‘Ghost in the Shell,’ ‘Attack on Titan’ and ‘Blue Lock’ IP Lands at Dentsu in New Kodansha Partnership for the Americas (EXCLUSIVE)

Dentsu has struck a partnership giving clients in the Americas access to a broad swath of anime and manga intellectual property owned by Japanese publisher Kodansha Ltd., including “Attack on Titan,” “Ghost in the Shell” and “Blue Lock.”

The agreement positions Dentsu as the central point of contact for brand marketers looking to tap into Kodansha’s IP for sponsorships, tie-in campaigns, live events and fan experiences throughout the Americas.

Dentsu is folding its proprietary Japanese intellectual property research into its Dentsu.Connect data and identity platform, with Kodansha’s catalog positioned as an early beneficiary of that integration.

The tie-up arrives as anime graduates from niche fandom to mainstream commercial territory. The global anime market is projected to hit $60.27 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of about 9.8% from 2025 to 2030, according to Grand Review Research. The U.S. market alone was valued at $2.58 billion in 2024 and is forecast to climb to $7.93 billion by 2033, a CAGR of 13% over 2025-2033, per the same research firm.

Dentsu’s own research, titled “Anime – A Growing Opportunity for Brands,” found that 36% of U.S. consumers watch anime at least weekly.

For Dentsu, the deal offers clients a streamlined route into Kodansha-owned IP for use in campaigns and experiential marketing, along with what the company describes as a competitive edge for participating brands looking to signal cultural relevance to anime and manga fans.

“Anime has evolved from a niche to a mainstream cultural phenomenon,” said Caroline Hughes, global integrated client partner at Dentsu. “By partnering with Kodansha, we are offering our clients access to some of the most powerful and culturally embedded IP in the anime and manga universe and enabling brand-first activations and fan-centric opportunities across the Americas.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Dentsu in bringing our IP to brands in the Americas region,” added Moriguchi Tomoki, director at Kodansha’s rights merchandising department. “Our characters and stories resonate with fans globally, and this partnership enables new experiences and commercial pathways.”

Dentsu was founded in 1901 in Tokyo and now has a footprint spanning 120 countries and territories.