The term Middle-Quality Anime is rapidly spreading in Japan’s anime industry. The DLE-produced anime Style of Hiroshi Nohara’s LUNCH has become a breakout hit, recording over 700,000 views and 100,000 comments on Japan’s video platform Niconico in just one week, and surpassing 1.7 million views on YouTube as of November 1.

Middle-Quality Anime refers to works designed with a moderate production quality—positioned between high-budget TV anime and low-budget web animation. DLE’s newly launched “Alternative Anime” business focuses on producing 30-minute episodes under this model, aiming for faster turnaround and cost efficiency while maintaining appealing visual storytelling.

The first title in this new venture, Style of Hiroshi Nohara’s LUNCH, exemplifies this approach. DLE, known for the comedy series Eagle Talon, leverages its unique Adobe Animate workflow to produce animation that prioritizes humor and timing over complex motion. For reference, Eagle Talon is often described as “an anime that moves even less than South Park.” Hiroshi Nohara, the protagonist, is the father from Japan’s national favorite Crayon Shin-chan, a character symbolizing the everyday Japanese salaryman.

The Crisis Behind High-Quality Anime

The success of Style of Hiroshi Nohara’s LUNCH lies in how its humor and simple animation perfectly complement the charm of its IP. Yet, this phenomenon may also hint at a future path for Japan’s animation industry.

Japan’s anime market has grown into a multitrillion-yen industry with soaring global demand. However, the production environment remains strained—marked by long working hours, low wages, and tight schedules. Some projects face four- to five-year delays, or even cancellation, due to overwhelming workloads. In some cases, streaming episodes are postponed mid-season because production cannot keep up.

To address this, studios like DLE began producing Middle-Quality Anime—designed for timely releases that keep IPs relevant while reducing production pressure.

Major printing and media company Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) has also launched a similar initiative under the “Light Anime Project.” Its first title, Potion Will Save My Life, began streaming in fall 2025.

Efficient New Production Methods

DLE utilizes its expertise with Adobe Animate, streamlining the animation process while preserving creative flexibility. Meanwhile, DNP employs a cutout animation method that reuses existing manga artwork instead of redrawing new frames, dramatically reducing production time and cost.

This approach enables the company to cut costs to about 10% of conventional anime production and shorten timelines by approximately 1/12, according to DNP. Although not a new technique, it has been refined through the company’s long-standing content processing technology.