Bilibili Inc., a leading video community for the younger generation in China, unveiled a total of 68 upcoming Chinese animation titles during its Anime Made by Bilibili 2023-2024 event. The expanded lineup underscores the platform’s position in the Chinese animation industry, its continuing efforts to empower homegrown animation creators, and its determination to introduce Chinese animation to global audiences.
The diverse slate announcement encompasses a range of styles and narratives, from traditional tales to modern anime-inspired stories. Among the highlights was Yao – Chinese Folktales, an original animation co-produced by Bilibili and Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which has been a hit among Chinese viewers for its imaginative adaptations of traditional Chinese stories and aesthetics. The series has accumulated 290 million views (10 million in its first three days of release alone) and sparked over 18,000 fan creations on Bilibili.
Bilibili announced it has teamed up with Shanghai Animation Film Studio and Shanghai Film Infinity to produce a second season of the folkloric anthology, as well as a feature film adaptation focusing on the breakout star of season one: a wild boar spirit who rebels against his cruel superiors in the episode “Nobody,” a take on the classic Journey to the West which resonated with young adults with its reflection of contemporary class struggles. (Watch)
Other highly anticipated titles include:
- Link Click Special Season – Link Click is one of the most popular Chinese animations among international audiences. An English dubbed version of Link Click Season 1 was launched on Crunchyroll in 2022, followed by Japanese and Korean dubbed versions on local TV channels. The series received an impressive rating of 8.73/10 on MyAnimeList, with a peak ranking of No. 18. (Watch)
- My Three-Body Season 4 – Originally a fan-made animation adaptation of The Three-Body Problem uploaded on Bilibili, My Three-Body’s high-quality production attracted Bilibili and The Three-Body Universe, the rightsholder of the Three-Body IP, to initiate development and production of the series. (Watch [regionally restricted])
- To Be Hero X – Co-produced by Bilibili and Sony’s animation studio Aniplex, the series undertakes a unique art style that combines 2D and 3D animation. Its trailer received over 100,000 likes on Twitter when it was first released.
Bilibili has become a major online destination for anime, comics and games (ACG) culture in China, and Chinese animation has proven increasingly popular on the platform. Bilibili has launched nearly 600 Chinese animation titles, including 181 titles featured from the beginning of 2022 to date.
Since 2018, the number of monthly active Chinese animation viewers on Bilibili has seen a six-fold increase. In the past year, 62% of ACG fans on Bilibili regularly watch Chinese anime titles, making it a primary draw on the platform. Bilibili users collectively spend over 700 million hours annually watching Chinese animations, with each viewer completing 10 series annually on average. Total interactions around Chinese animation on Bilibili topped 5 billion over the past year. Over 57% of the platform’s Chinese animation viewers are under the age of 23.
During the presentation, the company reiterated its commitment to investing in locally-produced animation and supporting local creators. “Bilibili believes in the immense potential and value of Chinese animation, and remains steadfast in its commitment to excellence, prioritizing quality and surpassing user expectations,” said Carly Lee, Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors & Chief Operating Officer of Bilibili. “Furthermore, we remain dedicated to investing in and producing original content, providing a platform for aspiring animators to collaborate with Bilibili and nurture their talents.”
In 2021, Bilibili launched the Light Catcher Initiative to support animators, students and anime aficionados. This year, the company has supported over 50 rising stars in the industry and received over 300 original animations from passionate animators. Light Catcher also worked with 11 top animation universities in China to provide funding and resources for over 100 student-made animations.
This year’s Anime Made by Bilibili presentation also announced a new project supported by the company, Capsules Season 2, which invites animation talents, both domestic and international, to create a series of short animation videos. Tomato Kitchen, an episode from Capsules Season 1, won Best International Short Film during the 2023 International Animation Festival Chilemonos.
With a “Made for Global” vision, Bilibili is working to build its global production capacity and share more Chinese animation with fans worldwide. During the event, Bilibili inked a partnership with Fuji Television Network (Japan) to launch a dedicated channel B8station for Bilibili-produced animated titles. The two sides will also collaborate on the Japanese TV series adaptation of Link Click.
As of 2023, Bilibili has distributed nearly 70 Chinese animation titles internationally through partnerships with global mainstream platforms including Crunchyroll, Netflix, Rakuten VIKI, Astro and more. The MADEBYBILIBILI YouTube channel has featured 135 Chinese animation titles. Bilibili also actively explores collaboration with international production partners, including Aniplex and Red Dog on the production of leading Chinese anime titles such as Link Click and Fairies Albums.
“Bilibili is born from animation and holds a deep faith in it,” Lee added. “Back in 2018, when we went public, our vision was to make Chinese animation globally beloved. We will continue working alongside Chinese animators to turn this aspiration into reality, step-by-step.”
You can watch the full Anime Made by Bilibili 2023-2024 presentation here.
