Toei Animation continues to dominate the anime industry, being one of the largest and most influential studios in Japan. Over the years, it has been responsible for bringing some of the most iconic anime to life. With a diverse portfolio of popular series, Toei has maintained its relevance in the industry, generating billions in revenue. Recently, the studio revealed its top-performing franchises for the fiscal year, showcasing the incredible success of a few of its standout titles.
Among the many successful series under Toei’s belt, Dragon Ball has emerged as the studio’s highest-earning franchise. The series continues to be a global phenomenon, generating an impressive 19 billion yen. Its primary success came from overseas licensing, where it topped the charts by a wide margin. Even though it ranked second in other categories, Dragon Ball’s consistent performance across all platforms solidified its place at the top for Toei.
One Piece: A Close Contender to Dragon Ball’s Crown
Krilin (Credits: Toei Animation)
Second place in Toei’s earnings list goes to One Piece, another iconic series that has cemented itself as a staple in anime culture. The series earned a respectable 18.4 billion yen, falling just behind Dragon Ball. One Piece performed exceptionally well in domestic licensing and films, taking first place in both of these categories.
However, it did not fare as well in overseas licensing, likely due to its more recent international success compared to Dragon Ball, which has had decades to build a global fanbase.
Other Top Earning Toei Franchises
Goku (Credits: Toei Animation)
While Dragon Ball and One Piece dominate the top spots, Pretty Cure, a magical girls series, rounds out the top three with 1.3 billion yen in total earnings. However, its performance was limited to domestic sales, as it struggled in overseas licensing. Following closely behind in fourth place is Digimon, which earned 1.06 billion yen, primarily from overseas licensing. Though the numbers are far lower compared to One Piece and Dragon Ball, both series remain beloved and have their own loyal fanbases.
Other notable Toei franchises include Slam Dunk, Saint Seiya, and Gegege no Kitaro, all of which contributed to the studio’s overall earnings. However, none of these series came close to the massive revenue generated by One Piece and Dragon Ball. These franchises continue to enjoy success in various categories, but the global appeal and enduring popularity of One Piece and Dragon Ball remain unmatched in Toei’s portfolio.
Studio Pierrot has long been recognized for its work on major anime series like Naruto and Bleach. Over the years, the studio has delivered consistent weekly episodes of these popular series. However, in a strategic shift influenced by changing industry trends, Pierrot has transitioned from producing year-round, weekly anime to focusing on seasonal releases.
This change, especially evident with Bleach, marks a significant departure from the past, offering exciting possibilities for future projects.
The shift was particularly noticeable with Bleach, a series that once followed the weekly release model. Now, with Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, the show is structured into seasons, releasing a set number of episodes per year rather than airing weekly throughout the entire year.
Studio Pierrot’s president expressed confidence in this new approach, noting the success of Bleach in 2022 and 2023. He also mentioned that this strategy is inspired by the success of Demon Slayer, which has heavily influenced the anime industry’s move toward seasonal formats.
Why Seasonal Anime Are Gaining Popularity
Nartuo Baryon Mode (Credits: Pierrot)
Seasonal anime has become the new standard for both long-running and new series. This format allows studios more time to produce episodes, with the typical seasonal anime consisting of about 24 episodes or fewer. The benefits are clear: higher quality animations, more detailed storylines, and better pacing. With seasonal releases, animators can dedicate more time to each episode, ensuring a more polished and visually engaging product.
One of the major advantages of seasonal anime is the reduction of filler episodes. Weekly anime, particularly long-running series, often relied on filler content to bridge the gap between the manga’s progress and the anime’s release schedule. Seasonal anime, on the other hand, eliminates this issue, focusing only on the canon material. Additionally, seasonal anime offers better pacing, keeping the story on track without unnecessary filler arcs or long delays between major plot points.
The Future of Anime Production: A Seasonal Shift
Ichigo | Bleach: Thousand Years of Blood War Part 2 (Credits: Pierrot)
The move to seasonal anime seems to be a lasting trend, even for established series that were once dominated by weekly releases. The switch to seasons not only improves production quality but also aligns with audience expectations for more consistent, high-caliber content.
As studios like Studio Pierrot continue to refine their approach, the future of anime looks brighter, with fans enjoying more polished, less filler-heavy shows. This shift is likely to influence the industry for years to come.
