Closing out March 26th, 2025, at $1.49 million, more than 3,600 bidders vied over the rousing three day event held in Dallas, Texas. From Akira to Dragon Ball Z, Berserk, and Cowboy Bebop, over 1,200 lots were overwhelmingly filled with Japanese animation art, the most ever presented in a Western auction. This was the first in the Heritage series to be centered on anime, with the second to come later this year.
The auction’s catalogue featured 65 lots from Studio Ghibli, such as a rare production cel from the 1989 Kiki’s Delivery Service sold at $48,000. Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, Grave of the Fireflies, Castle in the Sky and more not only excelled but sold out, especially My Neighbor Totoro’s production cel of the anthropomorphic Catbus realized at $13,000.
“This was not only a celebration of Studio Ghibli’s 40th anniversary,” Heritage Vice President and Director of Animation & Anime Art Jim Lentz remarked, “but also a landmark moment for anime art collecting. The depth, the bidding, the results–they speak volumes about the passion and growing global market for this category.”
Claiming the highest sale at $85,000 was a harmony cel setup from Berserk made by art director Shichiro Kobayashi, hand-inked and used in Berserk’s famous first home video release. Two lots from Akira bid at $11,000 and $8,500 for stunning production backgrounds of the apocalyptically beautiful skylines of Neo-Tokyo. Original concept art from Macross was offered for bidding, including Shoji Kawamori’s VF-1J Valkyrie, which fetched $18,000, and Haruhiko Mikimoto’s character concept of protagonist Hikaru Ichijyo, selling at $11,000.
The classic works of Dragon Ball did not disappoint, showcasing an exceptional pan production cel of Gohan versus Cell that hit $11,000, in addition to a charming set of illustrations from Dragon Ball GT that sold at $4,500. A notable piece from Cowboy Bebop animation director Hiroki Kanno, a shikishi drawing of Spike Spiegel, followed closely at $4,400.
Many fan-adored franchises left a lasting impression, with Ghost in the Shell at $6,000, Neon Genesis Evangelion at $6,000, Pokémon at $6,750, and another piece from Cowboy Bebop at $5,500. While the auction was almost entirely exclusive to anime, a few Western classics joined the selection, with a cel from Heavy Metal’s “Taarna” reaching $6,500, and an original work from the production of Fantastic Planet selling at $3,400.
“With each installment of The Art of Anime, we’re seeing more collectors, stronger bidding and a deeper appreciation for the craft behind these works,” Lentz commented. “Vol. VI was a major leap forward–not just for Heritage, but for anime art collecting as a whole.”
The full results from the March 22–24 The Art of Anime: Vol. VI Signature Auction can be located at HA.com/7401.
