Azuki encompasses many things: it’s an anime universe with deepening lore, a culture that bridges the East and the West, and a digital & IRL community. Most importantly at its core, Azuki originates from web3. Without NFTs, Azuki as we know it today would not exist.

This year, Azuki is bringing web3 to the anime industry starting with the anime anthology series, "Enter The Garden."

TRADITIONAL ANIME

Traditional anime series and films take many years to create. In order for us to move at a web3 pace, we chose to start with an anthology series so that we could release each episode as it is completed. An anthology format allows us to present a different story and a different set of characters in each episode. This means we get to onboard three distinct anime veteran teams into web3.

Historically, new anime originates from already successful manga, but by collaborating with the best industry talent such as Goro Taniguchi (One Piece Film Red and Code Geass), Junichi Yamamoto (The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom), Kinu Nishimura (Street Fighter), and many others, we are introducing a new source of inspiration for creating anime.

EXPLORING A PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE

In Episode 1 of "Enter The Garden," we experimented with a personalized storytelling experience that directly intertwines the community with the content. This personalization first occurs through licensing community-owned characters. Both main characters are inspired by Azukis from the NFT collection owned by Dingaling and Andrew Kang. We also featured two cameo characters based on existing Azukis owned by AlchemistXIX and CarlChoi. By giving holders an opportunity to contribute their own Azuki NFT characters to the anime, we aim to instill a sense of ownership and pride in its success.

Another form of personalization occurs through a dynamic feature in one of the scenes in Episode 1, where an Azuki collector can see their own Azuki character on a billboard, creating 10,000 personalized variations of the episode.

“The Waiting Man” also features businesses that are owned by members of the Azuki community. This form of product placement extends beyond traditional advertising by providing a platform for builders within the Azuki ecosystem to showcase their brands in a contextually rich and narratively relevant way.

Web3 provides an opportunity for community-driven IPs to disrupt the traditional production and distribution model for new anime IPs. By blurring the lines between viewers and creators, we’re creating an engaging experience that resonates on a more personal level. As we continue to expand the Azuki universe now with the best talent in the anime industry alongside the community, the possibilities are endless.