Applications
Tell the world a story you want animated!
MUMBAI: Always dreamt of creating a blockbuster animation like Howl‘s Moving Castle or Death Note that will take the world by storm? Dream no more! You now have a rare and golden opportunity to tell the world a story you have longed to be made into an animation, and possibly join the ranks of iconic animators like Hayao Miyazaki and Osamu Tezuka. Animax, the leading youth channel for the latest and hottest anime, has launched its debut pan-Asia scriptwriting competition, Animax Awards, for both amateurs and established artists to showcase their work and ‘break out‘ on the international stage! |
Animax Awards has been staged in Japan for five consecutive years since 2002, and has become a prestigious competition where the grand prize is coveted by many in the industry. For the very first time, Animax Awards is expanding its scope across Asia to call for talents to the animation industry. |
The extension of the competition only means good news for aspiring animators beyond Japan. Animax Awards is now open to applicants from seven regions across Asia. The regions are Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Philippines and South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand). Top entries from each region will enter the Finals where the grand prize winner will have his or her entry developed into an original production by a top Japanese animation studio! Now keen animators have the chance to tell the stories they have been waiting to share with the world. Going on the theme, “A Story I Wish to be Animated”, contestants are free to create scripts that may be in script, novel or comic format for a 30-minute short film. They also have the option of incorporating original characters created by Animax into the scripts to form unique and creative works of art. Leading Japanese Animation Studio to Develop Winning Entry Each region will have home-grown talents – people who are passionately and professionally connected to the creative world of animation, film and design – judge the script entries from their region. These illustrious judges have been selected as they are recognized leaders in their respective fields. From there, top entries from each region entering the Finals will be judged by creative professionals from Japan, including renowned sci-fi and adventure writer Baku Yumemakura. Animax is calling for all keen contestants to submit their original script for a 30-minute short film, from now to May 31, 2007. Visit www.animaxawards.com for more information on how to participate and to find out more about Animax‘s original characters. |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
