CoMixWave Producer Frustrated by Hollywood’s “Everything Must Be Anime” Trend
June 17, 2025
As anime expands globally, CoMixWave Films' Noritaka Kawaguchi criticizes Hollywood's overreliance on anime adaptations, citing fatigue from too many IPs like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. 🌀 “There are too many works to check out.”
That’s the honest take from CoMixWave Films founder Noritaka Kawaguchi, who recently aired his frustrations over Hollywood’s obsession with turning everything into anime.
📍 Speaking at Machi Asobi (via Anime Corner), Kawaguchi — known for producing Makoto Shinkai’s hits — called out the current trend of anime-fying major Western IPs like:
Star Wars: Visions
Lord of the Rings
Scott Pilgrim
💬 “I have to watch Japanese anime AND read Shonen Jump,” Kawaguchi said, adding that the constant wave of content is becoming overwhelming — even for industry insiders.
🎭 Mie Onishi, CoMixWave’s international business lead, echoed the sentiment: some Western companies see anime as a low-effort way to pump out content quickly, often underestimating the cultural and artistic depth behind it.
📈 As anime continues its global boom, not every creator is excited about the quantity-over-quality mindset taking hold.