Dragon Ball has had a wild year, and thanks to some big releases, Son Goku is in the green. The Saiyan has brought serious cash to Toei Animation as of late, and as always, the Shueisha team gets a check regularly thanks to the manga. And now, a new financial report from Bandai Namco shows Dragon Ball is also making bank where merchandise is concerned.
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The update comes from the company as its 2023 financial year just wrapped Q3. It was there Bandai Namco confirmed Dragon Ball was back at the top in terms of IP sales, but merchandise totals still put Mobile Suit Gundam at the head.
The Numbers Explained
According to the fiscal report, Dragon Ball has brought in 65.7 billion yen this year. It landed just ahead of Mobile Suit Gundam as the mecha series earned 62.4 billion yen. As for other IP sales, One Piece came in third place with 44.1 billion yen before Kamen Rider, Naruto, and others wrapped the list.
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Obviously, Dragon Ball earned more this past quarter in overall IP sales, but the same cannot be said for merchandising. The series definitely made good money as Bandai Namco says Dragon Ball grossed 12 billion yen in Japan. However, One Piece and Mobile Suit Gundam edged out the IP with 12.3 billion and 30.1 billion yen respectively.
As you can tell, Dragon Ball has no issue making money, and it remains one of Bandai Namco’s top-selling IPs. Its totals were boosted as of late thanks to the release of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, but a single movie every few years cannot sustain a franchise. At some point, Bandai Namco’s returns on Dragon Ball will wane, and the only thing that will bring it back is a full-blown comeback.
What do you make of this new Dragon Ball report? Where do you want to see the franchise go in the coming year? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
