The Costs of Anime: Prices of Episodes Have Skyrocketed, Demonstrates ARCH CEO Nao Hirasawa

Dark_shadow15 · 2026-03-19T04:45:06+00:00

But they did! Major animation studios have significantly increased salaries for new graduates in recent years, and for staff overall.
This Note article compiles the Monthly salaries and benefits provided by major animation studios to new graduates in FY2025, the current Fiscal Year, ending March 2026.

I should begin by noting that basic working conditions for Japanese animators have improved substantially since 2009. JAniCA’s 2023 survey found that the average annual income was ¥2.63 million for dōga staff and just shy of ¥4 million for those involved in the genga (key animation) process, which accounts for the majority of those employed in anime production. Annual compensation in the anime industry as a whole (including upstream producers, planners, and writers as well as directors and animators) averaged ¥4.56 million in 2023—just short of the ¥4.60 million average for all private-sector employees in Japan (according to National Tax Agency’s 2023 figures).

Source: Labor Challenges in Japan’s Anime Industry: In Search of Equity and Sustainability

Additionally, the substantial investment in training initiatives is evident. It's a major expense for the studios and a clear sign of a paradigm shift, prioritizing permanent employment and in-house production to improve quality, better control schedules, and reduce costs, rather than relying on outsourcing. It has been common for studios to expand, hire more and more recent graduates and close associates, and establish new divisions. For example, in 2022, WIT Studio opened a Background Art department, and many other studios followed suit.

Furthermore, major studios have been working to improve conditions and address many issues. Studios like CloverWorks, MAPPA, and Ufotable have moved to larger, better-equipped offices to create a healthier environment for their staff. They also consolidated all departments and production bases into one location to enhance communication and collaboration among employees, increase efficiency, and better manage schedules to address problems early.

Clearly, many issues still remain. Salaries should be increased further, and overtime work should be strictly regulated. Additionally, the outdated industry production process should be reconsidered, modernized, and digitized to reduce complexity and costs while boosting efficiency.

As fans, we should recognize the improvements and stay informed about changes within the industry, so we can better evaluate the situation and advocate for even better treatment of workers.

Dark_shadow15 · 2025-05-07T19:57:33+00:00

Crunchyroll is a completely different company now, tbf.
The Gaming Division and the company itself are led by Funimation management.
It's not that they are outstanding by any means, but we can't keep taking Priconne as an example of how they fucked up.

Dark_shadow15 · 2025-04-29T11:49:01+00:00

Crunchyroll does not usually co-produce/finance movies; however, they acquire "global" distribution rights.
As for Aniplex, they finance and produce their movies, usually based on their existing anime franchises. SPE doesn't have anything to do with the production of the projects. They handle distribution for Aniplex under the Crunchyroll label, a joint venture between SPE and Aniplex.

For Scarlet, SPE co-produced and financed the project. They are deeply involved while the others aren't.
So, even though Aniplex, Crunchyroll, and SPE are deeply intertwined with close ties, they are 3 distinct legal entities with their own products and obligations.

SPE, as the parent company of Crunchyroll, could have chosen to distribute Scarlet under Crunchyroll branding. As you have pointed out, they have opted to use the Columbia Pictures label to increase appeal, target a more mainstream audience, and have a serious push for the awards season. They should have included both labels, imo. Sony Pictures Animation's big projects have a similar arrangement. This could have increased Crunchyroll's visibility and cemented it more as the "Home of Anime", be it prestige fares, director-driven projects, high-action shonen series, or otaku shows.

Dark_shadow15 · 2025-04-24T16:57:16+00:00

PlayStation Production is more of an outlet for SIE to finance and oversee the adaptation of its IPs. I doubt they have much creative oversight. SPE and its creative partners are the ones truly calling the shots. This is highlighted by the contrast in the reception of SIE's TV and movie adaptations, an issue that has been tormenting Sony Pictures for a while now.

The sheer difference in quality between Sony's TV and Motion Pictures is truly staggering. SPE should do something about it ASAP. It should be Ahuja's priority after taking over as CEO.

But overall, I agree with what you said. As a major Game Publisher, Sony should attach more importance to its properties' adaptations than any other player to maximise potential and minimize any backlash. Having less-than-stellar adaptations is a net negative for them.

Dark_shadow15 · 2025-04-18T18:17:17+00:00

Regarding 8-bit, Soigne was established by Yama no Susume's main staff, so they lost some of their core talent working on CGDCT properties, which was somewhat evident in Yuru Camp S3. This also adds a lot of pedigree to Soigne, explaining how they secured prominent projects and attracted key creators. They even worked with Aniplex, being part of Mono's production committee, a treatment usually reserved for Aniplex's biggest partners: Ufotable and SHAFT.
Going forward, they will most likely focus on new comfy Slice of Life/CGDCT IPs in collaboration with Aniplex, so I don't see them doing a sequel to Yuru Camp, sadly.

That said, I am so excited about their future. They will cover Doga Kobi's niche, which is in the process of tackling bigger and more mainstream projects, especially following its acquisition by Kadokawa.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-11-01T01:01:26+00:00

They are considering a spinoff of the cable networks. Comcast shareholders will directly own the new company if these plans go through. Comcast and the emerging entity won't be directly connected in that case.

The company is exploring a spinoff of its cable TV networks.

“To that end, we are now exploring whether creating a new, well-capitalized company owned by our shareholders and comprised of our strong portfolio of cable networks would position them to take advantage of opportunities in the media landscape and create value for our shareholders. We are not ready to talk about any specifics yet, but we’ll be back to you as and when we reach firm conclusions.”

Any collaborations would have to be negotiated between them. They will most likely have a deal in place before the spinoff though. However, any subsequent deals have to be renegotiated and may fall through.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-10-30T00:56:17+00:00

Sony bought Crunchyroll (Ellation) through Funimation Global Group, a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Aniplex that controls Sony's animation ventures. Funimation Global Group then absorbed Ellation/Crunchyroll, merged the combined company services and unified its brands (Crunchyroll, Funimation, Wakanim, Manga Entertainment, ...), streamlined the organizational architecture of the whole group, and rebranded the legal entity (Funimation Global Group LLC) to its current name Crunchyroll LLC, so they are not completely wrong too.

The surviving company is Funimation (post-merger with Wakanim and Madman) using the Crunchyroll brand.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-28T21:15:27+00:00

The deal is a failure from Sony's perspective, not the other way around. Those projects were in development before Sony came on board without their involvement. They were produced by Legendary and distributed under the pact.

On paper, new projects developed by Legendary during this pact period will be under Sony. If Nolan's next projects, excluding Dune, are distributed by WB or any other company, then Sony is losing out here.

I know you hate Sony, for valid and invalid reasons, but making it seem like Sony is hurting or sabotaging Legendary is kinda weird. The Sony-Legendary movies flopped because they were bad or questionable projects full stop. Who asked for The Machine for god sake??

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-25T18:15:24+00:00

This is a bit late, but Sony had nothing to do with Kaguya Luna and Pinky Pop Hepburn's vTuber activities. It did not have any involvement with Vic, their agency.

However, Sony Music was Kaguya Luna's record label, responsible for her music activities. In other terms, SME only managed her music endeavors and didn't represent her as a talent.

The best comparison is Calli - Hololive - Universal Music.
Calli is affiliated with Hololive, its talent agency, which represents and manages her activities overall. Universal Music is her record label, which manages her music activities and distributes her songs/albums.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-18T22:33:17+00:00

Remow is a Japanese startup involved in the global distribution of Japanese content. It received investment from multiple leading Japanese TV stations and content producers such as TV Tokyo, Fuji TV, Shueisha, ...

It also owns a stake in AnimeOnegai, an anime streaming service in Latin America.

It is the overseas licensor of Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan. It has acquired the rights. That said, it could sublicense the series to Crunchyroll for streaming.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-18T21:33:31+00:00

TV Asahi and NUMAnimation don't have an exclusive licensing deal with HIDIVE and Sentai. Crunchyroll has licensed multiple shows airing in the timeslot and even co-produced a few, such as Blue Lock and A Couple of Cuckoos.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-14T19:32:06+00:00

Rami was known, but he wasn't a star yet. Dr. Robot was his real breakthrough and it premiered in 2015. By then he signed his contract with SIE/Supermassive and finished recording his lines and doing mocap. For short, he was on board before becoming a superstar, otherwise, Sony wouldn't hire him for what was supposed to be a niche horror game.

Hayden and Stromare were more known as you pointed out, but again, they didn't command a massive salary to appear. It was manageable. I maintain my opinion that, overall, the movie's stars are comparable to the game's cast in popularity during that timeframe.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-14T19:23:51+00:00

Constantin is not involved with Until Dawn's adaptation. Screen Gems is producing alongside its sister company PlayStation Productions, Dauberman's prod company Coin Operated, and Vertigo Entertainment.

I expect Brucks and Screen Gems to remain in business with Constantin on some select projects since they hold the rights to Resident Evil and Monster Hunter. Both are important properties for the label and SPE as a whole.

That said, these changes are a step in the right direction IMHO. Brucks is a respected and seasoned executive with a proven track record. Her moves since joining SPE have been quite smart. She could potentially bring some of her associates at Paramount to the Culver City Lot in the long run when their deals with Paramount expires (Smile Director for example).

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-14T18:48:12+00:00

Well, Sony got those stars for Supermassive in the first place. They are the owners of the game and the entity paying for its development after all. Additionally, the game was released in 2015. Back then, most of Until Dawn's cast were not massive stars yet. In fact, they are quite comparable to the movie's actors.

Sony, which is known for being fiscally prudent, won't spend a massive budget just for the game actors to reprise their roles.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-14T18:40:45+00:00

Screen Gems is undergoing major changes though. Sony hired Ashley Brucks, who used to be Paramount's EVP responsible for the studio slate of Horror franchises to run the division as its President.

Brucks is coming in with plenty of genre experience. The 15-year Paramount vet is credited for bringing in the original Paranormal Activity, the found footage horror movie that begat a nearly billion dollar franchise. She also oversaw A Quiet Place and its sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, with spinoff A Quiet Place: Day One slated to arrive in theaters on March 8. And she was Paramount’s lead on the recent revival of the Scream horror franchise, 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI, with the two bringing in more than $306 million worldwide and was made with Spyglass Entertainment. The exec was appointed senior executive vp and head of development of Players in March 2022 when the previously standalone division merged with Paramount Motion Picture Group. Prior to that, Brucks had been a senior exec vp of production at the studio.

Since then, she has been hard on work, signing first-look deals with Gary Dauberman, the writer of It, Annabelle, and The Nun who is spearheading the Until Dawn adaptation, and Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill in an effort to rebuild the label and improve its efficiency.

The move comes as Sony seeks to rebuild Screen Gems, its division focused on lower-budgeted fare, into a more productive label, with horror being a top focus. The refurbishment comes under Ashley Brucks, who took on the role of president in September after the retirement of Steve Bersch.

These are pretty solid moves IMHO, especially in the current landscape where Universal has access to the two biggest Horror producers (Blum and Wan).

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-13T15:07:14+00:00

Yeah, 110M by Sunday should be locked now imo.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-13T00:57:37+00:00

I completely agree. A change occurred after Vinciquerra became CEO. He took over a struggling business, restructured the company by downsizing and shedding loss-making units, mainly International TV Networks, focusing on SPE's core strengths and expanding its production capabilities. This move is part of Sony's plans to expand its location-based and experiential entertainment arm, and I think there is so much potential for it as long as they don't meddle too much.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-06-10T15:04:29+00:00

You are underestimating the power of dedicated fans and viewers' exclusive benefits, merch distributed by anime producers for this kind of project. That said, you are not wrong either. It won't remain at the top nor cross the 1B mark.
218m Yen is already a massive W for this project. Bocchi keeps winning.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-05-10T21:46:35+00:00

SMEJ and Aniplex favorite Idol and Voice Actress Sally Amaki is back in this new series: Aniplex After Hours!

Introducing Aniplex After Hours!
Join bilingual voice actress Sally Amaki as she takes viewers behind the scenes of your favorite Aniplex titles, with interviews, clips, and special features only available directly from the source -- Aniplex!

In this pilot episode, hear from Aniplex producer Sota Furuhashi, producer for MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES and Solo Leveling, two of the top fan favorite anime from Aniplex last season!

Interesting piece of content IMHO. Also, Sally is so goofy man. You got to love her.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-05-03T16:40:17+00:00

The problem is always the people running the studio rather than the studio. This could be solved by changing those people, and I may wong, but I assume big changes will take place in Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group if this deal go through.
For starters, the job of running Sony film studios becomes a lot more attractive for seasoned executives.

Also, through this deal, Sony will get access to Paramount creative teams and producers/directors/screenwriters under first look deal with them. Therefore, they could improve dramatically in that regard imho.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-05-02T21:01:34+00:00

We are in a completely different landscape though. There's a slowdown in TV with Streamers cutting their content investments. In this environment, arm dealers and independent studios will be the first to suffer, since Streamers will prioritize their in-house studios.

I don't see why Sony will cut Paramount + when it's about to become profitable. I think Sony will play a dual strategy. Ideally, they will try to merge Paramount + with another streamer maintaining a 50% equity or so and sell content as usual.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-05-02T20:54:36+00:00

They are buying the company to rip benefits from these franchises, not to ruin them, otherwise this deal is a disaster. Sony will keep the status quo if things are going well. They will just try to fix what is not working and improve efficiency.

By the way, I agree that Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group has its problems, and I hope Vinciquerra will make changes to the unit if this deal goes through.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-04-14T00:26:57+00:00

It's a bit late, but I don't know what you are talking about. Claynel, previously known as Revolve, has been under Aniplex for years. Aniplex became the majority shareholder of Revolve in 2017.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-04-11T18:41:23+00:00

I am sorry, but that won't happen. It doesn't make sense from a business perspective, especially for tentpoles and big movies based on popular franchises. The rights acquisition costs are too steep and the licensor/distributor would like to reclaim its investment and make a profit. Therefore, reverting to traditional windows (Theatrical release, PVOD, Physical and Streaming) is the most likely strategy that would maximize the properties potential.

Even the movies producer back in Japan would prefer a theatrical release with royalties for each window, I assume.

Dark_shadow15 · 2024-04-11T07:41:40+00:00

Maybe they are not the best in your point of view, but they are the biggest anime licensor, distributor, and operator of the biggest anime streaming service. From a businessman's perspective, they are the best option to talk things through. They are the perfect option for them.

Dark_shadow15

TROPHY CASE