Managing director Yasuo Yamaguchi of The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) recently described the anime industry as a "bubble several years ago that burst. The marketplace is on a falling curve due to declining birth rates and the recession." He followed up these remarks with that he believes the industry is heading from a surplus to a need for restructuring.

The AJA reported that the number of anime TV series rose from 124 in 2000 to an all-time high at 306 in 2006. That number fell to 288 in 2008. Comparatively, 60 TV series premiered in April 2006, while only 30 premiered in April 2009.

The Japan Video Software Association (JVA) also reported a declining trend in domestic sales of anime releases on DVD and laserdisc in Japan. The arrival of HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc media releases failed to stymie this trend.

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) estimated that the anime marketplace in the U.S. (character goods included) peaked in 2003 at $4.84 billion, falling sharply in the following years. U.S. anime DVD and VHS sales alone peaked in 2002 at $415 million.

JETRO cites unauthorized online distribution - including fansubs on streaming and file-sharing sites - as a particular reason for the decline of DVD sales.

Yamaguchi concluded his remarks by saying that Japan is already falling behind China in terms of quantities of titles produced on a yearly basis. To respond to this, he said that Japan should focus on quality over quantity in their productions, teaching anime production in national universities and raising better workers to strengthen Japan's economy.