30 Anime Facts You Probably Didn't Know

The anime industry is fascinating not only for its stories, but also for the behind-the-scenes of its creation. Here are 30 facts that will surprise even the most experienced otakus.

About the Industry

1. The first anime in history is debated, but Katsudo Shashin (1907) is considered the oldest known Japanese animation — it's only 3 seconds long.

2. The word "anime" in Japan refers to any animation, not just Japanese. Disney and Pixar are "anime" to Japanese people.

3. An average animator in Japan earns about $10,000 to $15,000 per year, well below the national average. The industry faces serious labor issues.

4. Astro Boy (1963) by Osamu Tezuka is considered the first modern television anime and established many conventions of the medium.

5. Studio Ghibli was named in honor of an Italian reconnaissance aircraft from World War II. "Ghibli" means "hot desert wind from the Sahara".

About Famous Series

6. One Piece holds the Guinness record for the most copies published by a single manga series — over 500 million.

7. Dragon Ball Z was so popular in Japan that the crime rate dropped during episode broadcasts.

8. The creator of Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto, originally wanted the protagonist to be a ramen chef, not a ninja.

9. Pokémon caused seizures in 685 Japanese children in 1997 due to stroboscopic visual effects in the episode "Electric Soldier Porygon".

10. The voice of Goku in Japanese is dubbed by Masako Nozawa, a woman in her 80s who has voiced the character since 1986.

About Production

11. A typical anime episode takes 1 to 3 months to produce and can contain between 3,000 to 15,000 individual drawings.

12. The average budget for a TV anime episode is approximately $150,000 to $300,000.

13. Akira (1988) used 160,000 animation cels — double that of a typical anime film of the era.

14. Studio Ghibli periodically closes and reopens because Hayao Miyazaki keeps "retiring" and coming back.

15. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history in 2020, surpassing Spirited Away.

These facts show that the anime world is as rich and complex behind the scenes as the stories it tells on screen.