The Anime Market Rakes in Record Profits for Six Years Running

It is a good time to be an anime fan. Over the last few years, it seems like the medium has resurged in a big way. The swift push has been felt overseas and locally, giving the anime industry a much-needed push forward. Now, a new report has come from Japan, and it confirms the industry has reached record earnings for the sixth year straight.

The report, as relayed by NHK, says Japan’s anime industry made record money last year. The 2018 fiscal year earned 19.9 billon dollars total with nearly half of the total coming from overseas markets.

Looking at past records, this new record is up $174 million from the 2017 fiscal year. Oversea fans have plenty to do with the push as 46% of latest total came from outside of Japan. In fact, $9.23 billion was added to the 2018 earnings from overseas fans alone.

The report also breaks down the lucratively of DVDs and home videos. According to the notes, the sect dropped down to $537 million while streaming stayed above water. Online distribution accounted for $544 million in the 2018 fiscal year.

This report has anime fans feeling good, and its noted emphasis on international markets is key. While Japan is clearly consuming more anime than ever, the global audience for anime is just as ravenous. Streaming platforms like Crunchyroll have made it easier than ever to watch anime outside of Japan, and it isn’t alone. As companies like Funimation and Madman expand their lanes, anime will become more ubiquitous to even casual fans, but fans admit they’d like more of that revenue to reach animators. The anime industry is notorious for paying its animators a pittance, so here’s to hoping creators see a shift in work culture soon.

Which of this year’s anime landed on your must-watch list? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!