MyAnimeList

What MyAnimeList does

MyAnimeList Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo and founded in 2006, operates the largest global community platform dedicated to anime and manga, with 16 million registered members as of the most recent disclosed communications. The platform combines a comprehensive searchable database of anime and manga titles — including metadata on characters, voice actors, studios, staff, episodes, and licensors — with user-generated content systems for personal lists (Watching, Completed, On-Hold, Dropped, Plan to Watch), ratings, reviews, forums, clubs, interest stacks, and recommendations. Core products include the MyAnimeList web platform, official iOS and Android applications, the paid MAL Supporter premium membership, the MAL×Japan editorial vertical for industry news and features, the annual 'You Should Read This Manga' publisher-sponsored discovery campaign, the Honeyfeed-co-hosted MyAnimeList Writing Contest for aspiring manga/light novel authors, and the Manga Store e-commerce vertical for physical merchandise.

The company runs a community-led, freemium business model. The free tier is supported by display advertising and sponsored publisher content (e.g., Shueisha MANGA Plus, Yen Press, comici), with direct integrations to streaming partners (Crunchyroll for embedded playback, Netflix for availability links) and to music platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music) for anime soundtracks. The premium MAL Supporter tier removes ads and unlocks advanced list customization and statistics. Additional revenue streams include publisher writing contests with potential licensing/royalty exposure and merchandise e-commerce via the Manga Store. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct-to-consumer through the website and mobile apps, with publisher and streaming partnerships serving as both content and revenue channels rather than resold distribution.

Customer concentration on the B2C side is low by construction — the company serves millions of individual fans globally, segmented primarily by persona (anime/manga enthusiasts) and, on a secondary basis, by business unit (publishers and rights holders seeking promotional access). The company is venture-stage-equivalent in funding posture despite its maturity — it has raised approximately $10.4M cumulatively across disclosed rounds in 2021 (~8.5M across two rounds) and 2024 (~$1.9M from Animoca Brands Japan as part of the Anime Foundation Web3 initiative), with strategic investors dominated by Japanese IP conglomerates (KADOKAWA, Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan, Akatsuki, DMM.com, The Anime Times Company).

Name

MyAnimeList

Legal name

MyAnimeList Co., Ltd.

Website

https://myanimelist.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MyAnimeList Co., Ltd. operates the world's largest anime and manga community platform, serving 16 million registered fans with searchable title databases, personal list tracking, reviews, forums, and publisher-sponsored discovery campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anime and Manga Community Platform

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reader Community, Serialization & Monetization Platforms (Web fiction, Subscriptions) (MPAJAJAM), Topic/Interest-Based Content Discovery Apps (MPACAKAB)

Keywords

• Anime database platform
• Manga tracking service
• Anime community website
• Content discovery platform
• Fan engagement platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. MAL Supporter (Premium Membership): Premium membership tier offering enhanced features such as ad-free experience, advanced list customization, and additional functionality. The site displays 'Hide Ads' options indicating an advertising-supported free tier with paid premium option.
2. Publisher Partnerships and Sponsored Content: Partnerships with publishers such as Shueisha (MANGA Plus), Yen Press, and comici Manga for sponsored content and promotions, including campaigns like 'You Should Read This Manga' featuring publisher-curated lists.
3. Advertising Revenue: Display advertising on the platform, with ads visible to non-premium users. The site shows 'Hide Ads' options for premium subscribers, indicating an advertising-supported business model for free users.
4. Writing Contest Partnerships: Partnerships with publishers and animation studios for writing contests that could lead to manga/light novel publication opportunities, potentially creating licensing or referral revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MyAnimeList operates an online database and community platform for anime and manga where fans can track viewing and reading progress, rate and review titles, and participate in forums, clubs, and interest stacks. The platform aggregates detailed information on titles, characters, voice actors, and staff, and links users to legal streaming and manga reading services operated by third parties such as Crunchyroll, Netflix, and MANGA Plus. Supporting offerings include mobile applications, a premium membership tier (MAL Supporter), the MAL×Japan editorial vertical, an annual manga recommendation campaign, a writing contest, and a manga merchandise storefront.

Product overview

MyAnimeList operates as a comprehensive anime and manga database and community platform. The core offering is the MyAnimeList Platform, which provides searchable catalogs, user rankings, reviews, forums, clubs, blogs, recommendations, and seasonal guides. Supporting this are the MyAnimeList Mobile Apps for iOS and Android, the MAL Supporter premium membership tier offering ad-free and enhanced features, MAL×Japan editorial content covering industry news and interviews, the annual You Should Read This Manga curated recommendation campaign, the MyAnimeList x Honeyfeed Writing Contest for aspiring authors, and the Manga Store for purchasing manga merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MyAnimeList Platform Comprehensive online database and community platform for anime and manga featuring searchable catalogs, user rankings, reviews, forums, clubs, blogs, recommendations, news, and seasonal guides; serves as a central hub for fans to track, discover, and discuss anime and manga content.
• MyAnimeList Mobile Apps
• MAL×Japan Editorial content vertical covering Japanese anime and manga industry news, interviews, and features, including business entertainment programming and industry coverage for the MyAnimeList community.
• Manga Store E-commerce vertical enabling users to purchase manga volumes and related merchandise directly through the platform, integrated with the anime and manga database.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16 million registered members globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• MANGA Plus by ShueishacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMANGA Plus by Shueisha is a sponsor and partner for the 'You Should Read This Manga 2026' campaign, which curates manga nominations from passionate readers and promotes manga discovery on the platform.
• Yen PresscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerYen Press is a sponsor and partner for the 'You Should Read This Manga 2026' campaign, promoting English-language manga to the MyAnimeList community.
• comici MangasupportingGTM or Marketing Partnercomici Manga is a sponsor for the 'You Should Read This Manga 2026' manga discovery campaign on MyAnimeList.
• CrunchyrollcoreTechnology or IntegrationCrunchyroll provides video streaming for anime titles listed on MyAnimeList. The platform displays streaming availability information with direct links to Crunchyroll episodes.
• NetflixsupportingTechnology or IntegrationNetflix is listed as a streaming platform option for certain anime titles on MyAnimeList, with availability information displayed on anime pages.
• VIZ MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVIZ Media is listed as a licensor for anime titles on MyAnimeList, indicating content licensing and distribution partnerships for English-language releases.
• HoneyfeedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMyAnimeList partners with Honeyfeed for the annual Writing Contest since 2021, offering aspiring authors opportunities to share stories, receive community feedback, and potentially publish work as manga/light novels through major Japanese publishers.
• Major Japanese Publishers and Animation StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partners for the MyAnimeList x Honeyfeed Writing Contest, offering professional representation, monetary prizes, and potential publication and anime adaptation opportunities for winning entries.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AniList: Direct anime/manga tracking platform with modern UI, social features, and active development - the most cited competitor to MyAnimeList among younger anime fans.
• Kitsu: Anime and manga tracking community with social features, reviews, and database functionality - directly competes with MAL for the same user base.
• Anime-Planet: Anime/manga database and community platform with integrated legal streaming links, offering a similar feature set to MAL with strong genre-based recommendations.
• AniDB: Long-established anime database with extensive metadata, user lists, and community features - serves a more enthusiast segment but overlaps with MAL's tracking functionality.
• MyDramaList: Asian drama tracking platform with the same community-driven tracking model as MAL, often mentioned together as part of the same media-tracking ecosystem for fans of Asian content.

Broad incumbents

• Goodreads: Largest book-tracking community with user lists, reviews, and recommendations - the analogous model for books that MyAnimeList represents for anime/manga.
• Letterboxd: Film-tracking community with user reviews, lists, and social features - mirrors MAL's community-tracking model for film enthusiasts and demonstrates commercial viability of niche media databases.

Emerging players

• Trakt: TV and movie tracking platform with watchlist and scrobbling features - shares MAL's tracking-and-discovery DNA but with broader mainstream TV/movie focus rather than anime/manga specialization.

Regional players

• Bangumi: Chinese-language anime, manga, and game tracking community with similar database and list-tracking features - the closest regional analog to MAL for Chinese-speaking audiences.

Others

• Crunchyroll: Largest anime streaming platform and existing MAL partner - while not a direct database competitor, Crunchyroll's growing community features (reviews, watchlists, forums) increasingly overlap with MAL's social functionality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/myanimelist
• Facebookfacebook.com/OfficialMyAnimeList
• Instagraminstagram.com/myanimelistofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MyAnimeList