Crunchyroll Brand Mascot

Character Art Direction

To celebrate anime’s two biggest brands joining forces, Crunchyroll mascot Hime needed to power up as well. The new era for this beloved character involved discovering and onboarding new Hime artists, teaching them Hime's ins and outs while establishing a vision for the future. The new Hime embodies Funimation’s energy in her actions, outfits, and attitude—ensuring audiences new and old feel connected.

Thomas Roach
Art Direction
LucidSky
Illustration
Nvalee
Illustration
Reiji-RJ
Illustration

Opportunity

The merger of the primary anime streaming brands Funimation and Crunchyroll created a chance to speak the language of the fans with one voice. This win for the fans meant that, for the first time ever, they would be able to share their passion for anime fully together—not as two rivals, but as one united community.

Challenge

But with nearly two decades of trying to differentiate themselves, Crunchyroll and Funimation had carved out distinct niche user groups. Our challenge was not only to create a blended culture and migrate Funimation users to the Crunchyroll service, but also to reinvigorate existing Crunchyroll devotees. This meant communicating two messages to two audiences in one campaign.

The key, we discovered, was in Crunchyroll mascot Hime.

Strategy

Partnering with a fresh batch of artists, we developed a new Hime aesthetic that could speak to both audiences. For Funimation faithful, this Hime promised everything they loved would live on, rolled into one unified platform. For legacy Crunchyroll fans, she spoke to the next level—embodying the massive fusion that they were now able to experience.

Results

Hime's fresh new look gave both sets of fans a creative, passionate leader that embodied both legacy brands. Her energy rallied fans from both camps around her, sharing their excitement for the reveal and embracing the future with open arms.