Way To Blue, the integrated communications agency owned by Miroma Group, has been appointed as UK PR agency by Crunchyroll, the global leader in anime and ultimate destination for fans.

Way To Blue will work across Crunchyroll’s entire portfolio of fan engagement, including streaming, theatrical, events, Ecommerce, gaming and consumer products. As such, drawing on its experience in entertainment publicity, Way To Blue will manage publicity for all new and returning UK title releases across SVOD, theatrical and physical entertainment products.

The appointment comes as the popularity of anime – the Japanese style of animation – soars in the UK and around the world. Globally the anime industry is projected to be worth $37bn in 2025, up from $14bn in 2014.

Crunchyroll, a joint venture of Sony Group, has 11M+ subscribers and produces The Crunchyroll Anime Awards, the annual celebration of the past year’s anime series and films.

Rebecca Winch, Managing Director at Way To Blue, said: “Anime has a rich history in Japan and has always had a dedicated following in other parts of the world, but in recent years its Western popularity has exploded. As the leading provider of anime content, Crunchyroll has developed a massive global fanbase and, as long-time admirers of the business, to have the opportunity to help grow its profile further in the UK is something the whole team is very excited about.”