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Anime Director Shinji Takamatsu Discusses Influence of Chinese Streaming on Anime Production Schedules

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! and RobiHachi director Shinji Takamatsu posted a popular tweet on Saturday regarding the influence of China on the production schedules of recent television anime. His tweet thread is translated below as follows:

Anime these days has a long production period. It's difficult to anticipate when it peaks. It used to be busiest during the broadcast. Nowadays there are more cases where all the episodes have to be delivered at once, and the main reason for this is because they have to go through a content check for China. It's necessary for this check to take place three months before the broadcast. In cases where it's difficult to be profitable domestically, it's essential to sell it overseas.

Yesterday, I had a meeting for a work that we're aiming to broadcast in fall next year and another one for spring the year after, but isn't this a strain on the schedule? (sheepish smile)

If we at the studio are told, "Deliver all the episodes three months before the broadcast," then we have no choice but to make it according to that deadline. We don't have the authority to decide how to do business with it.

The tweet has accumulated over 1.3 thousand retweets as of Monday. Takamatsu has previously provided commentary on anime industry problems and budgets.

Source: Shinji Takamatsu's Twitter account via Otakomu