New Bandai Fiscal Report Takes a Big Bite Out of Dragon Ball

Bandai Namco is one of the go-to brands when it comes to anime merchandise, and Dragon Ball is no [...]

Bandai Namco is one of the go-to brands when it comes to anime merchandise, and Dragon Ball is no different. The hit series has worked with the company to roll out everything from action figures to video games and premium statues. But thanks to a new quarterly report, fans have learned Dragon Ball has dipped hard in profits from the last year.

The new information came out in Bandai Namco's new fiscal documents. The company posted its first-quarter results, and Dragon Ball is still leading the pack despite being down 1.3 billion yen year over year.

If you look at the numbers for Dragon Ball last year, the franchise brought in 28.4 billion yen total. The current first-quarter results number about 27.1 billion yen, so there is a clear difference between the totals. The full-year forecasts are just as bleak with Dragon Ball having earned a massive 134.9 billion yen last year for Bandai Namco while the forecasts for this year clocked in at under 110 billion.

There is no denying Dragon Ball has taken a hit, but Bandai Namco is not too worried. The company admits its year-over-year numbers will be smaller, so fans are convinced there will be no new Dragon Ball game this year. Instead, the company may look elsewhere for cash, and some of its IPs are up this fiscal quarter compared to last year.

After all, KAMEN RIDER is up a hair along with Mobile Suit Gundam. Naruto and One Piece round out the list of growing IPs, so Dragon Ball can afford to loosen its slack just a bit.

Are you surprised by these quarterly results for Bandai Namco? Or did you expect Dragon Ball to take a big hit this year? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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