For the first time, a major international auction house dedicates an entire online sale to the world of anime and manga, intertwining pop culture and Japanese tradition.
How did the first New York auction on anime and manga come about?
From March 18 to 31, coinciding with the usual Asian Art Week in New York, Christie’s launches the online sale “Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition”. The initiative builds a declared bridge between the classical art of Japan and the subcultures that have shaped the contemporary global imagination.
The auction, entirely in digital format, is part of the international calendar of Asian art sales. However, it stands out for its approach and target audience, aiming not only at traditional collectors but also at a generation raised on comics, animated series, and video games.
Which works and artists will be featured in the sale?
The selection includes original manga drawings signed by Osamu Tezuka, a central figure in the history of Japanese comics. Additionally, the catalog features precious anime cels, the transparent acetate sheets used in animation to paint individual frames of characters.
Among these are production materials from “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” and “Doraemon“, linked to the work of Hayao Miyazaki. These are rare documents of the traditional animation creative process, highly sought after by specialized collectors and institutions.
Alongside works related to pop culture, the sale also offers vintage movie posters of Godzilla films. Moreover, these materials are presented in dialogue with traditional and contemporary works, configuring a cross-sectional reading of Japanese visual production.
How does Japanese tradition interact with subculture?
Throughout the sale, explicit references to classical artistic heritage emerge. Notable are the works of Katsushika Hokusai, famous for the series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji”, which includes the iconic print “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”.
Additionally, the selection includes works by Yoshitomo Nara, known for his childlike figures with seemingly innocent faces, which have become internationally recognizable images. Their presence relates pop aesthetics and contemporary sensibilities with motifs deeply rooted in Japanese visual history.
Overall, Christie’s project aims to show how themes, techniques, and narratives linked to Japan’s past continue to resonate in some of today’s most influential expressions of visual culture, from 19th-century prints to animated sagas.
Why are auction houses interested in the anime and manga market?
This is the first auction in New York entirely dedicated to this universe. The recent case of Logan Paul, who sold a rare Pikachu Illustrator card for 16 million dollars after purchasing it in 2021 for 5.3 million, clearly signals the rapid growth of this segment.
Compared to many established categories, collecting related to Japanese franchises shows particularly lively demand dynamics among younger buyers. However, the model is still forming, with strong fluctuations linked to the rarity of pieces and the popularity of individual series.
According to forecasts, the New York sale should include about 40 lots, largely with estimates below 10,000 dollars. This results in relatively broad access, both for emerging collectors and for those looking to diversify portfolios concentrated on modern and contemporary art.
What is the international context for anime and manga?
In recent years, Japanese comics and animation have achieved growing global visibility, well beyond Asian borders. Many contemporary titles are now available on major streaming platforms and translated into English and numerous other languages.
This spread has also impacted museum institutions. The exhibition “Art of Manga” at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, which closed on February 1, offered a historical survey of the medium. In parallel, “The House of Pikachu” at the Asia Society Texas remains open until March 15.
That said, Christie’s move represents a further step towards the stable integration of these contents into the logics of the international art market. The involvement of a major auction house suggests that collector demand could consolidate, bringing this field closer to other already legitimized categories.
What are the prospects for collectors and investors?
For collectors, the auction offers the opportunity to acquire works that directly document the birth and evolution of iconic sagas and characters. Additionally, estimated prices below 10,000 dollars for most lots position the offer in an intermediate market range.
For those looking at investments, the most striking data, such as the Pikachu card record, highlight possible margins for revaluation. However, the segment remains highly selective, linked to rarity, condition, and the historical significance of individual works.
Overall, the first anime and manga auction in New York is part of a broader process of cultural recognition and institutionalization. The dialogue between Japanese visual tradition and global pop culture, made explicit by the “Anime Starts Here” project, could pave the way for further thematic sales and new curatorial strategies by museums, galleries, and international auction houses.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
