It was another banner year for theatrical Japanese animation. Of the year’s 10 top-grossing films, half were anime features, according to box-office site PickScene. That includes the year’s top film, “Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram,” the 27th entry in the long-running “Detective Conan” franchise.
“Pentagram” has earned over ¥15.7 billion (nearly $104 million), a new record for the series, and marks the second year in a row “Conan” has vaulted over the high ¥10 billion mark. The only other film to pass ¥10 billion this year was “Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle,” a theatrical sequel to a long-running manga and anime series about high school volleyball players.
The anime industry in general — including film, television, streaming, merchandise and events — is on a roll. In October, the number crunchers at the Association of Japanese Animations revealed that in 2023, industry revenues reached ¥3.3 trillion (nearly $22 billion), a new record. Over half of that ¥3.3 trillion came from outside Japan, demonstrating how popular anime has become overseas.
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