Last year was huge for CloverWorks as the studio had lots of big hits. Despite the success of shows like Spy x Family and Bocchi the Rock! though, a report revealed that CloverWorks ended the fiscal year with a loss of JPY 29 million.
The studio’s fiscal year ending March 2023 results were reported by gamebiz.
This news was a shock for many anime fans, especially considering the studio animated (or at least partly animated) two of the biggest anime last year.
Some weren’t too surprised about the results though, especially considering the nature of how anime production earnings are distributed.
The Sad Reality of Anime Production Committees
While an anime studio does the actual animation of a show, most productions are made through a production committee.
This is usually composed of big anime production companies such as Toho or Aniplex.
The publishers of an anime’s source material (if it’s based on a manga) such as Shueisha or Kodansha are also part of a committee.
The committee approach to anime production has been adopted to spread out the risk if an anime does not earn a profit, be it through broadcast revenue, or Blu-ray/merch sales.
Though there are shows where the studio is part of the committee such as MAPPA with Chainsaw Man and ufotable with Demon Slayer, most anime shows don’t include the studio as part of the committee.
Such was the case with Bocchi the Rock! as only Aniplex and Houbunsha are part of its committee. This means CloverWorks doesn’t receive a cut from merch sales.
CloverWorks is part of the Spy x Family production committee, but fans believe that the studio’s share in the show’s profit is small given the number of companies on the committee.
ALSO READ: Why Is Bocchi the Rock! So Popular?
Fans Argue That CloverWorks’ Loss Isn’t Too Bad
Many fans were saddened by the news given that CloverWorks’ recent shows have been praised for their quality.
Despite this, some fans think this isn’t too much of an issue. For starters, JPY 29 million is equivalent to around USD 200,000. Some argue that this isn’t that big of a loss.
Even if that sum is considered a big loss, some argue that because CloverWorks is a subsidiary of Aniplex, it doesn’t matter much if the studio doesn’t earn a profit.
After all, Aniplex is a part of numerous anime production committees.
While the loss is far from ideal, CloverWorks isn’t in any trouble in the immediate future.
After all, the studio is confirmed to work on Spy x Family Season 2 later this year.
Plus, a new Black Butler season was also just revealed, which will be animated by CloverWorks.
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Source: gamebiz
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