Animation Production Market Declines for the First Time in 10 Years, Down 2% from the Previous Year to 251 Billion Yen Deficit Ratio Reaches Record High of 40%.

Chinese production companies are rapidly gaining strength, and competition in Japan is expected to become fierce.

In 2020, there were many hits in the animation industry, especially theatrical versions.

Kyoto Animation’s “Violet Evergarden” drew a large number of anime fans to theaters immediately after its release, and “Blade of Extinction: Infinity Train Edition” grossed over 40 billion yen at the domestic box office.

　On the other hand, the number of TV animation productions decreased for the third year in a row in 2019, and problems such as production delays and postponement of animation broadcasts due to the new coronavirus have put pressure on production sites.

Furthermore, the rise of Chinese companies, which have continued to produce highly acclaimed works even in the face of the corona disaster, has once again brought to light issues in the Japanese animation production industry that have been pointed out for some time, such as the labor problems of animators and the profit structure.

In many aspects, such as equipment and treatment, Chinese companies are said to be equal to or superior to the environment of Japanese companies, and some are beginning to worry about the stagnation of Japanese animation due to the outflow of human resources and technology.