Toho’s Masaya Saito Says Japan Needs Industry-Wide Peer Review to Evaluate 300+ Anime Series and 80 Films That No Individual Can Watch Alone

Japan’s anime industry is considering a new approach to recognising its animation achievements, with Toho executive Masaya Saito arguing that evaluating hundreds of annual releases requires collective industry participation. Speaking at a symposium organised by Tokyo Anime Next during TIFFCOM, Saito explained that Japan produces more than 300 television anime series and 80 animated films in a typical year, making it difficult for any individual to assess every release. The proposed international anime award, expected to launch in 2027, could…