Pivoting away from anime, Bilibili has grown up with its users, attracting investors ahead of secondary listing in Hong Kong
- Users say they appreciate that Bilibili is no longer all about anime, comics and games
- The company’s pivot to a YouTube-like model makes it unique compared with Chinese competitors like iQiyi and Tencent Video that focus on highly produced dramas
When He first started uploading videos to the platform in the summer of 2017, it was still largely known for catering to a niche community interested in the anime, comics and games (ACG) subculture. More than three years later, He is one of the most-watched opinion leaders on digital products. His 18-minute video with Cook, conducted in English with Chinese subtitles, has so far garnered more than 8.3 million views.
Similar to Google’s YouTube, Bilibili has grown up with its users, becoming a place for content creators of all types. As Bilibili prepares for its secondary listing in Hong Kong, three years after going public on the Nasdaq, its namesake streaming platform has become home to a wide variety of content, covering topics as diverse as finance, law, travel and, of course, cat videos.
“I think Bilibili is not only about ACG, but it’s also a diverse community now,” said Zhu Shimin, a 25-year-old who works in the environmental industry. “I feel like it was bound to happen. After all, Bilibili is a company, which needs to develop and grow up.”
Zhu is one of 54 million people who use Bilibili every day. She is also one of many users who told the South China Morning Post that they initially used the platform for Japanese animation when they were younger but now embrace its more diverse content.
Zhu said she has been an anime fan since primary school and spends more than two hours on Bilibili almost every day. In addition to anime, she uses the site for movie clips, videos of cute dogs and cats, and interesting food and travel content.
