5. Gundam – $26 Billion
Gundam is one of the most storied anime series. The franchised originated in 1979 with Mobile Suit Gundam. A series that defined the “real robot” mecha genre. Gundam has spawned television series, OVA’s, films, manga, novels, video games and Gunpla (model robots). Gunpla is 90 percent of the Japanese character plastic model market. The majority of Gundam’s revenue comes from retail sales (25 Billion).
4. Jump Comics (Shonen Jump) – $40 Billion
Primarily a line of manga magazines, Jump Comics, are created by Shueisha. Beginning in 1968 it was renamed Weekly Shonen Jump. Now including anime and video games, Shonen Jump has become a massive franchise. Most of it’s revenue is generated from manga magazines and manga sales.
3. Anpanman – $60 Billion
Anpanman is a Japanese children’s superhero picture book written by Takashi Yanase. It ran from 1973 until Yanase death in 2013. It has been adapted into a popular anime series for young children in Japan. Anpanman is a superhero with a anpan for a head. He battles against an evil germ Baikinman. Appearing on children products, from clothing to snack foods to toys. Anpanman has inspired One Punch Man and K-pop song “Anpanman” by BTS.
2. Hello Kitty – $80 Billion
Hello Kitty is a fictional character created by Sanrio. A female Japanese Bobtail, with a red bow and no mouth. She’s a third grade student, that lives outside of London. With a media franchise that includes a product line, clothing apparel, toy-line, manga and anime series. Created in 1974, Hello Kitty is worth about $8 billion dollars a year.
1. Pokemon – $95 Billion
The top media franchise is Pokemon. Created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995 the franchise became a video game in 1996. The original video games series is the second highest selling behind Nintendo’s Mario, selling 340 million copies and 1 billion mobile downloads. It’s anime series has over 20 seasons and 1,000 episodes. The Pokemon franchise includes the top selling trading card game (27.2 billion cards sold), books, manga, music, anime films and a theme park.
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