For Hollywood Anime is Just Porn, Says Ex-Crunchyroll

For Hollywood anime is just porn, they see anime as “weird” or even “adult content,” according to Marisa Balkus, a producer who has worked with Crunchyroll and Netflix. In a recent interview, she revealed that many American industry executives continue to hold outdated and prejudiced views about anime.

For Hollywood Anime is Just Porn, Says Ex-Crunchyroll

Marisa Balkus, known for her work on Onyx Equinox, Devil May Cry, and Arcane Season 2, explained that a large portion of Hollywood still has a narrow understanding of what anime truly is. For many, anime is still seen as something “strange” or overly sexualized.

According to Balkus, Hollywood’s bias against anime is one of the major barriers preventing the medium from being taken seriously outside of the otaku niche.

“I think there are still some generations in our industry that see anime as pornography, or just something weird, you know? Which is really unfortunate.”

Mainstream Shonen Doesn’t Represent All of Anime

Another point Balkus raised is how many professionals in the West only recognize anime through the lens of popular Shonen Jump titles. To them, anime is just Naruto, Dragon Ball, and One Piece—ignoring the vast diversity of genres that include drama, sci-fi, psychological horror, and slice of life.

“There are people who associate anime only with Shonen anime and anything that comes from Shonen Jump and nothing else, which is really unfortunate, because obviously there’s every type of storytelling under the sun in anime.”

“Yes, I think those are the biggest misconceptions — or the idea that anything targeting women has to involve magical girls in some way.”

This stigma originated especially in the early days of anime’s introduction to the West, when many of the first titles to circulate were spicier ones, often distributed through unofficial or niche channels. That early exposure created a lasting (and misleading) impression.

Anime’s unique aesthetics—large eyes, sudden tone shifts, and intense scenes—also helped shape Hollywood’s belief that anime is adult content.

Even today, despite the global success of titles like Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and the Oscar-winning works of Studio Ghibli, there are still executives in Hollywood who can’t distinguish Neon Genesis Evangelion from hentai.

This limited perspective doesn’t just harm anime’s image—it affects the distribution, funding, and adaptation of great stories. When anime is reduced to “fetish fuel for teens,” countless brilliant narratives are left behind.

For Balkus, what the industry truly needs is to approach anime with open minds and no shame.

“Anime is not a genre. It’s a storytelling medium,” she concludes.

Isn’t It Actually Good That Hollywood Keeps Its Distance from Anime?

via Você Sabia Anime