Summary
Dragon BallandOne Pieceare no doubt Toei Animation’s most well-known franchises as well as their most successful ones, and as such, they are often endlessly compared to each other. However, according to Toei’s recent fiscal reports,Dragon Ballis in fact more successful thanOne Piecedespite not having an anime on air for over six years.
A post on X bySchaewnrecently revealed Toei Animation’s fiscal report for the first quarter of the new financial year, which revealsDragon Ballwas Toei’s most profitable franchise of the quarter, beating evenOne Pieceby 130 million yen.Dragon Ballgenerated 5.67 billion yen in profit within the three-month period whileOne Piecemade 5.54 billion.
Interestingly, the reports reveal thatDragon BallovertookOne Piecein terms of both domestic and overseas licensing. This implies thatDragon Ball’s anime is still making Toei more moneydespiteDragon Ball Superhaving ended back in March 2018 andOne Piececonsistently releasing new episodes weekly.
Dragon Ball Super’s Anime Return: Will It Happen? Story & Everything We Know So Far
Fans have long been curious about another season of Dragon Ball Super, but how likely is it that the series will actually return for more?
Toei Confirms Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Franchise Is Still Their Biggest Commercial Success
Dragon BallContinues to Be a Licensing Cash Cow Without an Actively Airing Series
Admittedly, the difference between the two franchises is quite small in the grand scale of things, and the only area thatOne Pieceedged outDragon Ballwas in terms of film licensing, whereFilm: Red’s massive successmay have swayed the odds inOne Piece’s favor. Nevertheless, it is quite impressive thatDragon Ballis still turning in such massive profits even though the franchise hasn’t released a new episode since 2008 and a new feature film since 2022.
The future of theDragon Ballfranchise especially appeared to be uncertain when itscreator Akira Toriyama passed awayearlier this year. Still, it seemsDragon Ball’s anime is heavily in demand and is making a profit primarily from this viewership demand rather than merchandise.
Interestingly, though anime typically rely on merchandise sales rather than the series themselves for profit, Toei’s report reveals most of its profits in the last quarter, if not a large majoritystemmed from licensing rather than merchandise,split evenly between the domestic and overseas market. This confirms thatDragon Ballis indeed making a profit primarily from its animeeven after a six-year hiatus and even thoughDragon Ball DAIMAhasn’t been released yet.
Dragon Ball’s Success Will Likely Soar With Upcoming Projects Like DAIMA
DAIMAandSparking! ZeroWill Likely SeeDragon BallOvertakeOne Piecein 2025
All things considered, theDragon Ballfranchise has a bright year ahead with many highly anticipated releases likeDAIMAand the franchise’s newest game,Sparking! Zero.Both of these projects are set to release in early October 2024, paving the way for this Fall season to be a memorable one forDragon Ballfans.
Dragon Ball DAIMAin particular has already captured the collective interest of the fandom and will likely see the franchise soar even higher in terms of commercial success, given how long fans have waited for newDragon Ballcontent. Though the financial year has only just begun, it seems this might just end up beingDragon Ball’s biggest year yet, and what better way topay tribute to Akira Toriyama’s masterpiecethan by finally giving it the recognition it deserves as Toei and Shueisha’s most successful franchise of all time.
Source:Schaewn/X,Toei Animation IR Library
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
