The Rise of Anime
2.8 billion people worldwide watch anime: Why is it popular? Anime has evolved from a nostalgic 7 a.m. wake-up call to a major force in the entertainment industry. .... But how did it exactly get here? By: Judy Duong and Kartik Pundhir Collage of characters from notorious animes like Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Hunter x Hunter and Naruto. (Jatin Patra/Mews) While Hollywood struggles to get people to return to the theatres for anything that is not a superhero film, spin-off, or "Avatar" sequel, anime is working around the clock to meet high demand by creating hundreds of new seasons, shows, and movies. An episode of anime costs an average of $100,000 to $200,000 to produce, and One Piece has 1,043 episodes and counting. According to the Association of Japanese Animations, the industry saw record-breaking revenue growth in 2021. Last year more than 50% of Netflix subscribers watched anime ! Veteran fans expressed relief with the growing popu...