The production pipeline, however, is a sweatshop. Animators earn near-minimum wage, working 80-hour weeks. The industry survives on seisaku iinkai (production committees)—a consortium of publishers, toy companies, music labels, and TV stations that share risk. This system ensures that no single entity has full control, which is why sequels are rare and why derivative works ( isekai fantasy, high school rom-coms) flood the market: safe bets only.