Since the series is niche, there's not a whole lot of merchandise: mostly high end figures that'll only sell a few hundred units each. Although the show budget isn't as big as an American show, it's far, far, far more dependent on DVD and Blu-ray sales to make its budget back.
Blu-rays are better quality than streaming, it's true, but to be honest, with a lot of anime it's hard to tell the difference. Most digitally made anime (which is to say, pretty much everything made in the last 17 years) compresses really well.
With the average disc running over ¥7,000 (US$92) and only containing 2-4 episodes of a series, the cost of collecting a single show can easily run several hundred dollars -- more than many American fans spend in a single year.
That means the merchandise company is spending even more on materials. The anime's production company does smaller batches, so they know that they aren't going to waste money on unsold products. They know if they make limited run items, collectors will flock to the items and have them sell out every time.
0:066:11The Weird Reason Anime Can Look Totally Different on Blu-RayYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWell that's because a lot of animation production houses worked on super crunch time they have toMoreWell that's because a lot of animation production houses worked on super crunch time they have to cut corners to get things to air on.
Of course, the home releases of anime programs often look better than the broadcast versions. Anime studios have more time to tweak their art, and they can also make some extra scratch on the Blu-ray. Previously, Kotaku showed comparisons between the disc releases and the TV originals.
Buying DVD and BD from Japan seems to be a lot more expensive in Japan than overseas in a country like the US. It might cost someone in the ballpark (these are just estimates, actual prices may be more dramatic) of $70 for 2 episodes are in a DVD for a new series in Japan.
One Piece even tops as one of the most expensive anime shows with a budget of 10.75 million yen aka $100,000 per episode!
According to Masamune Sakaki , a CG creator in the anime industry, an average 13-episode anime season costs around 250 million yen (or $2 million). He also made it clear that most anime can't recoup this expense, and the industry rests on the windfall of a few big hits.
Making nendoroids is a very manual process, so Good Smile Company can't make many at once. Their main production factory is located in China which 90% of the products are made there. But they also have a factory in Japan as a research and development center.
There are cheap anime DVDs in the market. However, there is the most expensive anime DVD. Research has shown Cardcaptor Sakura: DVD Mega set (Vol. 1-18) is currently the most expensive anime DVD, and its price is $320.
The anime industry, both in the US and Japan, quickly translated it to DVD. They launched the first DVD players in November 1996 in Japan, and the US launched theirs in 1997. Also, not to forget the Europe who launched there in 1998 and Australia in 1999. The fir
The box always mentions the content, as well as age, recommended to watch. Always keep checking on what your kids watch when it comes to anime. But some are kids friendly.
Many people think that buying an anime DVD is not a good idea or a waste of money. They may prefer to stream anime series from Netflix or other sources. However, buying an anime DVD is worth it since you buy it once, and you can re-watch it as many times as you wish.
I've found that with Disney Blurays, the best time to get them for a low price is within the first week because a lot of stores price them on sale opening week. That's what I have to do especially with Disney and Marvel, and getting my MCU collection.
The first season of Attack on Titan (DVD Blu ray combo) is going for 24.99 on Amazon, which seems perfectly reasonable. But movies and most TV series are ridiculously expensive.
Just inflation coupled with the fact the most advanced and popular version of watching something at home will always be the most expensive.