to the industry, with effects that could last for decades to come.
Related links
Edited by Joseph Brogan