(Kyodo photo)TOKYO: Sales in Japan's animation production industry fell 1.8% on year in 2020, the first drop in a decade. The industry's sales totaled 251.1 billion yen (76 billion baht) last year, down from a record 255.7 billion yen in 2019, Teikoku Databank said in a recent survey report. Still, the Covid-19 pandemic had delayed production processes at many studios, leading 48.6% of 300 animation production companies surveyed to report a sales fall in 2020. The outlook for the Japanese animation industry appears difficult, with competition likely to intensify from Chinese animation firms, the research firm said. Chinese companies are offering higher salaries to hire Japanese talent and gaining Japanese production skills by taking stakes in Japanese studios.

Source: Bangkok Post August 15, 2021 05:15 UTC