Derivative badges of anime are displayed in a store in Jinhua. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]
After watching the hit animated movie Ne Zha 2, several moviegoers in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, bought a customized souvenir ticket with their name, the movie screening time, and the name of the cinema on it.
Jinhua Routu Intelligent Manufacturing Co, a company located in Jindong district involved in the production of these customized tickets, has received a remarkable 1 million orders.
Generation Z's penchant for emotional consumption is driving the so-called "guzi economy". The emerging buzzword guzi, or goods, refers to merchandise created from copyrighted cultural works in domains such as anime, comic books, games, and novels. The derivative products are usually things like posters, badges, cards, keychains, figurines, and plush toys.
Jindong district has fostered a cluster of companies in the emerging sector, with over 90 cultural industry-related enterprises above the designated size. Among them, seven are industry leaders in fields such as personalized custom printing, decorative paintings, and game value-added services.
Cultural companies above the designated size in the district generated nearly 7 billion yuan ($961.52 million) last year, marking a growth of over 25 percent from the previous year.
Routu Intelligent Manufacturing, a high-tech enterprise specializing in derivative and customized products of anime and film IP, has seen significant growth. With innovative offerings like badges, fridge magnets, pillows, and acrylic commemorative tickets, the company is projected to double its revenue this year from last year's 160 million yuan.
