How ubiquitous is anime? Its now being used to treat lazy eye in children.

Anime giant Crunchyroll has partnered with Luminopia, a digital health company that devises new treatments for significant neuro-visual disorders, for a new VR treatment for kids with lazy eye (amblyopia). This isnt just some random press release PR stunt: the therapy is FDA-approved and doctor-prescribed.

Technically, what is approved and prescribed is Luminopias treatment, which straps a VR headset on kids and forces them watch TV for one hour a day, six days a week. Crunchyroll anime is a new programming option, joining Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, Sesame Workshop and, recently, hundreds of episodes of the original Pokmon animated series. With the pre-existing lineup, its actually a bit of a surprise that Crunchyroll took this long: Crunchyroll is a subsidiary of Sony, and Sony (through its Sony Innovation Fund) is an investor in Luminopia. A recent study by third-party researcher National Resource Group found that 59 percent of U.S. teens say theyre anime fans. Crunchyroll commissioned the study.

No matter your preferred genre, the Luminopia treatment sounds a hell of a lot more enjoyable than the old way: patching the good eye in hopes the lazy one catches up.

Lazy eye affects about one million pediatric patients nationwide and is the leading cause of vision loss in children, per Luminopia. The Luminopia method encourages the brain to use both eyes together. It also encourages kids to stick with their therapy by letting them enjoy their therapy.

Our mission has always been to transform lazy eye treatment into something children are actually excited about, said Scott Xiao, co-founder and CEO of Luminopia.By bringing anime content from Crunchyrolls catalog into our library, were giving patients more shows to choose from, with the goal of making therapy as engaging as possible for every single child.

Anime takes viewers on incredible adventures, and now with Luminopia, were glad anime can help kids treatment journeys feel more like fun, said Mitchel Berger, executive vice president of global commerce at Crunchyroll.