Today we’re talking about one of Kimberly Adams’ favorite topics: anime. Japanese art forms can be found everywhere these days, in movies, music videos, the NFL, and major streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.
“Anime is huge. In terms of raw revenue, anime and NLF are tied at about $20 billion. [annual global] ” said Chris Plante, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Polygon at Vox Media. “Anime may seem niche, but that’s far from the truth.”
On today’s show, Plante discusses the economics of anime, what’s behind its rise in the United States, and some of the problems with the medium.
Later, we’ll discuss how climate change will affect cherry blossom season and why the commercial real estate crisis could be a big problem for local banks.
Then one listener called my landline about my landline. And this week’s answer to the “Make Me Smart” question comes from a digital girlfriend illustrator based in Long Beach, California.
Here’s what we talked about today:
Are you an anime fan? Please tell us your favorite anime series! Leave a voicemail at 508-UB-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
