China is driving a boom in Japanese animation sales, thanks to video-streaming services hungry for content, tighter controls on piracy, and fans like Gao Jiaqi. Ms. Gao, a 27-year-old cosmetician in Wenzhou, has watched Japanese animation, or anime, since she was a teenager. She favors classics such as the basketball-themed “Slam Dunk”...
Sales of Japanese animation to foreign countries rose by 79 % last year , with China taking up more than half that figure . Animation is not subject to the same regulation as live - action material , fuelling the appetites of China 's younger , social media - savvy generation , while shows are released at about the same time in both countries thereby cutting down on piracy , according to Akira Tanaka of Dentsu and Palette . However , Zhang Yangqian , head of animation division at Shanghai Tudou , believes China will soon clamp down on Japanese anime .