The Japanese anime industry is truly a massive global phenomenon, worth $20 billion a year. But no one can rival one iconic name that not only surpasses other anime competitors but has also managed to outshine Marvel with an astonishing revenue total.
Pokemon, the Japanese media franchise that started with a video game in 1996, has now officially claimed the title of the world’s most profitable anime franchise, raking in over $100 billion worldwide!
Out of that, $92 billion comes from merchandise and gaming sales, $6 billion from video games, and over $1.2 billion from movie ticket sales and anime video revenue.
What’s even more shocking – Pokemon’s earnings are three times higher than the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which has only earned $33 billion from box office and home entertainment.
“Just how big of a deal this $100 billion gross is can be gauged by the fact that Pokemon’s revenue is thrice as much as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
The list of top-earning anime also sees Anpanman in second place with $38 billion, followed by Dragonball ($10 billion), Demon Slayer, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Gundam, each earning between $7 to $10 billion.
Modern series like One Piece and Solo Leveling, meanwhile, are still not in the top 10, with revenues below $1 billion.
This phenomenon was once known as “Pokemania” in the early 2000s and turned characters Ash and Pikachu into global cultural icons.
Since then, the franchise has grown with 23 anime films, 3 special TV shows, and 27 short films, including the Hollywood adaptation, Detective Pikachu (2019), starring Ryan Reynolds. – BOOM!
Source: Hindustan Times
