The World’s Most Undervalued Entertainment Asset

If you read my post last week, “My Favourite Wikipedia Article,” you’ll notice that the list of the world’s highest-grossing media franchises is full of surprises.

If you go further down the list, you’ll start seeing a common trend: Anime.

Anime refers to the industry of animation originating from Japan. This term encompasses all types of Japanese media from original comic source material to TV show adaptations to product extensions like merchandise and video games. Most anime franchises start off as Manga (Japanese comics and graphic novels) then expand into other types of media.

The sixth-biggest franchise on the list is Anpanman, which started as a manga series in Japan. Number eight on the list is Shonen Jump, Japan’s main manga magazine. These two franchises are bigger than Harry Potter (#11), Batman (#14) and Barbie (#17).

Anime is a unique sub-segment of the entertainment industry and I’m convinced it’s the most undervalued entertainment asset in the world. Compared to the dominant narrative of Hollywood culture, Anime is usually underrated and I rarely see articles analysing the business or commercial opportunities of anime.

But if you actually go looking for both data and insight, you’ll find a massive global picture for this ‘niche’ cultural…