[Research] Here's how much money anime adaptations cost (average, minimum and maximum)

# **Introduction**<br><br>Anime is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is home to various studios, publishers and producers, some of which are behemoths while others are smaller and more specialized. Their resources vary wildly, be it the staff, technology, financing, etc. Even the cost for an episode can also vary depending on the studio and quality of the production. In this research, I have compiled some of the prices an episode can go for, as well as how much an entire season of anime can cost. Some of the information I have found is based on older sources so, please keep that in mind. Without further ado, let's dive in.<br><br># **How much money does an anime episode cost?**<br><br>First of all, an anime episode usually costs between ¥20,000,000 (approximately $142,857 USD) to ¥100,000,000 (approximately $714,286 USD).[^1] However, other sources have given different numbers and we will get to it later. According to Bryce Papenbrook, an American voice actor who has voiced characters like Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass), Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan), Adachi (Tokyo Ghoul) and many more, an anime episode can cost ¥20,000 to ¥30,000,000 (approximately $142,857 to $214,285 USD).[^2] In contrast, an American animated episode can cost between 2 to 5 million USD. So overall, anime is significantly cheaper to make overall, all things considered.<br><br># **What is the minimum and maximum amount spent on an anime episode?**<br><br>So, as we have discussed, the price range for an anime episode is between ¥20,000,000 to ¥100,000,000 (approximately $142,857 to $714,286 USD).[^1] But how low or how high can it go? Well, apparently the minimum amount spent on an anime episode is ¥10,000,000 (approximately $71,429 USD), which is considered to be very low-quality. On the other hand, the maximum spent on an episode can go as high as ¥150,000,000 (approximately $1,071,429 USD) or even ¥180,000,000 (approximately $1,285,714 USD).[^3] However, these prices exclude the cost of spent to make the source material, the planning of the project, etc, but rather only the production of the anime. More on this later.<br><br># **How much does an anime season cost?**<br><br>As we have discussed earlier, how much an episode costs, but how much does an entire season cost? Well, according to an interview with Tsutomu Yanagimachi, the animation producer of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, a 13-episode anime season can cost ¥500,000,000 (approximately $3,571,429 USD) for a low-budget season. A medium budget costs around ¥1,000,000,000 (approximately $7,142,857 USD) to ¥2,000,000,000 (approximately $14,285,714 USD) and finally, a big-budgets season costs ¥5,000,000,000 (approximately $35,714,286 USD) to ¥6,000,000,000 (approximately $42,857,143 USD).[^3] However, other seasons like Dinosaur Planet cost significantly more, at ¥10,000,000,000 (approximately $71,428,571 USD).[^4] Another example would be Knights of the Zodiac, which cost ¥7,800,000,000 (approximately $56,000,000 USD) for 6 episodes, making it ¥1,300,000,000 (approximately $9,333,333 USD) per episode.[^5]<br><br># **Other Examples of Costs**<br><br>Here's a non-exhaustive list of some anime and the costs associated with them. Keep in mind that the costs are in USD unless otherwise stated:<br><br>* Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - ¥1,200,000,000 (approximately $8,571,429 USD) - 2 hours (divisible by 0.35 hours/episode to get ¥3,428,571, or approximately $24,583,829 USD per episode) [^6]<br>* Dragon Ball Z Resurrection 'F' - ¥5,000,000,000 (approximately $40,000,000 USD) - 1.5 hours (divisible by 0.35 hours/episode to get ¥29,412,000, or approximately $236,829,412 USD per episode) [^7]<br>* Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero - ¥10,000,000,000 (approximately $71,420,000 USD) - 1.6 hours (divisible by 0.35 hours/episode to get ¥29,412,000, or approximately $236,829,412 USD per episode) [^8] <br>* Dragon Ball Super: Broly - ¥1,000,000,000,000 (approximately $7,142,857,143 USD) - 1.41 hours (divisible by 0.35 hours/episode to get ¥29,412,000, or approximately $236,829,412 USD per episode) [^9] <br>* One Piece Film Red - ¥4,000,000,000 (approximately $29,000,000 USD) - 1.55 hours (divisible by 0.35 hours/episode to get ¥22,857,142, or approximately $164,857,142 USD per episode) [^10] <br><br># **Conclusion**<br><br>Anime is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is home to various actors, producers, publishers, studios, etc, all of which have vastly different resources available to them. This also applies to how much they can spend on an anime episode or season. This research has shown that the cost for an episode can vary between ¥10,000,000 (approximately $71,429 USD) and ¥180,000,000 (approximately $1,285,714 USD). A season on the other hand can cost between ¥500,000,000 (approximately $3,571,429 USD) and ¥10,000,000,000 (approximately $71,428,571 USD). Hopefully you guys found this post informative.<br><br># **References**<br><br>\[1\] Tsutomu Yanagimachi, Interview to Yaraon (2021)<br><br>\[2\] Bryce Papenbrook, Interview to GameRant (2020)<br><br>\[3\] Eiichiro Oda, Interview to CBR (2023)<br><br>\[4\] Rintarou Kusakabe, Interview to Mantan Web (2023)<br><br>\[5\] Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Interview to Variety (2023)<br><br>\[6\] Hayao Miyazaki, Interview to VICE (2014)<br><br>\[7\] PLATEAU, Interview to Anime News Network (2015)<br><br>\[8\] TOHO, Interview to Anime News Network (2022)<br><br>\[9\] Akio Iyoko, Interview to CBR (2018)<br><br>\[10\] Shueisha, Interview to Anime News Network (2022)