Amazon just threw the gauntlet at the feet of Crunchyroll and Netflix. During its inaugural Prime Video Presents: International Originals showcase held in London on February 12th, the streaming giant made its intentions crystal clear.
Gaurav Gandhi, Prime Video’s Vice President for APAC & ANZ, declared that anime is “truly experiencing explosive growth,” and boldly stated: “Given that we are the home for the best anime in Japan, we want to become the preferred destination for anime content globally.”
Bold words. Really bold words.
Two legendary franchises back in action
The centerpiece of Amazon’s anime offensive comes in the form of two titans of the medium. Prime Video will stream The Ghost in the Shell, a new television anime series produced by Science SARU, worldwide, with an early exclusive window in Japan.
The series is set to debut in July 2026 on Fuji TV and Kansai TV’s new programming block, “Ka-Anival!!”, with Mokochan, known for his work on DAN DA DAN, making his directorial debut.
On the other side of the apocalypse, Hokuto no Ken, Fist of the North Star is getting a brand-new CG-based anime adaptation, produced by TMS Entertainment, also set to stream worldwide on Prime Video.
The announcement commemorates the franchise’s 40th anniversary, and the staff confirmed the new series will stay truer to the original manga. Kenshiro is back, and this time he’s coming for the streaming throne.
Rounding out the slate, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman Season 2 is also confirmed for Prime Video, after its first season climbed into the top 10 across 45 countries.
The otaku community isn’t easily won over
Here’s where things get complicated. Throwing money and classic IPs at the problem is one thing, but the anime community has a long memory, and Prime Video has some damage control to do.
In November 2025, the platform released AI-generated English dubs of No Game No Life: Zero, Vinland Saga, and Banana Fish, which immediately drew massive backlash online. Voice actor Daman Mills publicly called out Prime Video, writing that after years of fans hoping for an English dub of Banana Fish, they gave it to them AI-generated.
That’s a rough reputation to shake, especially when you’re about to drop two of the most vocally iconic properties in anime history.
The original voice of Motoko Kusanagi is practically sacred to a generation of fans, and the same goes for Kenshiro’s gut-wrenching battle cries. For a series as nuanced as Ghost in the Shell, or as vocally iconic as Fist of the North Star, an AI-driven dubbing approach could be a death sentence in the eyes of the community.
The streaming numbers also tell a humbling story. A 2025 report from Dentsu showed that over 50% of Netflix’s members watch anime, compared to 29% for Prime Video.
And Crunchyroll’s exclusive titles make up almost half of the anime reaching the U.S. market, with deep studio relationships that Amazon simply can’t replicate overnight.
Amazon has the money, the infrastructure, and now some seriously heavyweight franchises in its corner. Whether that’s enough to earn back the trust of the otaku community, and actually dethrone Crunchyroll, is a whole different story.
What do you think, can Amazon Prime Video actually compete with Crunchyroll and Netflix for anime dominance, or is this just wishful thinking? Drop your take in the comments, we want to hear from you!