Anime and Manga News
http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/8964.html
ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga #15 recently releases some interesting lists concerning Anime and Manga.
First off they asked the American Industry (as in Retalier and Publishers, not fans) for the Top 10 most influencial over the Anime Industry:
1. Gen Fukunaga, President & CEO FUNimation Entertainment
2. John Ledford, CEO of ADV Films
3. Kim Manning, Programmer Adult Swim
4. Katsuhiko Tsurumoto, V.P. Business Development, Geneon
5. Anime Buyer, Best Buy
6. Hayao Miyazaki, Founder Studio Ghibli
7. Arthur Smith and Shin Ishikawa, Gonzo Digimation
8. John Easum, Executive Vice President Viz Media
9. Ken Iyadomi, Bandai Entertainment
10. John Sirabella, CEO Media Blasters
Next is the Top Ten Manga (based on current Market Share):
1. Naruto
2. Fruits Basket
3. Kingdom Hearts
4. Full Metal Alchemist
5. Loveless
6. Tsubasa
7. Death Note
8. Negima
9. Rurouni Kenshin
10. Bleach
And now is the Top Ten Anime (based on current Market Share):
1. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
2. Howl's Moving Castle
3. Dragon Ball Z Movie #12: Fusion Reborn
4. KARAS
5. Full Metal Alchemist
6. Naruto
7. Samurai Champloo
8. Whisper of the Heart
9. Samurai 7
10. Inuyasha
At looking at the information on can tell that Naruto and Full Metal Alchemist are successful properties overall and the fandom is strong enough to support them over multiple formats. Speaking of fandom, if you look at the only properties that come from video games (FF VII and Kingdom Hearts) are both Square titles and it's well known how loyal that fanbase is. Adult Swim (Cartoon Network) is listed as 3 most influential and 7 titles that the show are in the Anime and Manga list (of course 2 of them Naruto and FMA). While a direct correlation couldn't be made on the success of these 7 Titles and Adult Swim, it should lend evidence that exposing these titles on a TV on a regular bases is positively affecting it in some degree.
Also, all the Anime and Manga listed is techinically for audiences 18 and younger and the majority of them would be for the teen market or what is called (or even Branded now) as Shonen and Shojo. Now mind you that this is all the top end stuff, so while it sells a lot it probably costs more to license. The reason I mention this is that lesser selling manga and anime may still be quite profitable while selling lesser numbers because backend costs, like licensing, is cheaper.
