It is the
cruelest paradox of modern entertainment. While anime generates billions of
dollars globally, a crisis in the anime industry over salaries
threatens to collapse the entire system from within. Influential
voices in Japan are finally saying what everyone feared: the current model is
broken.
Hiromichi
Shizume, a veteran
TV Asahi producer with decades of experience, has launched a scathing critique
of the traditional system, highlighting the urgent need to rethink a model
where "only investors benefit," while animators and studios struggle
to survive on poverty wages and no creative freedom.
Prosperity
Without Profit: The Crisis in the Anime Industry and Precarious Salaries
Shizume's
words resonate against an alarming backdrop of bankruptcies and labor
shortages. According to the producer, if overwhelming successes emerge outside
the traditional system, it will generate "growing pressure to rethink a
system" that has left rank-and-file workers in a situation of
"prosperity without profit."
The
Villain: The "Production Committee"
To
understand the crisis, we must look to the past. The production committee
system was consolidated in the 90s to mitigate financial risks. A consortium of
companies (publishers, TV channels, toy companies) put up the money,
diversifying the risk.
The problem
is the "dark side" of this model: studios receive a fixed base budget
to cover costs, without royalty or profit-sharing mechanisms.
- Unlike book authors who receive
royalties, in anime, investors keep most of the revenue from box office,
streaming, and merchandising.
- If a series becomes a
million-dollar global hit, the studio that animated it doesn't see an
increase in its compensation.
The
Horror Data: $800 a month
The anime industry
is valued at more than 3 trillion yen (approx. 21 billion dollars), but it is
experiencing a "boom without profits" for its creators. A report by
Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) published in December 2025 revealed
widespread dissatisfaction and risks of abuse of power.
The reality
of the average animator is bleak:
- The average monthly salary for
novice animators in their 20s is just 90,000 yen (about $800).
- Working hours often exceed 60
hours per week.
- Student bankruptcies have
increased for the third consecutive year according to 2025 data.
Is there
a way out?
The mass
exodus of talent threatens the sustainability of the medium. A study from October
Nippon.com, 2025, warned that anime quality could drop if these issues are
not addressed. Shizume suggests that salvation could come from direct
partnerships with global giants (international streaming platforms) that offer
higher budgets and allow studios to negotiate better terms, bypassing local
committees.
With a UN
report in 2024 criticizing exploitation and the Japanese government announcing
measures in February 2025, 2026 could be the year of change.
