Anime DVD/BD Sales in Japan: Discussion

[karice67]

Hm...I have somewhat mixed feelings about it. Until half a year ago, I really rejoiced at the huge discounts we could get at amazon, and used it to as one reason justify the number of series I bought - the other reason being that I wanted to support the economy of a country and culture I love.

But then I read a few things about amazon's business practices (including one excellent analysis from a Japanese blogger - if you can read Japanese, the link to the relevant post can be accessed from this post about amazon in the US - basically, they avoid corporations tax in Japan, so all profits - admittedly slim - go to the US based online retailer. Other than that, they drive down already slim profit margins for smaller companies or individuals involved in producing what they sell - more details of which are in the thread that relentlessflame linked), and learnt that buying from them wasn't actually helping Japan at all...

So...I think I'll use this as my jump off point, and try to buy through Japanese retail companies from now on - or Aniplex itself. Even if I have to buy fewer series, all evidence suggests that I'll be better able to support the Japanese industries I appreciate that way.

[DonQuigleone]

To be honest, I'd be almost tempted to mail cheques to the studios, rather then see my money swallowed up by retailers I don't really care about...

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by karice67

But then I read a few things about amazon's business practices (including one excellent analysis from a Japanese blogger - if you can read Japanese, the link to the relevant post can be accessed from this post about amazon in the US - basically, they avoid corporations tax in Japan, so all profits - admittedly slim - go to the US based online retailer. Other than that, they drive down already slim profit margins for smaller companies or individuals involved in producing what they sell - more details of which are in the thread that relentlessflame linked), and learnt that buying from them wasn't actually helping Japan at all...

Well, sales are still sales. I mean, Amazon still has to buy the merchandise from distributors, and Amazon does charge sales tax for everything they sell in Japan. How many more people bought anime Blu-Rays/DVDs over the years enticed by Amazon's discounts? Shifting to local retailers may not be a bad thing, but I'm not necessarily sure it's so simple to say that one "helps Japan" and the other doesn't. A lot of companies do various things to try to pay the least tax possible. Not to mention, there aren't many local retailers that ship Japanese anime BDs/DVDs internationally (the only two I can think of are Neowing/CDJapan and Amiami).

At the end of the day, I'm not sure what impact "buying less, but buying from local retailers" has on the anime industry. The difference just ends up in the hands of the local merchant, and only ends up supporting the industry in a most indirect way (though Japanese corporate taxes, if the merchant is profitable and not sheltering). If the distributors sell more copies, I think that's probably a more direct benefit. (What they're hoping here, I guess, is that you'll keep buying, but just spend a little bit more by going to local merchants.)

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

To be honest, I'd be almost tempted to mail cheques to the studios, rather then see my money swallowed up by retailers I don't really care about...

Incidentally, I know it was just an example, but people shouldn't try this. The studios have complex relationships with the production partners to handle the various revenue streams, and they're not looking for donations, nor do they have the financial processes in place to accept it and track it (and pay tax on it...). I'm sure they'd just say "please buy the merchandise", because it's a lot cleaner for them that way. Some studios have begun selling their own merchandise, though, and I suppose that'd be a good way to support the studio more directly if you want (though, internationally, that would probably involve a proxy).

[karice67]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Well, sales are still sales. I mean, Amazon still has to buy the merchandise from distributors, and Amazon does charge sales tax for everything they sell in Japan. How many more people bought anime Blu-Rays/DVDs over the years enticed by Amazon's discounts? Shifting to local retailers may not be a bad thing, but I'm not necessarily sure it's so simple to say that one "helps Japan" and the other doesn't. A lot of companies do various things to try to pay the least tax possible. Not to mention, there aren't many local retailers that ship Japanese anime BDs/DVDs internationally (the only two I can think of are Neowing/CDJapan and Amiami).

"Well, sales are still sales."

hm...I don't think it's that simple. To quote someone from the forum you linked,

The model is basically: get big (that's the hard part) > use volume to negotiate better prices with suppliers > slash prices for customers to undercut and starve out the competition and get bigger > demand even lower prices from suppliers because you control so much of the market > repeat until you've vanquished all your foes and/or suppliers mutiny and/or you get slapped with an antitrust lawsuit.

Might this be a myth, and in reality, all retailers get the same wholesale price? Perhaps - and I will be looking into this in more detail once I'm done with this semester's work - but I do recall reading somewhere that some smaller retailers had started buying from amazon (Japan) because it was cheaper than to get it from the distributor.

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

At the end of the day, I'm not sure what impact "buying less, but buying from local retailers" has on the anime industry. The difference just ends up in the hands of the local merchant, and only ends up supporting the industry in a most indirect way (though Japanese corporate taxes, if the merchant is profitable and not sheltering). If the distributors sell more copies, I think that's probably a more direct benefit. (What they're hoping here, I guess, is that you'll keep buying, but just spend a little bit more by going to local merchants.)

Besides the fact that amazon's practices will probably damage the industry in the long run, just as they have arguably damaged the Western publishing industry, my point is that it's not just the anime industry that needs a boost - the Japanese economy in general does. That's why I've decided that, if I have to go through a retailer to buy anime DVDs/BDs, it's better to support "the little (Japanese) shop around the corner" than the big American retailer that aims to satisfy customers by strangling producers all around the world.

Lastly, one thing pointed out by the Japanese blogger I mentioned is this: amazon Japan has avoided paying Japanese corporate taxes, because it is supposedly stationed overseas. i.e. people are buying from an American company instead of a Japanese one, so the company only has to pay corporate taxes in America. (Apparently, they do pay consumption taxes - at least, that's what that blogger assumes.) Is it a loophole? Or Amazon behaving like royalty and doing what it wants because it's a big enough company to do that? Probably a bit of both... Either way, since I've started getting a glimpse of the problems that these big companies are causing for the people who create the products they sell to us, I've been moving towards supporting smaller companies and producers directly where I can. Basically, for me, it's a choice founded on my sense of morality...and also a bit on the realization that the capitalist, consumerist world that has been pushed by a certain, powerful country cannot be sustained forever.


As for alternatives...once again, I'll only be able to look into them properly after the end of semester. I do know that there are a few overseas fans on AS that buy BDs/DVDs from some of the Japanese distributors (I seem to recall animate, but could be wrong). I also know of Mandarake being used, though that's a 2nd-hand shop, so you're not really supporting the industry directly that way. Also, it could be that these fans are using 3rd party buying services (or relatives/friends residing in Japan), which would jack the price up even further.

I do know that honto (aka bk1) ships at least BDs/DVDs and books overseas. However, being a Japanese-only site atm, it's not going to be helpful for non-Japanese speakers until someone writes a guide... Besides, it and all other options are obviously much more expensive than amazon, so I do understand if most fans aren't going want to switch even if they can read Japanese. I just wanted to state my own reasons for deciding to stop using amazon.

[cyth]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Incidentally, I know it was just an example, but people shouldn't try this. The studios have complex relationships with the production partners to handle the various revenue streams, and they're not looking for donations, nor do they have the financial processes in place to accept it and track it (and pay tax on it...). I'm sure they'd just say "please buy the merchandise", because it's a lot cleaner for them that way. Some studios have begun selling their own merchandise, though, and I suppose that'd be a good way to support the studio more directly if you want (though, internationally, that would probably involve a proxy).

Well, there's also the option of supporting individual creators directly. People do this by visiting them at Comiket and giving them presents. But I'm sure there are other ways to do this.


If you want more shows like the one you support to come out, donating directly to studios won't do any good, because every sponsor, distributor and goods maker needs to profit from the venture, so that producers can then properly present the strength of their projects. Buying goods really is the best option.

[darktruth]

Originally Posted by karice67

I do know that there are a few overseas fans on AS that buy BDs/DVDs from some of the Japanese distributors (I seem to recall animate, but could be wrong). I also know of Mandarake being used, though that's a 2nd-hand shop, so you're not really supporting the industry directly that way. Also, it could be that these fans are using 3rd party buying services (or relatives/friends residing in Japan), which would jack the price up even further.

That would most likely be me you're talking about since the majority of my Japanese anime BD imports seem to come from Animate.

Amazon Japan never really persuaded me to purchase from them over the years, even with their big discounts. I've only bought a few items from them but compared to how much I buy my anime from Animate for full RRP (plus proxy fees) or used to buy from CDJapan regularly, it's quite minimal.

Of course the main reason is store exclusive bonuses but even when I first started importing I never considered using Amazon Japan, partly because of their expensive shipping costs when I only want to purchase just one or a few items.

[Kirarakim]

I have not bought DVD/BR from Japan but I have bought other things (mainly figures & books) and I guess I never thought Amazon.co.JP was the cheaper option.

I used to order from AMZ.co.jp exclusively but their shipping costs are ridiculous. Now I tend to order from Ami Ami and CD Japan because they have more options when it comes to shipping so I am surprised when people say AMZ.co.jp is the cheaper option. It never seemed that way to me.

I am not really sure if it is different when it comes to BR/DVD though.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by karice67

Might this be a myth, and in reality, all retailers get the same wholesale price? Perhaps - and I will be looking into this in more detail once I'm done with this semester's work - but I do recall reading somewhere that some smaller retailers had started buying from amazon (Japan) because it was cheaper than to get it from the distributor.

It's just about quantity. When you order enough quantity, that can give you favourable treatment both in terms of price and control. I'm sure they do indeed have more buying power than some small mom-and-pop shop (who could possibly have to go through a second-tier distributor/reseller rather than dealing straight with the source).

That said, it's not necessarily all about wholesale price. The local merchants try to differentiate themselves through exclusive bonus items that you can't get from Amazon or other "big box" online retailers, and this trend has been accelerating in recent years. But perhaps we might assume that Amazon has been further discounting its products to make up for this lack of bonus goods, leading us deeper into the current situation.

Originally Posted by karice67

Lastly, one thing pointed out by the Japanese blogger I mentioned is this: amazon Japan has avoided paying Japanese corporate taxes, because it is supposedly stationed overseas. i.e. people are buying from an American company instead of a Japanese one, so the company only has to pay corporate taxes in America. (Apparently, they do pay consumption taxes - at least, that's what that blogger assumes.) Is it a loophole? Or Amazon behaving like royalty and doing what it wants because it's a big enough company to do that? Probably a bit of both... Either way, since I've started getting a glimpse of the problems that these big companies are causing for the people who create the products they sell to us, I've been moving towards supporting smaller companies and producers directly where I can. Basically, for me, it's a choice founded on my sense of morality...and also a bit on the realization that the capitalist, consumerist world that has been pushed by a certain, powerful country cannot be sustained forever.

I caught that you pointed out Amazon avoided paying Japanese corporate tax, and alluded to that in my first paragraph. But what I was trying to allude to in the second paragraph is that most companies try to shelter income and avoid paying corporate tax in parts of the world where it's expensive. It's often considered "good business practice" to do that (or irresponsible to the shareholders/investors to do otherwise). So if you're measuring support of the anime industry indirectly based on the retailer paying Japanese corporate taxes, you'd have to ensure that the merchant you're supporting instead is profitable and in fact a "good corporate citizen", as it were. I just don't know if you can assume that just being a local company makes them worth supporting, though it may be the case. Paying corporate taxes aside, Amazon's JP presence has still resulted in a lot of local jobs, and one could say their business model and practices were filling a gap that was not already being served.

In any case, it's a bit tricky to invoke morality about consumerist culture when we're in fact talking about the consumption of luxury products. Our purchases support rather-big companies who help fund the anime we enjoy, and a lot of the money gets siphoned away by the various middlemen no matter how you slice it. But that is the business model we currently have. I still think that, as far as the anime industry itself is concerned, purchasing a product at Amazon is probably better than not purchasing the product at all because you can't afford it without the discounts. I'm just not sure that many people can be convinced to buy all the same products but purposefully spend more so they can have the "feel-good" of supporting local merchants and the broader Japanese economy.

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

I used to order from AMZ.co.jp exclusively but their shipping costs are ridiculous. Now I tend to order from Ami Ami and CD Japan because they have more options when it comes to shipping so I am surprised when people say AMZ.co.jp is the cheaper option. It never seemed that way to me.

It all depends on how many items you buy. If you're only buying one or two items, then it probably makes no difference and/or other merchants may be cheaper. But Amazon's shipping is a flat rate plus a per-item fee (rather than by weight), so as soon as you start ordering in any amount of volume (10+ items a month, let's say), there's no contest.

(Of course, this is a different story within Japan, where they offer free shipping on top of their often-steep discounts.)

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Incidentally, I know it was just an example, but people shouldn't try this. The studios have complex relationships with the production partners to handle the various revenue streams, and they're not looking for donations, nor do they have the financial processes in place to accept it and track it (and pay tax on it...). I'm sure they'd just say "please buy the merchandise", because it's a lot cleaner for them that way. Some studios have begun selling their own merchandise, though, and I suppose that'd be a good way to support the studio more directly if you want (though, internationally, that would probably involve a proxy).

I just wish there was a simpler way to financially support my hobby, in a way that's proportional to my means, without having to buy something physical(I hate acquiring physical stuff, I have no interest in it). With my other main hobby (strategy games) I can just buy the occasional game online off a website, no muss, no fuss, almost all the money makes it's way to the original developer. There's no easy way with Anime. At least half your money is going to go on silly things like postage, the retailer, and other distributers.

Even if it was giving money direct to Aniplex or Bandai, I'd be happier. I know that they will put money into other shows. I equally know that Amazon doesn't put a cent of the money I give them into Anime (even buying stockwise, they don't have to make any advance investment like a retailer does, they can stock everything).

My money is waiting to be taken, Japan...

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by karice67

hm...I don't think it's that simple. To quote someone from the forum you linked, Might this be a myth, and in reality, all retailers get the same wholesale price? Perhaps - and I will be looking into this in more detail once I'm done with this semester's work - but I do recall reading somewhere that some smaller retailers had started buying from amazon (Japan) because it was cheaper than to get it from the distributor.

volume discount, the one buying 10k units can negotiate a bigger discount then someone who is buying 1k.

[karice67]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

I caught that you pointed out Amazon avoided paying Japanese corporate tax, and alluded to that in my first paragraph. But what I was trying to allude to in the second paragraph is that most companies try to shelter income and avoid paying corporate tax in parts of the world where it's expensive. It's often considered "good business practice" to do that (or irresponsible to the shareholders/investors to do otherwise). So if you're measuring support of the anime industry indirectly based on the retailer paying Japanese corporate taxes, you'd have to ensure that the merchant you're supporting instead is profitable and in fact a "good corporate citizen", as it were. I just don't know if you can assume that just being a local company makes them worth supporting, though it may be the case. Paying corporate taxes aside, Amazon's JP presence has still resulted in a lot of local jobs, and one could say their business model and practices were filling a gap that was not already being served.

The impression I got was that amazon has not so much been exploiting a loophole in the law, but actually illegally claiming that it doesn't have to pay corporate tax. IIRC (I have to check all the Japanese new articles again when I have time), the Japanese tax department found that, since it actually has some sort of corporate space within Japan (as opposed to just warehouses), it is operating within Japan rather than from outside, and is thus liable for corporate tax.

Of course, amazon claims that this isn't true, i.e. it really is a loophole and isn't illegal. Good business practice when it comes to shareholders perhaps...but using that as a means to force market prices below what a healthy industry needs? I can't agree that amazon's model = good for the industry in the long run.

On a different note: whether the Japanese retailers are necessarily "good corporate citizens" doesn't actually factor into my consideration as much as the fact that they are a Japanese company, and their shareholders are hopefully mostly Japanese. (I know that there is corruption / shady business practice in Japan too, although I'm under the impression that it's more of the 'you scratch my back I'll scratch yours' between companies, or keiretsu type of deal. But at least, it's ostensibly keeping more of the money within Japan.)

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

In any case, it's a bit tricky to invoke morality about consumerist culture when we're in fact talking about the consumption of luxury products. Our purchases support rather-big companies who help fund the anime we enjoy, and a lot of the money gets siphoned away by the various middlemen no matter how you slice it. But that is the business model we currently have. I still think that, as far as the anime industry itself is concerned, purchasing a product at Amazon is probably better than not purchasing the product at all because you can't afford it without the discounts. I'm just not sure that many people can be convinced to buy all the same products but purposefully spend more so they can have the "feel-good" of supporting local merchants and the broader Japanese economy.

Whether the money going to the middlemen is a negative thing or not depends on which retailers people use. Aniplex, for example, does have its own store, so buying from them actually does support the industry - if the middlemen makes a profit, it goes back into the industry. Animate is also heavily involved in promoting the industry. Unfortunately, they only ship within Japan at present (and I doubt Aniplex will open up to overseas shipping anytime soon, given that they have a U.S. subsidiary etc) and may only take Japanese credit cards too...

Personally, as I implied in my previous post and above, I'm fine with supporting the Japanese economy in general even if it's not directly related to the industry, and I'd rather not support an American retailer whose practices are, in my understanding, bad for the industry in the long run. Amazon may help distributors move more units, but if the payoff is that the wholesale price is brought so far down that revenue from sales drops overall? From a long-term perspective, that can't be good for the industry, or for fans. But that's my reasoning for deciding to seek other avenues - as I said, I'm not expecting anyone else to make the switch.

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

(Of course, this is a different story within Japan, where they offer free shipping on top of their often-steep discounts.)

That's the thing though - Japanese customer's arguably aren't better off than us overseas fans. We may get hit with shipping fees, but we also don't have to pay consumption tax. When buying a lot of DVDs/BDs in one transaction, especially if ordering a boxset, it actually balances out in our favour, even without that massive 20-27% discount.

The one-off shipping fee for amazon is still a major advantage compared to the flat rate EMS that other retailers offer. It's something I'm going to have to get used to - that, or SAL shipping.

========

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

The local merchants try to differentiate themselves through exclusive bonus items that you can't get from Amazon or other "big box" online retailers, and this trend has been accelerating in recent years. But perhaps we might assume that Amazon has been further discounting its products to make up for this lack of bonus goods, leading us deeper into the current situation.

Maybe that's why they discount more. But I think they've gone a bit too far with the discount. 27% right from the word 'GO' is crazy.

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

It's just about quantity. When you order enough quantity, that can give you favourable treatment both in terms of price and control. I'm sure they do indeed have more buying power than some small mom-and-pop shop (who could possibly have to go through a second-tier distributor/reseller rather than dealing straight with the source).

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

volume discount, the one buying 10k units can negotiate a bigger discount then someone who is buying 1k.

Er...I was actually asking a hypothetical question. My understanding has always been that buying more => bigger discount.

My main point really, is that I used to think that this was good because of the benefits it brought the customer (lower prices). I don't anymore.

One thing I will thank amazon for is that it probably single-handedly brought Japanese retailers online for international customers as well. There still isn't enough choice yet, but at least the way is open.

[Ithekro]

Some numbers early. The rest will likely be updated by eggplant in the regular thread at some point.

Source Oricon via MyAnimeList

Blu-ray
*1, 43,263 43,263 Nisemonogatari vol.2 Limited Edition
*2, 17,452 17,452 Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon vol.6 Limited Edition
*3, 15,908 15,908 Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 vol.1
*4, 15,877 15,877 Persona 4 The Animation vol.7 Limited Edition
*5, *7,581 *7,581 Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai vol.5
*6, *6,549 *6,549 Highschool DxD vol.3
*7, *5,723 *5,723 The iDOLM@STER vol.8 Limited Edition
*8, *5,610 *5,610 Ano Natsu de Matteru vol.3 Limited Edition
*9, *5,578 *5,578 Aquarion Evol vol.2
10, *5,566 *5,566 Berserk Ougon Jidaihen I: Haou no Tamago
11, *4,789 *4,789 Guilty Crown vol.5 Limited Edition
12, *4,770 *4,770 Inu x Boku SS vol.3 Limited Edition
13, *4,662 *4,662 Natsume Yuujinchou Shi vol.4 Limited Edition
14, *4,448 *4,448 Durarara!! Blu-ray Box
15, *4,058 *4,058 Mawaru Penguindrum vol.8 Limited Edition
16, *3,241 *3,241 Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam movies Blu-ray box

DVD
*1, 10,186 *,*10,186 Gintama' vol.11 Limited Edition
*2, *7,515 *,**7,515 Nisemonogatari vol.2 Limited Edition
*3, *6,101 *,**6,101 Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 vol.1
*4, *5,909 *,**5,909 Persona 4 The Animation vol.7 Limited Edition
*5, *4,630 *,**4,630 Inu x Boku SS vol.3 Limited Edition
*6, *3,394 *,**3,394 Natsume Yuujinchou Shi vol.4 Limited Edition
*7, *3,061 *,**3,061 Sekaiichi Hatsukoi 2 vol.6 Limited Edition
*8, *2,455 *,**2,455 Eureka Seven DVD Box vol.2
*9, *2,225 *,**2,225 Highschool DxD vol.3
10, *2,072 *,**2,072 Bleach Kotei 13 Tai Shingun Hen vol.4
11, *2,067 *,**2,067 Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai vol.5
12, *1,651 *,**1,651 Berserk Ougon Jidaihen I: Haou no Tamago
13, *1,594 *,**1,594 Aquarion Evol vol.2
14, *1,542 *,**1,542 Brave 10 vol.3
15, *1,474 *,**1,474 Guilty Crown vol.5 Limited Edition
16, *1,277 *,**1,277 The iDOLM@STER vol.8 Limited Edition
17, **,882 *,***,882 Kimi to Boku. vol.6 Limited Edition
18, **,827 *,***,827 Maken-Ki! vol.6 Limited Edition
19, **,783 *,***,783 Ai Mai! Moe Can Change!
20, **,742 *,***,742 Mahoujin Guru Guru DVD Box vol.1
21, **,726 *,***,726 Mashiroiro Symphony: The Color of Lovers vol.5
22, **,712 *,***,712 Mahoujin Guru Guru DVD Box vol.2
23, **,708 *,***,708 Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki vol.1
24, **,669 1,137,545 My Neighbor Totoro
25, **,655 *,***,655 Zero no Tsukaima F vol.4
26, **,625 *,***,625 Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space
27, **,619 *,***,619 Chihayafuru vol.6
28, **,569 *,***,569 Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead vol.1 Limited Edition
29, **,561 *,***,561 Nintama Rantarou 19th Series vol.1
30, **,557 *,***,557 Nichijou vol.12 Special Edition

I'm guessing nearly 16k in BD sales (Space Battleship Yamato 2199) for a limited release film that hasn't been on television yet qualifies as a success. And I hope that also qualifies for sequel territory, because it is the sequel series I want to see most.

[fertygo]

that's great number for yamato 2199, I thought.

[ahelo]

Slightly lower ales for Nise this time but its still 50k is still amazing (I doubt anyone will beat Nise this year). SHAFT has dominated sales for 2 years straight. That's really scary especially when you realize that in these next few years, they'll be prioritizing their cash cows.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by ahelo

Slightly lower ales for Nise this time but its still 50k is still amazing (I doubt anyone will beat Nise this year). SHAFT has dominated sales for 2 years straight. That's really scary especially when you realize that in these next few years, they'll be prioritizing their cash cows.

Yeah, but they will be movie releases and when you look @ what movie productions sell on BD/DVD in 2013 and 2014 you'll see Movies by Studio KHARA at the top of the list by a massive margin. Evangelion: 4.0: SHAFT You Can (Not) Outsell

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Westlo

Yeah, but they will be movie releases and when you look @ what movie productions sell on BD/DVD in 2013 and 2014 you'll see Movies by Studio KHARA at the top of the list by a massive margin. The WAR: 4.0: SHAFT You Can (Not) Outsell THE WAR

Indeed. But did you have to mention the war...


Orcion 1st half of 2012 manga sales indicate that Thermae Romae (643,209) and Chihayafuru (359,927) sales significantly benefitted from the airings of the anime, even if the animes themselves didn't do well. And in the case of Thermae Romae, three consecutive weeks at #1 in cinemas with the live-action. Space Bros sold 2,684,223 and was the 4th biggest selling title (for volumes combined, not for individual volumes) in that time period, so another case of airing for the benefit of manga.

Moyashimon did 356,037 for its most recent volume, definitely high enough to justify a 2nd season of anime. Railgun #7 did 362,009, won't surprise me if more Biribiri appears sometime soon in anime form.

I'm beginning to wonder whether Silver Spoon would get an adapation since it's been the strongest in sales for new manga starting in the last 12 months or so. Sure it's not material most appealing for what usually sells big in the anime format, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a noitaminA title in 2013.

[ahelo]

I really hope Chihayafuru gets a second season (it needs it badly). Manga sales have decently skyrocketed and I do hope the producers considers this.

Regarding Silver Spoon, Arakawa is just amazing. After FMA, she gets another mega-hit manga?!? Not many famous mangaka can do that. Silver spoon is perfect for noitaminA.

Originally Posted by Westlo

Yeah, but they will be movie releases and when you look @ what movie productions sell on BD/DVD in 2013 and 2014 you'll see Movies by Studio KHARA at the top of the list by a massive margin. Evangelion: 4.0: SHAFT You Can (Not) Outsell

That's actually pretty interesting since people have been comparing Madoka with Evangelion for a while (the next big thing, deconstruction of genres). I doubt though that Madoka will get close to Eva sales since not only will Eva have a bigger theater count, it's admittedly the most popular original anime ever made in Japan.

[Guardian Enzo]

And Chihayafuru's BD/DVD haven't been awful for a josei - about 2500 per volume.

[ahelo]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

And Chihayafuru's BD/DVD haven't been awful for a josei - about 2500 per volume.

Yup that IS true. I remember seeing Kuragehime's sales (It's worse than Fractale's). While I bet Madhouse still lost money with Chihayafuru, I really hope they consider making a sequel.

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by ahelo

Yup that IS true. I remember seeing Kuragehime's sales (It's worse than Fractale's). While I bet Madhouse still lost money with Chihayafuru, I really hope they consider making a sequel.

The amusing thing is Funimation actually are in profit territory in the US with Kuragehime according to their CEO. Which suggests it went past 1k, which is quite something for a genre that usually gets smashed in a market that only shounen and ecchi do well in these days. As for within Japan, it was hard to market. I remember shoujo manga stalwart Moto Hagio saying she loved it to pieces and wanted to see more material like it.

You would hope the publishing house behind Chihayafuru would be giving Madhouse some form of compensation. From memory, pre-anime it was 200k. Post-anime airing 360k. That's close to double the sales.