The first anime adaptation based on the popular mobile game Monster Strike premiered as a web anime series on YouTube on October 10, 2015. This initial animated venture was designed for a global audience, being broadcast in 11 different languages, including Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. New seven-minute “minisodes” were released weekly on Saturdays following the premiere.
The decision to release the anime exclusively on YouTube was a strategic move by Mixi, the game’s developer, aiming for the widest possible audience. The series quickly gained traction, accumulating over 100 million views by August 2016, and exceeding 200 million views by June 2017. By January 2018, the series had garnered over 250 million views worldwide.
The Monster Strike game, developed by XFLAG (a brand of Mixi, Inc.), was first released in Japan on August 8, 2013, for iOS and December 14, 2013, for Android. It gained immense popularity, becoming a top-grossing mobile app. The anime series was a significant part of Mixi’s efforts to expand the franchise’s global reach, alongside other initiatives like a Nintendo 3DS version of the game, which was released in December 2015 and incorporated elements from the anime’s first season.
Following its successful run as a web anime, Monster Strike further expanded into other animated formats. A second season of the web anime premiered on April 1, 2017. The franchise also saw the release of its first anime film, Monster Strike The Movie, on December 10, 2016. A spin-off OVA episode, A Rhapsody Called Lucy -The Very First Song-, also premiered on May 3, 2017.
