Anime Expo in Los Angeles Bookends a Boom Year for the Sector and a Growth Spurt for Crunchyroll

Sony's streaming platform courts community and engagement at downtown L.A. event among fans who yearn to gather IRL

By Cynthia Littleton

Cynthia Littleton

Business Editor

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The cosplay was typically intense and wildly creative among the tens of thousands of anime fans who turned out over the holiday weekend for the four-day Anime Expo in downtown Los Angeles.

But there was one unmissable trend evident in the sea of characters that stood out like a neon sign to executives at Crunchyroll, Sony Corp.’s subscription streaming anime platform that is the undisputed hub for the growing medium.

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