Cartoon Network: How it Popularised Anime in India and Plans to Remain the Major Anime Destination for Fans

We have all grown up watching Cartoon Network. It was the first dedicated children’s television channel in India, and was launched in 1995. Initially airing Hanna-Barbera cartoons in the ‘90s, the channel also started airing its original shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, and The Powerpuff Girls, well into the early 2000s. These shows helped shape the childhood of many.

The Toonami programming block that began in 2001 introduced action shows from Japan, like Dragon Ball Z and Inazuma Eleven in India. Both would go on to become hits among Indian audiences, due to how different anime was from other animated shows.

In 2003, Cartoon Network would also air Pokémon, and the rest is history. The anime would go on to enthral Indian viewers and is still a mainstay in Indian pop culture. It was followed by Beyblade in 2005, and the two would become the top shows on the channel, entertaining an entire generation of kids.

Anime in India now

Children watching these shows on Cartoon Network, including me at the time, didn’t know that these programs with amazing visuals, attractive animation, and characters with depth are called “anime” and come straight from the land of the rising sun.

Anime is a style of Japanese animation that sets itself apart from other Western or Indian animation. The art style is known for its big eyes, facial expressions, and a level of detail that couldn’t be found anywhere else. When it came to content, anime doesn’t only cater to kids but also incorporates serious themes into its plot, which would even appeal to young adults. And these are some reasons why anime has found a special place in many young Indians’ hearts.

Recently, OTT platforms proliferated anime’s popularity even further, introducing interesting shows from Japan that weren’t previously available to Indian audiences. Anime is growing further into the mainstream Indian youth pop culture, with anime films even seeing theatrical releases all over the country. This year, India got the theatrical release of the anime film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which is a hit worldwide. The film was released in screens all over India in Japanese, English, and Hindi dubs.

Anime being so readily available in India is possible because of passionate anime fans, who have organised social media campaigns, urging OTT platforms, TV channels, and cinema companies to bring anime to India. We had a chat with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Uttam Pal Singh, head of kids cluster – South Asia, to learn more about Cartoon Network’s contribution to anime’s growth in India and how the channel is looking to introduce it to the current generation of young viewers.

“Content consumption habits have undergone a significant transition driven by access to digital platforms, especially among young adults, Singh explains. “This age group gets attracted to or looks for content that reflects their generation and popular culture and is created with high-quality standards. With interesting storylines and relatable characters, Japanese anime has naturally seen a wider appeal in India, with new audiences – young adults and kids alike – joining the fold every year. A testament to this fandom has been the exponential growth of the anime-lover community, fondly known as the “otaku” and “weebs”, as well as fan clubs sprouting across social media platforms.

“In fact, given the dearth of anime content and growing demand in India, Warner Bros. Discovery, with its fan-first strategy, has been introducing a variety of anime shows on Cartoon Network. With shows such as Dragon Ball Super, and the upcoming anime Digimon Adventure, we are committed to bringing high-octane anime action and drama for this audience to enjoy. In addition, we will continue to expand our programming with shows our audiences love in high-quality, high-energy dubs in three local Indian language feeds – Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, at favourable timeslots.”

Dragon Ball Super’s success

Cartoon Network started airing Dragon Ball Super for the first time in India in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu in May 2022. The show turned out to be an immense success for the channel, Singh says, and the premiere had the highest reach for any new show launch this year.

“Over the years, our fan-first strategy with localization as the key driver and a finger on the pulse, has enabled us to have a deep understanding of our audiences’ preferences,” he said. “We noticed that the consumption of Japanese anime, although on the rise, was accessible on limited platforms. We decided to bridge this gap, by introducing Dragon Ball Super dubbed in regional languages and with local nuances for our Indian audiences so that they can fully enjoy the amazing content and storyline. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Dragon Ball Super received an overwhelmingly positive response.”

Singh tells us that Cartoon Network deployed a strategic on-air, digital, and on-ground campaign in May 2022 to supplement the grand launch of Dragon Ball Super: “On air, we introduced Goku and his pals’ action-packed adventures with a day-long stunt called ‘Dragon Ball Super Sunday’. This stunt’s performance with powerful local language voice-overs was much appreciated by our audience. As part of the stunt promotions, the Dragon Ball Super promo garnered over 5 million views and 6 million reach across Cartoon Network India’s Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook pages within a month. More than half a million Cartoon Network and ‘Dragon Ball Super’ fans also caught a glimpse of the show through mall activations across Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bangalore. The launch campaign garnered a total reach of 23 million across Home & Outside Network, the highest reach for any new show launch in 2022. We are thrilled with the response and aim to bring more Dragon Ball Super story arcs and Japanese anime content to Warner Bros. Discovery Kids Network in India in multiple regional languages.”

Cartoon Network’s plans to bring more anime to India

As a lot of anime content is available on streaming sites, we asked Singh what Cartoon Network’s plans are to pull that audience to the channel. Singh said that localisation is key to bring viewers back to TV.

“The last two years have given audiences in India the chance to explore content across TV, digital, and OTT platforms, exponentially driving the demand for content across genres, including anime,” he said. “Japanese anime is a genre that has global appeal across demographics, as it offers everything one could want, from action to drama with compelling storylines and stunning animation. Cartoon Network led the way by being the first channel to bring in anime shows to the country in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Our localisation strategy offers fans a chance to enjoy content in languages they understand, providing a greater viewing experience.”

Even though some anime shows and movies are, in fact, available in regional languages, Singh says that Cartoon Network has a strong linear base and audience pull to effectively deliver content in multiple regional languages. Singh also confirmed that they plan to air movies from the fan-favourite anime franchises and characters which are popular with the audience.

After Dragon Ball Super, Cartoon Network seems to be going all in on anime with the premiere of Digimon Adventure. The channel is focusing on its anime offerings in regional languages to capture viewers’ attention who are hooked to Japanese animation.

“We constantly strive to engage and re-engage with the younger generation by showcasing timeless tales leveraging a variety of animation styles, Singh said regarding Cartoon Network’s plans. “The ongoing anime show on Cartoon Network, Dragon Ball Super, is the highest rated (TVR – television rating) launch this year, which qualifies it to be in similar range as top launches of 2021 as well. And given the popularity, we are strengthening our focus to build the anime genre on Cartoon Network with the launch of the popular anime series Digimon Adventure. The adventures of the title character Taichi along with his friends, will take young viewers on an exciting journey to the unexplored digital realm. The new show will premiere on Cartoon Network on October 24 and thereafter Monday through Friday at 8 pm in high-quality Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu dubs. We are motivated to continue our journey by enabling Indian audiences to experience the magic of gripping narratives in an appealing format.”

Lastly, Singh concluded by saying that Warner Bros. Discovery are committed to innovate and bring fresh content to Indian television through the three animation channels under their belt: “We, at Warner Bros. Discovery, for our Kids network which includes Cartoon Network, POGO and Discovery Kids, are constantly innovating with our existing formats, creating newer storylines, adding movies and shows to the libraries. Our localisation approach coupled with understanding the demands and changing consumption patterns, helped us to emerge as the top kids’ entertainment network in Urban India as per Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data, with a market share of about ~27% in all India Urban markets in the last 8 weeks. We continue to stay committed to our fans and deliver content that appeals to them.”

Other than Digimon Adventure, Cartoon Network continues to air the final arc of Dragon Ball Super called Universe Survival Saga since September 18 every Sunday from 1 pm on the channel.