A recent article in Asahi Shimbun has stated something interesting, something incredibly obvious, but interesting. Yasuo Yamaguchi, the head of the Association of Japanese Animations, states that the anime industry bubble burst years ago, sometime around 2007-2008. Back in 2006, the anime industry kicked out 306 titles, yet in 2008 it fell to 288. Another example is that in April of 2006, a whopping 60 anime titles were released, while only 30 were released this April.

The loss of these new series is a result of the loss of money, almost 20 billion yen in the past 4 years. The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) knows who did this to them, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure this one out. Fansubs are a big reason for this decline, but that is only one element in this perfect storm. Another element that is killing the industry are the release of the same moe, fan service, mecha more moe shows that seem to have spawned like horny rabbits as of late. Also the recession and fans lack of income do play a role in this bubble bursting mystery as well.

The bubble did burst a couple years ago like they said, but he failed to mention that a new one soon was born in its place; its super small and hard to see, but its still there. The evidence of its existence are the 30 series that were released this April, as opposed to the 60 in 2006. The industry already began to cut the fat, cutting the shows that haven’t sold. They have also been remaking shows that they know will sell well, thusly putting more money back into the industry. If the industry builds a strong foundation with this bubble, it will be more resilient to burst, unlike like the last one.