Ever thought how much money it takes to make every episode of your favorite anime you binge-watch in a day? The answers are staggering!!
Dragon Ball Z – $50,000-$60,000 Per Episode
Since the anime was built to become a mainstream success, the studio poured a huge amount of money into its animation. back in those days, good and fluid CGI meant you needed to shell out more. The series ended up being a massive hit, making the studio at least 5 Billion dollars in revenue.
Neon Genesis Evangelion – $60,000 Per Episode
According to reports, the Evangelion production committee received around 25 Million Yen per month from their official sponsors. That would put the overall budget for the series at 6.25 Million Yen per episode. That is equal to around 60,000 dollars.
One Punch Man – $70,000-$80,000 Per Episode
Madhouse Studio & Production released a statement months ago that stated One punch man had an average budget per episode which ranged from 8 million to 9 million Yen. That roughly translates to 70,000 to 80,000 dollars per episode.
Demon Slayer – $80,000 Per Episode
Demon Slayer is another anime that has gained widespread acclaim in recent years. The cost for making a single episode of Demon Slayer, known for its unique animation style is $80,000. But it may go as high as &90,000 in some instances.
One Piece – $90,000 Per Episode
One of the longest running anime in existence also has a humongous per episode budget. According to Anime News Network, one episode of One Piece is 10 Million Yen. That is roughly 90,000 dollars.
Naruto Shippuden – $90,000-$100,000 Per Episode
As a general rule of thumb, an acclaimed and widely followed anime costs 100,000 to 300,000 dollars per episode. Naruto Shippuden is one of the greatest anime series ever made. Experts speculate the anime costs north of 90,000 dollars per episode.
My Hero Academia – $110,000 Per Episode
A study was recently conducted by Media Development Research Institute Inc for My Hero Academia. While the studio refused to quote a number, the independent study revealed the approximate price for My Hero Academia’s per episode cost is 110,000 dollars.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure – $120,000 Per Episode
There are a total of 152 episodes for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. And each episode costs upwards of $120,000, maybe even higher since these are pretty rough estimates. The studio refuses to release official numbers.
Black Clover – $140,000 Per Episode
Black Clover is one of the most followed Shonen anime out there. The cost for making one episode of Black Clover can be as high as 140,000 dollars according to a few sources. The actual cost may be even higher if we factor in marketing and advertising budgets for the series.
Jujutsu Kaisen – $150,000 Per Episode
According to Masamune Sakaki, a renowned CG creator in the Japanese anime industry, to nail the fluid animation in Jujutsu Kaisen, Mappa has to shell out at least 2 Million dollars for a mere 13 episode anime. If you put those numbers into the 24 episode Jujutsu Kaisen, the cost per episode becomes $150,000 per episode.
Attack On Titan – $150,000-$160,000 Per Episode
The average budget per season of the hit anime series Attack On Titan is at least 5 Million dollars. That would put the anime’s cost per episode at $150,000 or higher.
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Arc – $160,000 Per Episode
The data for the entire budget of all the seasons of Bleach are not available. But if we take in just the upcoming Thousand Year Blood War arc, the figures would want to look for a chair and sit down. The entire series, if it spans about 50 episodes (the least it should because the arc it is covering is insanely vast), it puts the overall budget at 6 Million to 8 Million Dollars. So if the per episode cost comes down to $160,000 at the maximum.
Dragon Ball Super – $180,000 Per Episode
We return with another hit series from the Dragon Ball franchise. The new Super series had better animation and CGI range. So obviously it cost way more than Dragon Ball Z. The cost of making a single episode of Dragon Ball Super was 180,000 dollars at the very least.
Death Note – $1,000,000 Per Episode
Prepare to have your minds blown. The cult classic anime series that has found mainstream success globally has a whopping 40 Million overall budget. That puts its per episode at more than 1 Million dollars. Not even a normal live action TV show would cost as much in Hollywood. Japan has some serious money guys!!
