Are Anime Studios Becoming Too Dependent on Established Franchises?

Popular manga adaptations and returning franchises often attract large audiences, making them safer investments for production studios. However, original anime projects sometimes struggle to receive the same attention. Do you think the industry needs more original stories, or is adapting successful manga simply a sensible business decision?

I get why an adaptation with a built-in audience is easier to sell. I look forward to new seasons of shows I already like, too. I just wish original anime got more of that same attention.

A Place Further Than the Universe is a good example. A story about four girls trying to get to Antarctica sounds oddly specific, but that’s part of what makes it stand out. I’d love to see more projects like that get enough promotion for people to give the first episode a shot.

What’s an anime original you wish more people had found?