Let’s get ready to RUMBLE! Anime franchises have been running for decades throughout the world, becoming major Hollywood films, titan-like merchandising opportunities, theme park attractions, and generally huge money makers in all departments. So popular in fact that anime have grown to be the largest money making franchises in the world, surpassing cartoons and series that are battling for the throne.
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Recently, Twitter User Richmond Lee, aka Art-Eater, has broken down some of the predictable, and very unpredictable, stats of which anime are the heaviest hitters and which anime have managed to surpass some very well known franchises during their lifespans.
To start, let’s get the big question out of the way: which anime is the biggest franchise in the world. To no one’s surprise, Pokemon holds the crown for the most money produced and by a giant margin to boot. The story of a world that sees animals with super powers battle one another has brought in money across the board, the likes of which no single franchise could hope to overcome. In licensed merchandising, Pokemon has brought in over $61 billion. In video game sales, it has made over $15 billion with card game sales close behind at $10 billion worldwide. Box office at the theaters sees the Pokemon movies themselves bringing in over $1 billion, though this does not include the upcoming Detective Pikachu so this could very well change.
Behind Pokemon, Hello Kitty! holds the number two spot for most money made across the globe, primarily thanks in part to merchandise sales which hold a titanic $80 billion in revenue, surpassing even Pokemon‘s take. As Richmond Lee states, these franchises have made more than Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Mickey Mouse and Friends to name a few.
Other fun and noteworthy facts include the Dragon Ball franchise making more than Barbie and Pixar’s Cars (which is Pixar’s number one franchise at present). Shonen Jump, the popular magazine that delivers a large portion of the action anime that we know and love today, is worth more than Spider-Man and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most surprisingly, Fist of the North Star has raked in more cash than Lord of the Rings, Toy Story, and the James Bond franchise! Perhaps one day, the makers of James Bond will realize that Daniel Craig would be bringing them more money if he were wandering a post-apocalyptic wasteland, one punching enemies to death rather than drinking martinis that were shaken, not stirred.
Wondering what other franchises have made the most dinero? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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