Japanese animation and movie content have strong global pull and inspired several foreign spinoffs, but the bottom-line profits show there is room to expand.
This is the goal of the Japanese movie industry and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in hosting TIFFCOM 2008, an event this week where buyers and sellers of movies, TV dramas, "anime," game characters and other entertainment-related content will meet and make deals.
There are some 4,000 content and character buyers from 42 countries and regions, mainly Asian, in Tokyo to try to copy such successes as the "Pokemon" and "Naruto" anime series, which appear on television worldwide, and the "Resident Evil" movies, starring Milla Jovovich as a genetically modified fighter, based on the computer game "Biohazard" developed by Capcom Co.