Teikoku Databank: Anime Production Market Grew to Largest Ever in 2023

On August 27, Japanese research firm Teikoku Databank reported the results of a survey showing that Japan's anime production market in 2023 reached a record high of 339.02 billion yen (based on business sales, equal to 2.36 billion USD). That figure was 22.9 percent higher than the previous year's 275.783 billion yen (equal to 1.915 billion USD), and the market reached the 300 billion yen mark for the first time in history. Annual Trends in the Japanese Anime Production Market Image via Teikoku Databank report In terms of the overall anime market, the anime streaming market — including video on demand (VOD) services — reached a record high of 165.2 billion yen (1.15 billion USD) in 2022. The streaming market has expanded tenfold over the past decade. Among TV anime based on light novels in 2023, The Apothecary Diaries was noted as gaining popularity. In addition, among TV anime based on manga, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Oshi no Ko attracted much attention and contributed to the expansion of the merchandise market. Among theatrical films, the box office success of Makoto Shinkai's Suzume — which grossed over 14 billion yen (97 million USD) at the Japanese box office — was also noted, as well as Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron . The report also detailed the profitability of the "prime contractor/gross contractor" among animation production companies, which has the ability to complete production directly under contract. The report noted that this improved markedly, with more than half (51.7 percent) in the black. However, only 37.5 percent of "specialized studios," which serve as subcontractors, were in the black. The number of companies in the red was 22.4 percent for prime and gross contractors, while 43.1 percent for specialized studios. Unlike prime contractors, the increase in costs could not be covered by IP revenue, which was a remote cause of the increase in the percentage of specialized studios that posted losses. According to the report, the anime production market has continued to do well in 2024. According to the report, if the current pace is maintained, the market in 2024 is expected to land at around 340 billion yen, the same level as in 2023. Source : Teikoku Databank ©Natsu Hyuga, Imagica Infos / "The Apothecary Diaries" Production Committee

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