Toei Animation is partnering with one of the most well-known anime streaming sites in the world, Crunchyroll. The deal gives Crunchyroll the ability to provide streaming, subscription and download-to-own options for several of Toei's popular anime titles, beginning October 27, 2008.

The first series that will be available on Crunchyroll as a result of this new partnership include:

Fist of the North Star Pretty Cure Slam Dunk Digimon Adventure 02



"A partnership with Toei Animation is fantastic for Crunchyroll and the anime industry in the U.S. and international markets," states Mr. Kun Gao, Crunchyroll's CEO. "It is great validation to have one of the oldest, largest Japanese animation studios using our platform to bring anime to a much larger audience and monetize through new digital channels."

Toei Animation Co., Ltd.'s Mr. Kanji Kazahaya, Director of International Department, said, "We believe that digital distribution holds the potential to improve the economics of our studio rather than weaken it and Crunchyroll is a great company to work with because of its reach and unique approach to end users."

Toei is well respected, even revered, in the anime industry. Since its founding in 1956, Toei Animation has produced more than 9,000 episodes of TV series (189 titles) and 172 long feature films as of March, 2007. Crunchyroll has been working hard to earn respect in the industry by working closely with anime companies to deliver streaming titles to their huge fanbase. In recent months they've received venture capital funding and announced a content deal with anime-studio Gonzo, but a partnership with Toei—the granddaddy of anime studios—is perhaps their most impressive achievement so far.