Shin Chan, Naruto on the Menu as Indias Sony YAY! Expands Anime Offerings, Eyes

Posted by Aldo Pusey on Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Sony YAY!, the kids entertainment channel from Sony Pictures Networks India, is ramping up its anime content and developing original Indian IPs for international platforms as it looks to grow beyond traditional broadcasting.

Launched in 2017, Sony YAY! has established itself as a top three player in India’s competitive kids’ television market. The channel’s strategy focuses on Indian content and popular anime titles to capture young audiences.

“We started off as a homegrown Indian content channel just to stand out and serve Indian audiences with Indian stories and Indian characters,” Sujoy Roy Bardhan, marketing, communications and on air promotions head at Sony YAY!, told Variety. “That’s also the way we were able to very quickly catch the attention of kids, because there was a lot of relevance of our characters in the category.”

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Sony YAY! is currently producing “Karna the Guardian,” an anime-style reimagining of a character from the Indian epic “Mahabharata.” Karna, a complex and tragic figure in the ancient Sanskrit epic, is being adapted for a new generation of viewers. The series aims to blend traditional Indian storytelling with modern anime aesthetics, potentially appealing to both domestic and international audiences.

Another original production, “The Curse of the Robin,” is an anime concept following a teenage girl who discovers a magical makeup box that transforms her from a timid Indian girl into a more confident version of herself. Bardhan emphasized that the transformation goes beyond superficial changes, focusing on how the protagonist perceives the world and herself. This series is being developed as a movie, with plans to pitch it to international markets upon completion.

While deals are still being finalized, Bardhan said “Karna the Guardian” is close to signing with a major platform. For “C.I.D.,” an animated adaptation of a long-running crime series, Sony YAY! plans to produce a full season before taking it to market.

“We have realized that if we take our Indian stories to international audiences, we don’t have to limit our audience to just kids, because animation is not just consumed by kids internationally,” Bardhan explained.

On the anime front, Sony YAY! recently acquired popular Japanese series “Shin chan” after its 17-year run on other Indian channels. The company sees potential to expand “Shin chan” through licensing, merchandising and experiential offerings aimed at both kids and nostalgic adult fans.

Sony YAY! is exploring partnerships to create “Shin chan” apparel for adults and other product categories. While a full theme park isn’t among immediate plans, Bardhan said the company is open to smaller experiential offerings as the brand gets established.

Sony YAY! has launched eight anime titles so far. Its flagship shows, French animation “Oggy and the Cockroaches,” “Shin chan” and “Honey Bunny” are available in seven languages: Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Bangla, Kannada and Odia. Japan’s “Naruto” is offered in five languages: Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Bangla.

To serve growing demand, Sony YAY! has launched dedicated anime channels on the Airtel and Tata Play platforms. Tata Play Anime Local is available in Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, while Airtel Anime Booth, a value-added service channel, offers content in Hindi. Japan’s “Black Clover” is available exclusively on the Anime Booth VAS channel.

“The hunger for anime titles in India is real,” Bardhan noted. “It’s not waiting to grow, it is already there.”

Looking ahead, Sony YAY! plans to stay focused on animation rather than expanding into live-action content for kids. The channel’s brand positioning centers on creating a “#Happyverse” where kids can freely use their imagination.

While open to preschool content, Sony YAY! aims to prioritize entertainment over overt education in its programming. “We want to remain that brand that is not going to judge kids on whether they are grasping education out of our content or not,” Bardhan said.

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