Thanks To One Piece, Toei Animation Beats The Walking Dead Studio In Annual Profits

Toei Animation, the renowned studio behind global hits like One Piece and Dragon Ball, recently released its annual securities report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. The report offers a rare look into the inner workings of one of Japan’s most successful animation studios, shedding light on employee compensation, company growth, and future plans involving cutting-edge technology.

According to the report, Toei’s average annual salary reached 8,273,416 yen, which is approximately $57,000 USD. This marks a slight increase from the previous year’s average of 8,131,481 yen. The company also reported a robust net income of 23.6 billion yen (around $164 million), showcasing strong profitability in a competitive and evolving industry.

Entertainment Companies Toei Animation Outperformed in Net Income (2024)

The workforce behind Toei’s successes remains relatively stable. As of March 31, 2025, the company employed 696 staff members directly, with a broader group of 960 people when including its subsidiaries.

The average employee is nearly 40 years old and has been with the company for over eight years. This combination of experience and long-term commitment suggests a workplace that values expertise and employee retention, critical factors in maintaining quality across long-running franchises.

One PIece Franchise (Credits: Toei Animation)

Toei Animation continues to draw income from a range of business avenues. These include domestic and international anime distribution, Blu-ray and home video sales, and merchandise licensing, including for video games.

However, the report also acknowledged certain risks that come with such a global presence. Challenges such as copyright infringement, rapid shifts in technology, and the unpredictable nature of overseas markets are noted as key concerns for future operations.

What stands out most in this year’s report is Toei’s exploration of new technologies. The studio revealed that it is actively examining the use of computer graphics (CG) and artificial intelligence (AI) in various stages of anime production.

While these tools are not yet fully integrated into their current workflows, Toei expressed serious interest in using AI for tasks like storyboarding, in-between animation, coloring, and background art. This follows the studio’s investment in Preferred Networks earlier this year and the launch of the ETERNA brand, which aims to create new styles of animation beyond traditional methods.

One PIece Franchise (Credits: Toei Animation)

In addition, Toei’s strategic partnership with South Korea’s CJ ENM, announced in 2021, continues to play an important role in its international strategy. Under this collaboration, projects such as the fully AI-animated Cat Biggie have been produced, indicating a growing interest in blending technology with storytelling on a global scale.

Toei Animation’s 2024 report paints a picture of a company firmly rooted in tradition but ready to adapt. With strong financials, competitive salaries, a stable workforce, and a forward-thinking approach to technology, Toei appears well-positioned to continue leading the anime industry both in Japan and around the world.

“One Piece” is a beloved Japanese manga and anime series that chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew. Luffy, imbued with rubber powers from a mystical fruit Hito Hito no Mi, aspires to become the Pirate King. To achieve this, he seeks the ultimate treasure, the “One Piece,” hidden at the Grand Line’s end. Along the journey, Luffy gathers a diverse crew, confronts formidable foes, and uncovers world-altering secrets, all while promoting themes of friendship, freedom, and adventure.

In the anime community, One Piece continues to amaze fans with its deeply emotional and complex storytelling. The ongoing Egghead Arc has taken a dark and powerful turn, shedding light on the tragic backstory of Bartholomew Kuma. Once thought to be a silent, robotic soldier serving the World Government, Kuma’s origin reveals a tale far more heartbreaking than most expected—one that even surpasses the emotional weight of Star Wars’ own clone narrative.

Kuma’s story begins in pain. As a child, he was taken into slavery by the Celestial Dragons—nobles who consider themselves gods and view other humans as disposable. At just four years old, Kuma was forced to serve in Mariejois, losing his parents to the cruel system. His early life was marked by unimaginable suffering, and even after he was freed during the God Valley incident, peace was never within his reach.

What truly sets Kuma apart from characters like Jango Fett in Star Wars is the nature of his sacrifice. Jango volunteered to become the model for the Republic’s clone army, demanding only that one unaltered clone, Boba Fett, be given to him as his son. His deal, though still morally complex, was transactional. Kuma, however, had no such luxury. When his adoptive daughter, Jewelry Bonney, fell gravely ill, Kuma was forced to make a decision no parent should ever face—give up his freedom and identity in exchange for a chance to save her life.

Kuma’s From One Piece (Credits: Eichiro Oda)

Working with Dr. Vegapunk, Kuma slowly allowed himself to be transformed into a human weapon: the prototype for the Pacifista clone army. But unlike Fett, Kuma’s transformation came at the cost of his memories, personality, and emotions. Under the command of Saint Saturn, one of the Gorosei, Kuma became little more than a machine, his humanity stripped away in the name of science and control.

Despite all this, Kuma’s final act proves his undying love. In a critical moment, he manages to override his programming, risking everything to protect Bonney. Even though he had become a cold, mechanical figure on the outside, his love for his daughter remained untouched deep within.

The Egghead Arc has used Kuma’s story to highlight major social themes: slavery, systemic injustice, and the cost of power. Kuma is not just a single character suffering alone—he is a reflection of a world that oppresses and dehumanizes entire groups of people. As a descendant of the Buccaneer race, he faced discrimination from birth, and his transformation into a Pacifista symbolizes how the powerful often erase the identities of those they deem unworthy.

Kuma’s From One Piece (Credits: Eichiro Oda)

In many ways, One Piece has done what Star Wars didn’t—it made its “clone” character a central figure in a powerful emotional drama. While Star Wars explored the ethical questions of cloning in a military context, One Piece dives deeper into the emotional, personal, and societal consequences.

Through Kuma’s heartbreaking journey, Eiichiro Oda reminds us that true strength lies in love, not power. And in doing so, One Piece once again proves why it remains one of the most compelling stories in anime and manga history.

“One Piece” is a beloved Japanese manga and anime series that chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew. Luffy, imbued with rubber powers from a mystical fruit Hito Hito no Mi, aspires to become the Pirate King. To achieve this, he seeks the ultimate treasure, the “One Piece,” hidden at the Grand Line’s end. Along the journey, Luffy gathers a diverse crew, confronts formidable foes, and uncovers world-altering secrets, all while promoting themes of friendship, freedom, and adventure.