Last month, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the founder of IG Port and anime studio Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Haikyu!!, Psycho-Pass; also chairman), discussed the studio’s past and future with VIPO (Visual Industry Promotion Organization) executive director San-e Ichii. Describing anime’s explosive recent growth as a bubble and crisis, Ishikawa warned of the dangers if Japan does not take a long-term approach to developing global-level talents.
When asked how long the growth of the anime market will continue, and whether trends will accelerate or slow, Ishikawa said:
“This can be said from two perspectives. Based on the current situation, I think there will be an elimination/weeding out process. The current anime bubble has led to an increase in works and a rapid rise in selling prices, which is actually a crisis. I believe that through this process of elimination, some companies will consolidate to some extent and grow.“
“On the other hand, in the global market, anime has become widespread thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Disney, opening up ‘opportunities to let rough gems shine.’ There are excellent producers and creators all over the world, so if Japan doesn’t cultivate talent that can compete on a global level, I think the Japanese anime industry will be eliminated. That being said, developing talent is merely a part of the growth process, so unless people emerge from Japan who can properly develop businesses globally and turn that talent into money, the trend won’t accelerate, and the two wheels of the industry won’t be able to function.“
Ishikawa added that there’s an opportunity for creators with the recent rise of anime budgets, but that things are becoming tough for investors. Production I.G is both; Ishikawa said, “In recent years, not only the number of works but also the budgets have more than doubled. This is an opportunity for creators, but I think it’s becoming quite tough for the ‘investors.’ I think that in the future, we will see a phenomenon where there’s even a weeding out of prices also.“
The CEO of the anime production company ARCH, Nao Hirasawa, said the same when discussing the rise in anime budgets and the entry of various stakeholders. He referenced influences from overseas streaming services like Netflix and investment stemming from IP media mix projects involving games, such as Cygames’ Rage of Bahamut.
He warned that the industry was becoming polarized and that anime within certain budget ranges were becoming harder to produce, risking elimination. He also shared that anime budgets now range between 18 and 300 million yen per episode ($112k–$1.9 million). I summarize some of it at the previous link, but the original interview here is really good. Japan is currently trying to develop talent on a global level through various means, including the government-supported Global Anime Challenge.
You can read Ishikawa’s interview and lecture on the VIPO website. He shares many topics of interest to fans of I.G and anime generally, including the importance of Maki Terashima-Furuta (Production I.G USA presiddent), anecdotes of Kill Bill, his “two conditions” given to Quentin Tarantino for the film’s production, Justin Leach, his philosophy in building I.G, thoughts on A.I., his relationship with Evangelion director Hideaki Anno, the capital and business alliance with Sanrio, Japan’s unique strength in anime and weaknesses in business development, and his turning points in his life, such as his divorce, IPO preparation, childhood poverty, and much more. It’s a good read.
Ishikawa actually references when he attended San Diego Comic Con in 2025, which Anime Corner’s Jorge covered in person! You can also check out Anime Corner’s coverage of Production I.G and SDCC generally here.
Source: VIPO
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