The Criterion Channel Is Beefing Up Its Anime Content
'Look out for a new section on the Channel highlighting restlessly creative, stylistically flamboyant gems from Japan's juggernaut animation industry,' Criterion Collection wrote.
It goes without saying that the company wouldn't build on this announcement—which further ushers in the mainstreamification of anime in pop culture—by adding any old podunk anime to the Criterion Channel. Featured titles include Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell, studio Madhouse's Redline, legendary anime director Satoshi Kon's Paprika, and Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat In Space.
ANIME 📺 Coming to @criterionchannl in August! https://t.co/SPhFIltzhb pic.twitter.com/Gfrb0foOvu
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) July 17, 2025Criterion's embrace of anime on its streaming service comes at a time when streamers like Netflix are noticeably beefing up their libraries with more anime. Earlier this month, Variety released a report drawing on Netflix's typically guarded internal user data that found 'more than 50 percent of its members—amounting to over 150 million households, or an estimated 300 million viewers—now watch anime. The company says anime viewership on the platform has tripled over the past five years, with 2024 marking a record-breaking year: 33 anime titles appeared in Netflix's Global Top 10 (Non-English) rankings, more than double the number in 2021.'
Variety reported that Netflix's anime content was viewed over 1 billion times globally in 2024. Notably for longtime anime fans, 80 to 90 percent of viewers choose dubbed anime. In short, if Netflix's data is saying 300 million anime fans are tuning into new exclusive shows like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Sakamoto Days, and, in some cases, preferring its format for returning shows like Dan Da Dan, it's a no-brainer that Criterion would want to get in on the fun. It also doesn't hurt that Ghost in the Shell and Paprika served as inspirations for modern-day Hollywood classics, such as the Wachowskis' Matrix and Christopher Nolan's Inception.
To further sweeten the pot, Criterion is offering a seven-day free trial for new members to get their anime on. Given Criterion's knack for reviving movies from the past, it's a welcome change of pace for the service to extend its hand to anime as a cornerstone of art and entertainment as well. Plus, it would do folks good to have some Redline in their lives.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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It took me that long to recognize the gift I wasn't ready to receive back then. I could have skipped Elephant Nature Park and stayed back in my hotel, sleeping off the fight and marinating in my pain. Instead, I summoned the energy to get out the door, fulfilling my long-held dream of meeting elephants up close. More importantly, the day handed me a roadmap to healing, kicking me in the pants to seek therapy. I've created a new life for myself — one more rewarding than I had in my marriage. I've become a solo traveler and writer, made new friends and forged a successful career as a school administrator. Try as we might, we can't control life's twists and turns. But, if you get out there and keep going, the universe might hand you just what you need. Lisa VanderVeen is an award-winning travel writer whose recent work has been published in The Saturday Evening Post, Business Insider, New Jersey Monthly, and River Teeth Journal, among others. 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