As part of Anime Expo 2024, Justin Sevakisa prominent figure in the anime community, shared a disturbing update on Twitter that alarmed fans and the industry. Sevakis, known for his vast experience in the world of anime, expressed his concerns after several meetings at the event.

• «I still have two meetings left at this Anime Expo 2024, but so far my takeaways are… 1. The anime content bubble will probably burst soon, there are too many shows and no one can handle it, neither the fans nor the industry. 2. Anime merchandise sales have plummeted, especially in numbers. Everyone is a little 😐».

Justin Sevakis is a respected voice in the anime industry. He joined the anime community as a teenager and in 1998 founded Anime News Network, one of the largest sources of anime news. After several high-profile roles, including work at Central Park Media and ImaginAsian Entertainment, he returned to Anime News Network in 2008. In 2012, he launched MediaOCD, a company dedicated to producing anime videos/DVDs/Blu-rays.

Sevakis mentions an “anime content bubble” that is about to burst. This analogy suggests that the anime industry has produced an unsustainable number of series and films, creating an abundance of content. The demand for new series led to overproduction, resulting in fierce competition and a decline in quality.. Fans, overwhelmed by the amount of options, have difficulty keeping up with all the series, and the industry struggles to maintain the financial viability of so many simultaneous productions.

The second point of concern is the drastic drop in merchandising sales, especially in numbers. The numbers, which have been a mainstay of the anime economy, have seen a significant decline in demand. This can be the result of a number of factors, such as changing consumer trends, market saturation with similar products, or even a shift in fan interests towards other types of digital products or experiences.

Sevakis' words generated a mix of concern and reflection among anime fans. Many fans have expressed their own concerns about the quality and quantity of content available, as well as the accessibility and price of products.

• «Will this lead to a rapid and well-deserved decline of isekai shows?».
• «Are we heading towards another 2007?».
• «Fans are opening their eyes and realizing that convention prices are absurd when you can import directly from Japan for less. $$ 40 prizes and $$ 20 doujins at Anime Expo lmao. This isn't because of the yen to dollar conversion, it's always been that way, just more people are learning how easy it is».
• «I would love to see a few well-made shows each season, rather than an avalanche of everything. Audiences are increasingly demanding.».
• «Isekai aside, I think the market has become too saturated with shows like Dogeza and Peter Grill. Even the most depraved and perverted fan said “THIS IS TOO MUCH”».
• «Well. There are so many trashy animes that aren't worth watching. I hope a new wave of great animes emerges from this. Most mainstream animes are very cheesy, unoriginal, and don't have much of a story.».
• «I was wondering if it was just me seeing how many shows there are on Crunchyroll to watch. An absurd amount».
• «Instead, no one in their right mind can afford anime merchandising because there is no distribution or because import taxes are too high. In fact, you could also say that no one can afford… anything these days.».
• «I hope this doesn’t happen in the convention world. Conventions are hanging by a thread: the exponential increase in venue and guest costs is only offset by increased attendance (albeit with increased pass prices). If this blows up… many conventions will be in serious trouble.».
• «Shocking news that people don't like piles of cheap acrylics, "collectible" coasters or $300+ figurines. At some point, the reasonable, limited product died».
• «Seeing what’s happening with Toonami/WBD and Crunchyroll has only convinced me that an anime/streaming bubble is inevitable. Let’s hope the industry and anime fans in general can weather the storm better this time around.».
• «I knew it. There are so many animes. How do people manage to keep up to date and I'm sure many of them don't have enough quality. What a shame».
• «I literally stopped trying to keep up with seasonal shows. Now I watch 1 or 2, but I'm not that guy who watches everything anymore. That guy is dead.».
• «As someone who loves toys, I don't see the appeal in most of the recent releases. None of them have any kind of charm and there are too many things that are the same.».
• «This reminds me of the toy industry: everyone got bored during the pandemic, bought too many, companies increased production, people started cutting back, and then toy sales dropped.».
• «It feels like we’re seeing all forms of entertainment media rushing toward their respective bubble at this point. There’s still good stuff to be had and no format is going to die, but it’s uncomfortable to watch.».
• «I'm fine with reducing the number of shows, as it will force companies to use really good stories instead of putting out a bunch of crap and hoping something sticks.».
• «I'm surprised they can produce so much anime. Especially with the whole crisis. I'm still trying to catch up on the previous shows. It's so expensive to buy any merchandise right now. I honestly hope everyone regrets the inflation.».
• «Well, the plan was for Sony to monopolize it, but lately I see that they are losing licenses to other streaming companies that don't care much about anime, but need to profit from a great title to save the whole platform. Disney+, AMC+, Hulu, etc.».
• «I like to think of it as a market correction. There are a lot of rubbish shows out there. The cost may be losing some little gems, but if it means fewer random isekai, I hope it works. It also means people can catch up on what’s already out there.».
• «Basically. I don't watch that many current anime anymore, but in any given year I could identify several standout shows. There are so many (isekai) shows to analyze now, maybe one or two are good enough to really stand out. If there are no good shows, there are no good numbers.».

Source: Official Twitter Account