Cartoon dreams: Japan anime school targets booming global demand

Veteran Japanese animator/filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s Cannes debut 'Belle: The Dragon And The Freckled Princess' (2021) is inspired by the French 'Beauty And The Beast' fairytale. Photo: Handout

Armed with a set of pencils and a feather to sweep away eraser dust, Hitomi Tateno is training the next generation of anime artists at a new Netflix-funded academy as global demand for the Japanese genre soars.

From runaway box office triumph Demon Slayer to recent Cannes sensation Belle, anime has shaken off its reputation as a geeky subculture, drawing in hordes of new fans during virus lockdowns.