CATDOLL: Industry insiders reveal why the sales of the popular animation BDs plummeted

There is a phenomenon in every Japanese animation season: some animations attract a lot of attention when they are broadcast online, and they can also trigger various hot topics and drive the sales of peripheral products, but then the BD sales performance is terrible. Recently, a Japanese industry insider Masamune Sakaki specifically interpreted this phenomenon on Twitter. Masamune Sakaki (Tohoku-zu-nko and Rondo Girls' Planning).

Considering the trend of the times, the sales of late-night TV animation on Blu-ray will gradually decline, and watching exclusive paid broadcasts on the Internet will gradually become the mainstream. At present, the late-night works that rely on Blu-ray to earn income are almost only four-frame cute comic adaptations and erotic animations, and if they are broadcast exclusively on the Internet, some works with strong reasoning elements and emphasis on plot will emerge.

It is reasonable to say that "the animation is interesting, but the Blu-ray cannot be sold". Fundamentally, the feeling of "I want to watch it again, even if I haven't seen it, I want to own the complete set of discs!" is incompatible with the idea of ​​"I want to see the sequel!" Although there are some works that miraculously meet these two points, as long as one of them is emphasized, they will become completely opposite characteristics.

A work cannot be determined by the will of the producer or the voices of a group of die-hard fans. Rather, it is the sales form that determines the direction of the work. If the sales method is changed, the tendency of the work will also change. This is the same as the relationship between console games and online games in the game industry. Although the current benchmark for evaluating works is disc sales, it will gradually change to the evaluation and click-through rate of works when they are paid for online viewing. On the one hand, the click-through rate will affect people's views on the work, and on the other hand, truly good works can attract users to register and pay, which plays a positive role in the website itself.

If the animation Blu-ray of a work does not sell well, but the original work is popular, then it should be a work that focuses on the plot. Speaking of which, among the new animations on the paid website, many are original works and emphasize reasoning elements. Therefore, the best way to sell them is to broadcast them online. The production committee does not restrict the content of the animation. However, investors will change depending on the sales method. The sales method and the market are jointly determined by the content of the work and the members of the production committee.

People who want to own anime discs usually like the characters, so the best-selling anime on Blu-ray generally do not tend to have serious plots where characters are killed. On the other hand, works with strong reasoning elements will definitely have similar plots. To meet the needs of both, the only way is to use nostalgia and keep popular characters appearing while trying not to kill anyone.

Just a while ago, I summarized the hypothesis of "What if animation relies on the form of paid broadcasting on the Internet first?", and analyzing the recent trend, it seems that it has become a reality. If the Blu-ray sells well, it will indeed bring huge profits, but this kind of phenomenon cannot be expected when it is broadcasted exclusively. Although it may attract some users, it will not be a social phenomenon.

Speaking of which, since Blu-rays can't even be sold now, why are the number of works still increasing? I quietly said: In fact, it has something to do with the dangerous adult things such as the circular transactions between investors and production companies and behind-the-scenes manipulation. Although there are miraculous works like "Magical Girl Madoka Magica" that meet all the conditions, such things don't happen frequently. Even if you do the same thing, the effect may not be satisfactory. Although there may be miracles and magic, it only happens once.