Anime's Global Growth Is Not Stopping, But Its Boom Is Showing Growing Pains at Last: "The Situation Has Changed Significantly"

Animeas a medium has seen explosive growth and an increase in popularity over the past two decades, and it is no doubt becoming mainstream in the entertainment world after decades of being niche. While this growth might certainly be a great thing overall, there are major issues that the industry faces, with some being very detrimental.

In a new article by Mantan Web, analysts studied the anime industry's growth as well as the benefits it brought, and the challenges it faced, highlighting how the production costs and the investment needed to make an anime were much higher than those of variety shows and dramas. Whereas an average hour of a variety show might cost 10 million yen (approximately $70,000), some anime episodes cost up to 8 times that, with the average cost of producing a good episode ranging around 50 million yen. Furthermore, it is harder to secure investment for an anime show, as clients are more willing to sponsor a variety show instead.

Anime Is Becoming More Expensive To Create

The Time to Produce Anime Takes Much Longer Than Average Television

It is no secret that anime has grown expensive to produce, with Dragon Ball Super costing $160K per episode and $150K for Jujutsu Kaisen. Another big issue the industry faces is that making anime is time-consuming. Dramas and variety shows can take less than 6 months for a single cour (approximately 12 episodes), while a 12-episode anime can take more than a year, and sometimes even two, depending on the source. The anime industry also experiences frequent changes, and studios sometimes cannot keep up with the demanding atmosphere that threatens to leave them behind.

Staff shortages are also a major issue that plagues the anime industry. For a variety of reasons, such as a lack of experienced animators, studios seeking foreign freelancers and short pay, and long hours, it is increasingly hard to find staff to take on the challenge of making anime. While studios and organizations have recently been trying to combat this challenge by increasing pay and holding workshops and seminars to try young aspiring animators, there is still quite a way before the challenges of worker shortages are resolved.

The Future Of Anime Is Still Good

The Anime Industry Is Making Progress

In recent years, foreign investment in anime production has increased significantly, with companies like Netflix and Adult Swim collaborating with Japanese studios to create new works. Additionally, the issue of overworking in the industry is being addressed, and while progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. Anime has never been more popular than it is now, and despite the challenges that come with this growth, the industry still has a promising future.