The 10 Most EXPENSIVE ANIME Series Of All Time (How Much Did They Cost)

It’s no secret that making anime is an expensive endeavor, however, which anime series has the highest production cost per episode?

New episodes of anime series, such as Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, provide fans of Japanese animation who have been watching for a long time the opportunity to see yet another episode of their series. 

Everyone who has even a passing familiarity with animation knows that it is very costly to make, particularly action anime television shows, with the expenditures increasing proportionately over the course of the show’s duration. 

In particular, the shonen genre devoted a significant amount of its budget to the creation of grandiose battle scenes and convoluted storylines.

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If the anime can make back its investment and possibly some, then the high budget was absolutely necessary and fully worthy. Which anime series’ animation costs the most money for every episode? 

Anime series such as One Piece and Dragon Ball have indeed managed to go the extra mile in maintaining their popularity along with their hefty wallets. But which anime series’ animation costs the most money per episode?

10. One Punch Man (2015 – ) $80,000 Per Episode

The fact that Saitama’s hair does not need to be animated and that his battles are over in one hit would seem like they would result in some cost savings for the production company, but sadly, his distinctive facial expressions must be responsible for the loss of those funds.

Fights that Saitama cannot easily win, such as his brawls with Boros, are the ones that, in all honesty, make the most significant impact. 

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One Punch Man has accumulated an estimated price of up to $80,000 USD, which is set to climb with its expanding fame as the anime keeps converting the manga. The animation company that creates One Punch Man is called Madhouse.

9. Demon Slayer (2019 -) $80,000 Per Episode

It should come as no surprise that Demon Slayer has made it into our list given its reputation for having a number of the most graphically spectacular battles ever seen in an anime. 

The fight scenes in the anime are a pleasure to see because of how extremely fluid and fulfilling the motions are.

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Ufotable, the company that is creating Demon Slayer, has high expectations for the creative quality of the series. 

As a result, the studio spends a significant amount of money (figuratively speaking) on authentically maintaining the Taisho period look, which costs $80,000 USD for every episode. 

The manner in which each skilled blade in the anime exhales their breath reflects this expense in the most meaningful way conceivable.

8. One Piece (1999 – ) $90,000 Per Episode

One Piece has a very distinctive animation style, and it is easy to tell that the show spends more than its fair share on the dramatization of its graphics. 

The show has an apparently unending series of unique characters, and it has some of the most heartbreaking deaths in the history of anime.

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One Piece is among the world’s oldest anime series ever produced, and it costs an equivalent of $90,000 USD to produce each episode. The primary contributor to this high cost is the large number of fights that appear in the show. 

When you take into consideration that the anime series contains over 1000 episodes, 20 OVAs, and 14 movies, the total sum invested is even more astonishing.

7. Naruto Shippuden (2007 – 2017) $100,000 Per Episode

It should come as no surprise that Naruto Shippuden, which has one of the most renowned anime in history as its ancestor, spends an average of 100,000 United States dollars every episode in an effort to live up to the standard set by the prior series.

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Although having the propensity to become bogged down in filler scenes that do little to advance the story, the anime is packed to the gills with superb battle scenes that are on par with its forerunner, Naruto. 

These fight scenes are among the best in the whole series. In spite of this, both fans and Studio Pierrot appear to be fairly confident that the money spent on Naruto Shippuden is well worth it.

6. My Hero Academia (2016 – ) $110,000 Per Episode

When it was at the height of its success, My Hero Academia was named among the top five most well-liked anime throughout the world. 

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The program displayed its incredible and resolute characters, each of whom had their own distinct characteristics, in a colorful manner.

It seems that many of the characters in My Hero Academia are based on their DC Comics equivalents, drawing cues from such legendary heroes as Shazam and Raven. 

There is no question that neither one of these franchises gives anybody else a run for their money when it comes to the quality of their bouts. This is shown by the expenditure of 110,000 USD for every episode by Studio Bones, the company that produces the anime.

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5. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012 – ) $120,000 Per Episode

JoJo’s Weird Adventure is another one of the most distinctive animated series ever made, and it tries its hardest to maintain its fan base on its toes and demand more by using its very bizarre strategies and story twists.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, being the unexpected super-power anime that it is, has several renderings of the same basic character in ways that have never been seen before. 

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Its obscurity and crazy gags are a source of power that identifies itself amid the vastness of the anime universe. David Production spends around $120,000 USD to produce each episode, which is about the industry standard.

4. Black Clover (2017 – 2021) $140,000 Per Episode

The plot of Black Clover revolves around two orphans named Asta and Yuno who, irrespective of the fact that they do not have any family to support them, are determined to live out their greatest desires. 

The story is kept interesting by following the two as they go about their lives and struggle to overcome the difficulties of their pasts.

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Asta has committed his life to becoming the Wizard King, and he will allow nothing to stand in his path to prevent him from achieving this goal. 

The anime has excellent character designs in addition to amazing battles, both of which undoubtedly eat away at the production budget, but do so for a good reason. 

Each episode of Black Clover costs $140,000 USD to produce in order to provide the level of excellence that both the fans and the program demand.

3. Jujutsu Kaisen (2020 -) $150,000 Per Episode

Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the youngest of the “big three” Japanese anime to delight Shonen fans, and it is a series that is comprised of a complicated narrative, immensely charming characters, and some of the most gorgeous animation to ever grace the genre. It is one of the newest anime to delight Shonen viewers.

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Supporters of the anime prefer to make jokes about how a large portion of the production budget is eaten up by the animation of Satoru Gojo’s Six Eyes, but the show’s success can really be attributed to the incredible attention to detail, very realistic fights, and beautifully smooth art. 

MAPPA studio is willing to risks and dream big in order to create an animation that is unique, and they have committed 150,000 USD to achieve their objective.

2. Attack On Titan (2013 – 2023) $150,000 Per Episode

Attack on Titan, which is widely regarded to be one of the most melancholy anime to date, heels to no one with its virtually unrestrained quantity of violent blood splatter-filled episodes. 

The characters in the anime are killed off with what seems to be no remorse whatsoever.

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The storyline is intricate but not overly difficult to follow, and it is supplemented by jaw-dropping and extremely quick hunting sequences.

In these scenes, the protagonists of the anime do their greatest to eliminate every revolting and horrific titan that comes into their line of sight using combat animations that are smoother than ever before.

On average, the budget for each episode of Wit Studio is a staggering one hundred and fifty thousand dollars US.

1. Dragon Ball Super (2017 -) $160,000 Per Episode

Dragon Ball Super is the most costly episode of the Dragon Ball series to date, and it sets itself apart from its predecessors by featuring uninterrupted action and spectacular bouts amongst the most talented and strong monsters in its vast world.

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The anime has finally come to a close, which has left an unfathomable number of fans wondering what will happen next. 

Despite this, the manga remains to be updated with arcs that are packed to the brim with even more of the cherished battles that the anime left behind.

Toei Animation spends an astonishing $160,000 USD on every episode of Dragon Ball Super, which proves that the series is currently at the top of its game and will remain so for the foreseeable future. 

The series debuted in the 1990s and has been the most popular anime franchise ever since.