‘Shin Chan,’ ‘Naruto’ on the Menu as India’s Sony YAY! Expands Anime Offerings, Eyes Original IP for Global Market (EXCLUSIVE)

As a long-time fan of animated content and someone who grew up watching anime shows, I’m thrilled to see Sony YAY! ramping up its anime offerings and expanding beyond traditional broadcasting. Having followed the channel since its launch in 2017, I can attest to its success in capturing young audiences with Indian stories and popular anime titles.


Sony’s children’s channel, YAY! from Sony Pictures Networks India, is expanding its anime offerings and creating unique Indian stories for global audiences, aiming to go beyond conventional television.

Since its debut in 2017, Sony YAY! has become one of the leading channels in India’s children’s TV market, known for its Indian programming and beloved anime shows. Their approach aims to attract kids with this engaging content blend.

Sujoy Roy Bardhan, the marketing, communications, and on-air promotions head at Sony YAY!, explained to EbMaster how their Indian content channel emerged. “Initially, we were a small homegrown Indian platform,” he shared. “Our goal was to differentiate ourselves and cater to Indian audiences with tales and personas that resonated with them.” This approach helped us connect rapidly with kids as our characters held significance in their category.

The channel has produced a collection of 60 movies and 400 episodes for its unique production “Honey Bunny’s” pet comedy. Now, they are utilizing this ability to create content for other platforms, broadening their reach beyond just their own channel.

As an anime enthusiast and movie critic, I’m thrilled to share that Sony YAY! is bringing us “Karna the Guardian,” a fresh take on a legendary character from the ancient Indian epic, “Mahabharata.” In this new series, I’ll be following Karna’s journey as he comes to life in an anime-style adaptation. This complex and tragic hero, whose story resonated with generations of readers in Sanskrit, is now being reimagined for modern audiences. With its unique blend of traditional Indian storytelling and captivating anime aesthetics, “Karna the Guardian” promises to appeal not only to domestic viewers but also to fans around the world. I can’t wait to see how this timeless tale unfolds on the small screen!

In an innovative anime project titled “The Curse of the Robin,” a shy teenage girl named Bipasha makes an astonishing discovery – a mystical makeup box that grants her newfound confidence. This transformation extends far beyond physical appearance, as she learns to view the world and herself in a bold, empowered way. The creators are presently producing this movie, with intentions to showcase it on global markets once finished.

Deals are nearing completion, and Bardhan announced that “Karna the Guardian” is on the verge of securing a deal with a significant platform. Regarding “C.I.D.,” an animated version of a popular crime series, Sony YAY! intends to create a complete season before releasing it for sale.

“Bardhan pointed out that sharing Indian tales with global crowds doesn’t mean limiting our readership only to children. Animation isn’t exclusively for kids on an international scale.”

In the world of anime, Sony YAY! has recently obtained the rights to the widely-loved Japanese show “Shin chan.” This series had been broadcasted for 17 years on various Indian channels prior. Now, Sony aims to broaden the reach of “Shin chan” by exploring licensing deals, merchandise sales, and unique experiences for both young viewers and adults who hold fond memories of the show.

I’m thrilled to share that Sony YAY! is venturing into collaborations to develop “Shin Chan” apparel for grown-ups and other intriguing product lines. Although a full-blown theme park isn’t on the cards just yet, Bardhan mentioned that we are open to experimenting with smaller experiential events as our brand gains recognition.

Eight anime titles have been introduced by Sony YAY! to date. Notably, among them are the popular French animations “Oggy and the Cockroaches,” “Shin chan,” and “Honey Bunny.” These shows are accessible in seven languages: Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Bangla, Kannada, and Odia. Additionally, Sony YAY! provides Japan’s famous anime, “Naruto,” in five languages: Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Bangla.

In response to increasing interest, Sony YAY! has introduced anime-specific channels on Airtel and Tata Play. Tata Play Anime Local caters to audiences in Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam languages. Meanwhile, Airtel subscribers can access the Anime Booth VAS channel for Hindi content, which uniquely features “Black Clover” from Japan exclusively.

“According to Bardhan, the demand for anime titles in India is substantial and presently active,” or “Bardhan pointed out that the interest in anime titles in India is robust and currently thriving.”

As a movie buff and a fan of Sony YAY!, I’m excited about the future direction of this channel. Instead of branching out into live-action content for children, they’ve decided to double down on animation. This is in line with their brand promise to create a “#Happyverse” – a magical world where kids can let their imaginations run wild and free!

Sony Yay! welcomes preschool programming but focuses more on amusement than explicit teaching in its shows. According to Bardhan, “We strive to be the label that doesn’t evaluate children based on their acquisition of knowledge from our material.”

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2024-07-26 14:47