Christie’s has announced its first-ever auction dedicated to the intersection of anime, manga, and traditional Japanese art. Titled "Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Imagines Tradition," the online sale will debut during Asia Week New York in March, featuring a curated selection that ranges from 19th-century Katsushika Hokusai woodblock prints to original production drawings from iconic series like Sailor Moon and Doraemon. Key highlights include a rare 1953 drawing by the "God of Manga" Tezuka Osamu and a print of Hokusai’s legendary "The Great Wave."
This strategic move by a major auction house signals the formal institutionalization of anime and manga as legitimate high-art categories. By positioning contemporary subculture alongside historical masterpieces, Christie’s is tapping into the powerful nostalgia and growing purchasing power of Millennial and Gen Z collectors. The sale reflects a broader market trend where the boundaries between traditional fine art and pop-culture collectibles are blurring, driven by a new generation of buyers who view these narrative universes as central to their cultural identity.