Dragon Ball’s Profits Are Holding Up Insanely Well, Says New Report

Dragon Ball continues to be one of the most lucrative franchises in anime, and that has not changed even amidst its hiatus. As fans well know, the series has been out of commission on television for years, and there’s been no new films since 2018. But with an all-new movie slated for 2022, Dragon Ball is picking up steam if a new fiscal report is correct.

The update comes from Toei Animation, the production house that oversees Dragon Ball. The company put out its first quarter report for the 2022 fiscal year, and things are looking good for Dragon Ball.

According to the report, Dragon Ball brought in 1.56 billion yen to Toei Animation’s domestic licensing division. This is almost half of the group’s total profits as the branch raked in 3.2 billion yen overall. One Piece also did well with a haul of 1.05 billion yen followed by Pretty Cure and Saint Seiya.

When it comes to overseas film licensing, well – Dragon Ball did fall to second place with 425 million yen. One Piece took the top spot with 594 million while Sailor Moon nabbed third with 224 million. Digimon took fourth place with 174 million.

Finally, the fiscal report noted the top series in terms of overseas licensing gross. Dragon Ball crushed the competition with 2.63 billion yen with second place going to One Piece at 785 million yen. Slam Dunk and Digimon took the next two spots with 605 million yen and 269 million yen respectively.

Looking at this report, it is clear that Dragon Ball is doing well at Toei Animation as it grossed a total of 4.6 billion yen. Overseas licensing for the franchise is up year over year, but as expected, its movie licensing has fallen. This will most certainly change as 2022 rears its head. The anime is slated to debut its next movie, Dragon Ball Super: Superhero, at some point next year. And when it goes live, there will be plenty of markets eager to license the flick.

Are you surprised by how well Dragon Ball is holding up? How hyped are you for its next movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.