| d-anime Store | |
| Type: | OTT video streaming platform |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Area Served: | Japan |
| Owner: |
|
| Key People: | Takaeshi Ochi (President) |
| Parent: | Docomo Anime Store |
| Advertising: | Yes |
| Registration: | Required |
| Users: | 2.5 million [1] |
| Current Status: | Active |
| Launched: | (as Anime Store) |
, previously known simply as, is a Japanese subscription video on demand (SVOD) service majority-owned by NTT Docomo, with Kadokawa. It specializes in anime and was launched in July 2012.
On May 16, 2012, NTT Docomo and Kadokawa Shoten announced the establishment of their joint venture, Docomo Anime Store.[2] [3] The company launched its smartphone anime distribution service, Anime Store, on July 3. This service was offered within Docomo's smartphone online store, d-market, and the previous year, Docomo had also started an SVOD service called Video Store which was not limited to anime. At the time of its launch, the service had around 500 releases available, and the monthly subscription fee was 420 yen, exclusively for Docomo users.[4]
In September 2012, the service reached 100,000 subscribers,[5] in May 2013, it reached 500,000 subscribers, and in August of the same year, which marked one year since its launch, it surpassed 1 million subscribers.[6]
On January 30, 2013, Anime Store was renamed to d-anime Store.
On July 2, 2018, the "d-anime Store for Prime Video" channel was launched as a paid channel for Amazon Prime members. In addition to the Prime membership fee, a monthly fee of 432 yen was charged. The number of releases available on the channel was initially around 1,500, compared to 2,400 or more releases at d-anime Store.[7]
On March 18, 2020, Docomo announced that it would start distributing a service called Tateyoko Dōga from March 21, that allows users to watch two different types of content, such as anime and live-action, simultaneously simply by changing the orientation of their smartphone to portrait or landscape mode. It was said that by being able to see two stories from different perspectives, users could find new interpretations and emotions. The first content offered was a collaboration between Kamikazedouga, an anime production company, and Tokyo Jihen, a Japanese band. In landscape mode, users could watch the music video for Tokyo Jihen's song "Nōdōteki Sanpunkan", and in portrait mode, they could watch an original animation that was synchronized with the music video.[8]
The d-anime Store Awards were launched in 2019.[9] [10] [11] [12]