Expecting you all to completely overlook this, but if yous could give it a watch that'd be grand. Might just get someone to chip in and do their bit, though I already know a few of you that do just that (AOS), and the guy that spends millions on Japanese releases.
[youtube/]gYGj7pmb93A[/media]
I saw that yesterday. He does know most of his stuff, but on his topic with the Japanese industry, that industry is still doing well. They can survive without foreign sales (As it's just gravy.). You'd be shocked at how little American sales for example contribute to them. Without us, it would shrink, but stay around.
Also, found the article he cited for a decrease in revenue. It's from 2010, so it doesn't really reflect how it's doing now.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...firm/anime-studios-revenues-down-for-2nd-year
Take a look at this (Note that this includes also stuff that we in the West don't refer to as anime such as Disney films.).
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...mation-market-in-japan-grew-5.8-percent-in-10
Then there's this. The industry there now continues to get better, especially with how 2011 was a record-breaking year.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...of-blu-ray-sales-in-japan-in-1st-half-of-2011
As of like December, I now frequently look at sales statistics, and not that many shows are under the breaking even line (You need to sell like 3,000 copies of each volume at Japanese prices to break even on an anime at the usual production costs of $100,000-$200,000 per episode (As of 2009, probably higher now.).). Every season there's always going to be the winners and (Money) losers, but that's how things go. Take a look around for yourself at how many volume 1's sold.
http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showpost.php?p=1972151&postcount=5
Also a post on how some titles from this season are expected to sell.
http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showpost.php?p=1977730&postcount=217
So in conclusion, while anime companies in Japan aren't swimming in money (Except maybe Shaft and Aniplex with how Madoka Magica and Bakemonogatari have performed, and soon Nisemonogatari.), it's doing quite well. Though the part of TV is true. For years, for the vast majority of shows, there is no ad revenue to speak of. Those shows usually are in debt by the time the show is done airing until the BD's/DVD's come out.
Also, I haven't spent much on Japanese releases yet. All I've gotten is these two things Aniplex USA brought over.
Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Fate/Zero Blu-ray Box 1 (Pre-ordered)
This may become my first real import (As in, importing from Amazon Japan or CDJapan.) as the first press is selling out. I hope I can get it before that happens.
Rurouni Kenshin: Shin Kyoto-Hen Part 1 (Blu-ray)-Quantity of First Press Left: 24
Rurouni Kenshin: Shin Kyoto-Hen Part 2 (DVD)-Quantity of First Press Left: 28 (Will get this instead of the BD if the BD sells out first.)
As soon as I saw that style and those cars, I was like "I have to see that!".
But we need to inform our non-GTP anime fans of this. I know very little friends locally that actually buy legitimate DVDs/use subscriptions
.
It's definitely harder to find people who buy anime these days, even FUNimation's stupidly, stupidly cheap S.A.V.E. releases (Which hardly earns FUNi any money anyway. Like $5 a set, despite it being $30 MSRP.) I don't see purchased all that much wherever I go.
Now for my random I-look-like-TC-or-not moment.
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/02/23/magazine-reports-bleach-anime-ending-on-march-27th
True or not, but I'd like it to end already...
... but nothing beats Naruto when it comes to being the Skrillex of the anime world.
EDIT: Seeing these hopeless fanboys cry over Bleach's end in the comments section just amuses me.
I was going to post that.
Well, by the looks of things, it'll end with 370 some episodes. Bleach has been going on for a long while, and it's end was inevitable. While I wanted more after the end of the Aizen arc, I didn't want like 5 more years of it, so this works well for me. This is probably so they don't have to have filler while they wait for Tite Kubo to finish the final arc that was announced like last month. Whether or not that arc could get adapted, who knows. Bleach's declining ratings probably also contributed to this happening.
-----------------------------
I'm starting to fall in love with this show.
- stop - 
