© KADOKAWA CORPORATION 2025
KADOKAWA is prioritizing the enhancement of series value as part of its Animation Planning and Development Policy, as outlined in its recently published financial results for the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2025.
Within the “Maximizing the Value of Series” section, it indicates that it “will establish frameworks for producing sequels to popular animation IPs at the early stages, directing the allocation of required resources to bolster titles.” The goal is to raise the number of successful titles and “maximize series sales.”
The “Animation IP Major Series Titles” mentioned in this section include KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! Season 3, OSHI NO KO Season 2, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3, and My Happy Marriage Season 2.
- Used Book in Good Condition
- George Trombley (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 376 Pages - 08/22/2014 (Publication Date) - Learn From Zero (Publisher)
Another aspect of the policy focuses on creating a “diverse lineup” through the development of new titles, emphasizing KADOKAWA’s “popular original IPs.” The genres highlighted to illustrate its IP diversity include slice of life, school, sports, action, isekai, fantasy, and romantic comedy. Additionally, “Suitable for YouTube” and “Suitable for Merchandise” categories are included.
Regarding tariffs, mentioned in the first question of the FAQ section, KADOKAWA currently does not have significant concerns about their effects on its business. “Among the Group’s overseas sales, only a minor sum involves the physical export of actual goods to the United States, and from that perspective, we believe that any effect on our financial performance will be minimal,” it states. “At this time, we do not intend to make any alterations to our future plans based on this impact, but we will monitor how conditions evolve moving forward.”
Here are additional highlights from the earnings report:
• OSHI NO KO is KADOKAWA’s top-selling title for the 2024 financial year, and the only one in the top 10 net sales ranking to reach this position solely through the Animation/Film segment (the manga is published by Shueisha). It generated nearly six billion yen (~US$41.33 million) in net sales, and is the only title in the top 10 to exceed the four billion yen threshold (which Re:ZERO closely approaches).
• The following titles, in descending order, are the other top performers in the top 10: Re:ZERO, Delicious in Dungeon, Overlord, Bungo Stray Dogs, Pan Dorobou, The Eminence in Shadow, Konosuba, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, and Sword Art Online. Pan Dorobou and Sword Art Online were the only ones without any animation presence this fiscal year. For the other titles, the Animation/Film segment was consistently the largest contributor to their net sales performance.
• When examining the Animation/Film segment alone, the top 10 best-selling titles in descending order are OSHI NO KO, Re:ZERO, Overlord, Delicious in Dungeon, Konosuba, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Unnamed Memory, The Eminence in Shadow, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Medalist.
- Used Book in Good Condition
- George Trombley (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 376 Pages - 08/22/2014 (Publication Date) - Learn From Zero (Publisher)
• KADOKAWA’s Animation/Film segment reached record net sales and operating profit for two consecutive years, and KADOKAWA states that the “animation business alone has allowed us to achieve record-high performance, propelling sales and operating profit in the segment overall.” This includes domestic and international streaming and rights licensing for “video games, merchandise and gaming machines.”
• The Animation/Film segment recorded a Year-on-Year growth of 10.9% in net sales and operating profit. Net sales for the 2025 fiscal year are noted to be 5.1 billion (~US$35.1 million) yen.
• KADOKAWA’s streaming rights licensing revenue increased, with Ishura Season 2 and Medalist serving as the main contributors.
• KADOKAWA is gearing up for “the ongoing release of titles associated with anime IPs” in the realm of mobile games, with OSHI NO KO cited as an example of such an IP.
• KADOKAWA’s intentions for internal anime studios are to “establish a high-quality and stable production system and improve the infrastructure for animation IP production.” The latest addition to its portfolio is Chiptune, which joined the KADOKAWA Group in February. Chiptune brings “advanced technical expertise in cinematography and computer graphics” into play.
• While Elden Ring and its DLC receive major recognition for boosting the Gaming segment’s sales during the fourth quarter, “royalties from the strong performance of” Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO also deserve mention.
Source: KADOKAWA (PDF)
