Can we talk about how much it costs to make an anime episode?

I was reading an article on Anime News Network and it said the average production cost for a single TV anime episode is around $200,000. That's way more than I ever thought. It makes you think about how many shows get cut short or have bad animation because of budget. Has anyone else seen numbers like that before?

2 comments

2 Comments

avery_carr579h ago

Honestly that $200,000 number sounds about right from what I've heard. Tbh I remember reading a breakdown for a popular show where most of that money goes to paying all the artists and staff, not just the flashy animation. It's a ton of people working crazy hours. Makes you realize why some studios cut corners or reuse shots so much. The budget just doesn't stretch as far as you'd hope.

sageellis2h ago

Which show's budget breakdown did you see? I'm always curious about the actual split, like what percentage goes to voice actors versus background artists versus the people doing cleanup and in-between frames.