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Crunchyroll's Annecy Moment: A Missed Opportunity for Industry Transformation
Watching the 40-minute presentation unfold, one can't help but feel that Crunchyroll fundamentally misunderstood the assignment.
― "It's a great time to be an anime fan," declares Mitchel Berger, Crunchyroll's EVP of Global Commerce and Theatrical, as he takes the stage at this year's Annecy Festival. Berger's confidence reflects his front-row seat to anime's evolution over the past decade from its d...
Blue Lock Creator Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Producer Makoto Kimura Establish Media Company
Chimera Club aims to produce media with manga as "starting point"
― Manga creator Muneyuki Kaneshiro and anime producer Makoto Kimura announced on Tuesday that they have established a new media production company named Chimera Club. The company aims to bring together talented creators to produce works that break down the barriers between different forms of media, with manga as a "starting point." Kim...
Kodansha Wins Copyright Infringment Lawsuit Against Russian Company IQ Art Management
IQ had held paid event featuring Kodansha's works without authorization in 2023
― Kodansha announced last Wednesday that it won its copyright infringement lawsuit against Russian company IQ Art Management LLC on June 24. In early July 2023, Kodansha learned that IQ held a paid event in St. Petersburg, Russia from April-October 2023. The event featured 18 exhibited works, such as Attack on Titan, with...
Kako Kuwahara Appointed as New President, CEO of Nippon TV Music
Kuwahara previously served as Head of International Business, Head of Anime Business at Nippon TV
― Nippon TV announced on Monday that Kako Kuwahara is the new president and CEO of Nippon Television Music Corporation, the music publishing arm of Nippon TV. Nippon Television Music Corporation is a subsidiary of Nippon Television Holdings, Inc. Kuwahara replaces Akihiro Shimizu. Shimizu has been appoin...
WEBTOON Launches Consumer Goods Division
WEBTOON's production company has been renamed WEBTOON Productions
― WEBTOON Entertainment announced on Thursday a major organizational shake-up, including the creation of a Consumer Goods Division and a rebranding of its production company. Tina McIntyre, formerly SVP and Head of Global Publishing, will lead the new Consumer Goods Division as SVP, Head of Consumer Goods. Her expanded role will encom...
LINE Manga Tops Japan's App Revenue Rankings in 1st Half of 2025
LINE Manga retains top spot for comics & novels category for 2nd consecutive half-year
― LINE Manga, Naver Webtoon's Japanese-language platform, was the highest-grossing app in Japan during the first half of 2025, according to data released by mobile analytics firm data.ai on July 8. The ranking, based on combined consumer spending on iOS and Android platforms (including games), placed LINE Manga at...
ABC Animation Establishes Music Production Company, Produces Theme Songs for Shūkan Ranobe Anime Program
Voice actress Chihaya Yoshitake performs "Hajimari no Aizu" opening; Ayaka Nanase feat. Takayuki "Kojiro"Sasaki perform "Gunjō to Mikan no Kanata" ending
― ABC Animation announced on Tuesday that it has launched a music business and label. Along with the announcement, the company revealed that it will release the opening and ending theme songs for the Shūkan Ranobe Anime (Weekly Light Novel Anime) pr...
Curation Entertainment Partners Announces Partnership with Manga Publisher DouDouDoujin
Companies aim to expand global manga through B!JuKu platform
― Digital Entertainment company Curation Entertainment Partners, Inc. (CEP) announced on Sunday during Anime Expo a new partnership with Japanese indie manga publisher DouDouDoujin. The companies aim to offer new opportunities for global creators and manga fans in sharing their works, engaging fans, and partnering creators. The two companie...
Pony Canyon Enters Business Partnership With TriF Studio
TriF Studio collaborated with Pony Canyon on Mecha-Ude TV anime
― The entertainment company Pony Canyon announced on Tuesday that it is entering a formalized business partnership with the animation studio TriF Studio. With the business partnership, Pony Canyon intends to further its relationship with TriF Studio, and invest in the future and creative potential of TriF Studio by strengthening the stud...
Evangelion CG Animator Yusuke Matsui to Announce Khara's New Anime Short on July 4
Matsui to present new short at Japan Expo in Paris, France
― Studio Khara revealed on Friday that Yusuke Matsui (CG animator and CG animation director for Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time) will announce a new anime short at this year's Japan Expo event in Paris, France on July 4 at 11:00 a.m. (18:00 JST). Matsui was a CG animation director for Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, Gravity R...
K Manga Service Expands to More Countries
U.K., Ireland, Italy, France, Gemany, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Poland, South Korea, more
― The official X (formerly Twitter) account of Kodansha's K Manga service announced on Tuesday that it is now available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malt...
Aquaplus Parent Company Negotiating to Sell Subsidiary Off
Aquaplus launches ToHeart game remake, recently announced new Utawarerumono entry, project kizuna
― Pole to Win Holdings (PTW), the parent company of game developer AQUAPLUS, announced on Tuesday that it is withdrawing from the media and content business, and thus has decided to transfer all shares of its consolidated subsidiary AQUAPLUS to an outside company. PTW recognized that since the media and ...
Exclusive: Mahjong Pros Announces New Publishing Imprint, Licenses Reform with No Wasted Draws - The Legend of Koizumi Manga
Mahjong Pros Publishing to also release 136 Ready-to-Use Mahjong Strategy & Tactics in early Q4 2025
― Mahjong set company Mahjong Pros revealed on Tuesday the new Mahjong Pros Publishing imprint, which will focus on licensing, localizing, and distributing mahjong-themed manga and textbooks. The imprint has licensed the following two titles from Takeshobo: Hideki Ohwada's Reform with No Wasted Draws ...
Korean Game Firm Krafton to Acquire Ad Agency & Anime Sponsor ADK
ADK has been involved with production of Precure, Gundam, Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan anime
― South Korean game developer Krafton announced on Tuesday that it has entered an agreement to acquire Japanese advertising agency Asatsu-DK (ADK) for 75 billion yen (about US$518 million) from ADK's parent company Bain Capital Japan. Asatsu Inc. merged with Dai-Ichi Kikaku Co., Ltd. to form Asatsu-DK (ADK) in ...
Shout! Studios Appoints Thomas Breckenridge as Director of Product Development and Marketing for Anime
Breckenridge previously worked at Right Stuf, Crunchyroll
― Shout! Studios announced on Monday that it has appointed Thomas Breckenridge to the new role of Director of Product Development and Marketing (Anime Content). In this role, Breckenridge will guide the acquisition, product development, and marketing strategies for licensing anime for home video. Breckenridge will report to Vice President Meli...
Lionsgate Vice-Chairman: We Can Remake a Film as 'Anime' in 3 Hours in AI
Vulture article details how the industry is using generative AI both openly & behind the curtains
― Reporter Lila Shapiro highlighted how generative AI is being used in the film industry, both openly and behind the curtains, in a June 4 article on New York magazine's entertainment news website Vulture. Shapiro spoke with industry insiders, particularly those in Hollywood, for the "Everyone Is Alread...
MBC Invests in Webtoon Studio Jaedam Media
Companies plan to jointly develop, commercialize IP across various formats with new partnership
― South Korean broadcaster MBC has made a strategic equity investment in webtoon and web novel production company Jaedam Media to strengthen its content competitiveness and expand its intellectual property (IP) business. Announced earlier this month, the partnership enables both companies to jointly devel...
Sanrio Becomes 4th Biggest Shareholder of Production I.G, Wit Studio's Parent
IG Port raises 1.6 billion yen (US$11 million) in sale of shares
― IG Port — the parent company of animation studios Production I.G and Wit Studio, and publisher Mag Garden — announced on Tuesday that it has entered into a capital and business alliance with character and merchandise company Sanrio. IG Port issued 929,100 shares valued at 1,750 yen (about US$12) per share via third-party allotment, an...
Piracy Site EnryuManga Removes Naver Titles Following Cease-and-Desist from Webtoon Ent.
Piracy site encouraged users to read on official platforms such as WEBTOON, Wattpad
― EnryuManga, an unauthorized webcomic hosting site, has removed all Naver WEBTOON content after receiving a cease-and-desist notice from WEBTOON Entertainment. In a statement posted on its homepage, EnryuManga confirmed the takedown and cited “the safety of our team members” and “the most mature course” as reasons fo...
Dark Horse's Parent Company Embracer Group Promotes Phil Rogers to CEO
Company names founder/CEO Lars Wingefors as Executive Chair of the Board on August 1
― Dark Horse parent company Embracer Group is promoting Phil Rogers from Deputy CEO to CEO on August 1. The company is also naming its founder and CEO Lars Wingefors as Executive Chair of the Board on the same day. This is part of Embracer Group's restructuring. Rogers became the CEO of Eidos (Tomb Raider) in 2008. H...
SAG-AFTRA, Video Game Employers Reach Tentative Agreement on Interactive Media Contract
Agreement terms subject for review, approval by National Board
― The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) labor union announced on Monday that it has reached a tentative agreement with the signatory video game companies — which include Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Epic Game...
Naver Webtoon Introduces Stricter Hate Speech Guidelines After Controversy
Move follows backlash over amateur webtoon Otherworldly Pongpong Man
― In response to mounting criticism over hate-filled content, Naver Webtoon announced on May 29 it will introduce its revamped content and community guidelines aimed at preventing discriminatory or offensive material. The updated rules will take effect on June 30. The move follows backlash over the amateur webtoon Otherworldly Pong...
Toei Animation Reveals Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki Anime as 1st Work in New 'Eterna Animation' Brand
New brand to focus on original animation works
― Toei Animation revealed on Thursday it is launching a new original animation brand called ETERNA Animation, in celebration of the studio's 70th anniversary in 2026. Toei Animation stated regarding the new company: Through ETERNA Animation, the company will establish a sustainable creative platform dedicated to the ongoing production of original works. ...
Korean Government Agencies to Release Standard Contract Guidebook for Webtoon Industry
Standard contract guidebook to include key protections for webtoon creators
― South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (KOMACON) announced on May 29 that they will release an official commentary guidebook for the standard contract used in the comics and webtoon industry. The guidebook will be made available to the public on June 13. The standa...
Operator of Illegal Webtoon Site OKToon Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison
Court also orders forfeiture of about US$510,000 for copyright infringement
― The operator of OKToon, a major illegal webtoon piracy site, has been sentenced to prison by a South Korean court. On May 26, the Daejeon District Court sentenced the defendant (identified as A) to three years in prison and ordered a forfeiture of about US$510,000 for violating copyright law. A was found guilty of operatin...
Japan's Ad Firm CyberAgent Partners With China's Social Media Platform Weibo
Marketing tie-up is part of CyberAgent's global expansion plan for its anime
― CyberAgent announced on Wednesday that its Anime & IP Business Division has signed a marketing partnership with Weibo, one of China's largest social media platforms, with the aim to strengthen the global expansion of CyberAgent's anime. As part of the marketing partnership, CyberAgent's Anime & IP Division will open its of...
Abrams Books, Abrams ComicArts Employees Vote in Favor of Union
Company has voted to unionize with 88% vote for in favor of unionization
― ICv2 reported on Monday that employees at Abrams Books and its manga- and comic book-focused division Abrams ComicArts have voted to unionize with an 88% vote for the union. The new union is part of UAW Local 2110. The voting took place from April 30 to May 21 and follows multiple rounds of layoffs and health benefit cuts at t...
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Studio ZAG Entertainment to Establish ZAG Japan
Toei Animation's Kanji Kazahaya joins as COO with Hironobu Kageyama agreeing to perform theme songs
― ZAG Entertainment, the French animation studio behind the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir animated series, will establish a new studio in Japan in July. ZAG Japan will have Kanji Kazahaya as its chief operating officer. Kazahaya spent 15 years in executive leadership roles at Toei Animation,...
Eagle Talon Creator Ryō Ono Appointed as DLE's New President
Animator also known as "FROGMAN" replaces Hideo Hoshi
― Animation studio DLE announced on Friday that the company's chief creative officer and Eagle Talon creator Ryō Ono will be appointed as its new representative director and president, replacing Hideo Hoshi, who resigned from the position. Ono's appointment will be officially confirmed at the company's Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on J...
S. Korea FTC Finds Over 1,000 Unfair Terms in Webtoon, Web Novel Contracts
23 content providers including RIDI, Lezhin Comics ordered to correct contracts
― South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has identified a sweeping number of unfair contract terms used by major webtoon and web novel content providers, including clauses allowing for the unauthorized production and use of derivative works such as films and dramas without proper consent from creators. According to a...
Crunchyroll Research: Over Half of Gen Z Globally Are Anime Fans
Study with National Research Group: anime's fandom in ages 13-28 rivals Beyoncé's, NBA's
― On May 20, anime streaming platform Crunchyroll and the National Research Group (NRG) released a study examining anime and its fandom. Titled “How Anime Became a Worldwide Cultural Force," the study surveyed 29,000 "general entertainment consumers" between ages 13 to 54 from the United States, United Kingdom, I...
Penguin Random House to Stop Offering Books Through Diamond Comics
Move affects Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Kodansha USA
― Penguin Random House Publisher Services notified clients on Wednesday that it would no longer offer books through Diamond Comic Distributors as a sub-distributor, with the final order cutoff date for products set for May 26, and final day on sale on June 25. The move affects Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, and BOOM! Studi...
New Manga Publisher BluPetal to Release BL, Shōjo, Yuri, Josei Titles
BluPetal comprised of former employees from Crunchyroll, Seven Seas, Viz, more
― An official website and X/Twitter account opened on Wednesday for a new English manga publisher BluPetal. BluPetal will publish works with a target audience of women, including BL (boys-love), shōjo, yuri, josei, TL (teens' love), and gay comic works. BluPetal is comprised of former employees from Crunchyroll, Seven Seas...
Anime Herald Launches Print Magazine (Updated)
Disclosure: Several Anime News Network staff members are involved in the inaugural issue of the Anime Herald Magazine. Those staff members were not involved in the production of this article. The staff of the Anime Herald website announced on Monday that the website will launch a print magazine on its 15th anniversary. The Anime Herald Magazine's inaugural issue will ship in October 2025 and will ...
Kadokawa Enters Agreement to Acquire Italian Manga/Novel Publisher Edizioni BD/J-Pop Manga
Kadokawa to acquire 70% of shares to make Edizioni BD subsidiary
― Kadokawa announced on Monday that it has made an agreement with Italian manga and light novel publisher Edizioni BD S.r.l (also known as J-Pop Manga) to acquire 70% of the shares and make it a subsidiary. The acquisition is not yet complete. Following the acquisition, Edizioni BD President and CEO Marco Schiavone would own 20% of shar...
TBS Establishes New Planning Company With Focus on Animation
New company CIP aims to maximize revenue, accelerate global expansion of IP
― Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) Holdings, the parent company of the Japanese television network TBS, announced on May 14 a new company tentatively named CIP that is focused on planning, developing, and producing animation. TBS is investing 30 billion yen (about US$207 million) to establish the company with goals to maximize...
Webtoon Entertainment Reports US$26.6 Million Operating Loss in Q1 Amid Weak Yen, Won
Company marks 1st year-on-year revenue drop since going public in June 2023
― Webtoon Entertainment reported an operating loss of US$26.63 million for the first quarter of 2025, marking a sharp downturn from an operating profit of US$14.19 million in the same period last year. The results were disclosed on May 13. The company also posted a net loss of US$21.97 million, with adjusted EBITDA (Earnings...
Brownies Game Company Becomes Mutan's Subsidiary
Acquisition based on positive agreement took effect May 11
― Game developer Brownies announced on May 15 that it has become a subsidiary of another game development company MUTAN, as of May 11. MUTAN's announcement clarified that its acquisition of Brownies is not the result of management difficulties. MUTAN stated that the acquisition is based on a positive agreement that both companies share in the...
Konami to Establish 'Konami Arcade Games' Company in June
Bemani composer Yoshitaka Nishimura to become president of new company
― Konami Group Corporation announced on Thursday that it will transfer a portion of its business from Konami Amusement to a new company called Konami Arcade Games. The new company will be established on June 2 through an absorption-type split, and the split will be effective on October 1. Konami said the purpose of splitting the c...
SNK CEO Kenji Matsubara Steps Down, Transitions to Advisory Role
SNK's board chairman to serve as interim CEO
― Fighting game company SNK announced on Tuesday that CEO Kenji Matsubara will step down as CEO and "transition to an advisory role." During a transitional period, the company's board has appointed its chairman to serve as interim CEO (the announcement did not say who the chairman was, but SNK's website does list the seven members of its board). SNK appoin...
Demon Slayer Staff Addresses Infinity Castle Film's Trailer Leak
"Filming a movie inside a theater is a crime under the Law for Prevention of Unauthorized Recording of Films"
― The official X (formerly Twitter) account for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba franchise issued a statement in Japanese on Sunday about a leaked trailer for the upcoming Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle film, and repeated the statement in English on Tuesday. Theaters in Japa...
GameStop Canada Returns to EB Games Branding
Storefronts rebranded as GameStop Canada in 2021
― French-Canadian entrepreneur Stephen Tetrault acquired Electronics Boutique Canada inc. from GameStop Global Holdings S.A.R.L. on May 5 and will rebrand the stores as EB Games Canada. The Canadian storefronts of the video game retail chain rebranded into GameStop Canada in July 2021, after being established under the EB Games Canada title in 1993. T...
Webtoon Names Priya Girishankar as Head of Marketing for Global English-Language Platform
Grishankar previously worked at Disney, Los Angeles Times
― The Hollywood Reporter reported on Wednesday that WEBTOON Entertainment has appointed Priya Girishankar as the new head of marketing for its global English-language platform. Based at the company's headquarters in Los Angeles, Girishankar will report directly to Yongsoo Kim, the Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global WEBTOON. She will le...
Kakao Entertainment Establishes New U.S. Subsidiary
New company will lead Kakao Ent. to strengthen its global presence, explore new business opportunities
― Kakao Entertainment, the parent company of webtoon/web novel platform Tapas, has established a new subsidiary in the United States to strengthen its global presence and explore new business opportunities. The new entity, Kakao Entertainment Global (KEG), is based in Los Angeles, California, and w...
JoongAng, Lotte Groups to Merge Cinema Chains, Forming South Korea's Largest Theater Operator
Merged group will operate 1,682 screens nationwide, surpassing CGV
― JoongAng Group and retail giant Lotte Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to merge their respective cinema chains — Megabox and Lotte Cinema — creating what will become South Korea's largest theatrical exhibition company. The joint venture, which will be co-managed by both groups, is designed to expedite new investment ...
Answerman - How Will President Trump's Proposed Foreign Film Tariff Affect Anime?
If you need answers about this developing story, Jerome lays out if anime will likely be affected and, if it is, the potential economic fallout for the anime industry.
― Readers ask: “Many, many people are asking how Donald Trump's announcement that America will impose a 100% 'tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands' will affect anime. How will this work?” Let's get straight into it and break t...
Sony, Bandai Namco Jointly Invest 10 Billion Yen in Web3/AI Company Gaudiy
3 companies aim to develop Japanese IP globally
― Sony Group Corporation and Bandai Namco Holdings announced on Thursday that they have jointly invested 10 billion yen (about US$69.1 million) in Tokyo-based Web3 and AI company Gaudiy, to begin a strategic entertainment and technology partnership. The partnership among the three companies will focus on five themes: Promote initiatives to expand Japane...
Nintendo Sells 10.80 Million Switch Units in Fiscal Year 2025, Expects to Sell 15 Million Switch 2 Units in Next Year
Nintendo has sold 152.12 million Switch units as of March 31
― Nintendo revealed on Thursday the year-end results for the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2025, noting that the Nintendo Switch console has sold 152.12 million units as of March 31. This number includes sales for the Nintendo Switch, Lite, and OLED consoles. Switch software sales amount to 1.391 billion units. Nintendo is also foreca...
BL Anime Studio Grizzly Dissolves
Studio animated Twittering Birds Never Fly film, Yarichin Bitch-bu OAV
― According to a report in the National Tax Registry of Japan and Commercial Registry of Japan, Mappa's sister BL animation studio Grizzly dissolved on February 25. The studio produced the first film in the planned anime trilogy of Kou Yoneda's boys-love manga Twittering Birds Never Fly (Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai). Saezuru Tori...
Trump Seeks '100%' Tariffs on All Movies Produced Outside U.S.
U.S. president: "Concerted effort" to move production outside U.S. is national security threat
― U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his social media site Truth Social on Sunday that he is authorizing the Department of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to start the process of imposing a "100%" tariff on movies "coming into [the United States] that are produced in Foreign Land...
Manga in The Crosshairs: The State of Manga Bans in 2025
Coop Bicknell interviewed librarians across the country about how the latest Executive Orders and lists targeting LGBTQ+ are affecting students' ability to read age-appropriate comics.
― Back in 2005, I'd often find myself racing my friends to the public library around the corner from our middle school. Once we walked through the building's double doors, our obnoxious chattering would drop and we'd ...
Fuji Media Holdings Head Osamu Kanemitsu, 3 Other Executives to Resign
Company revises forecasted annual net profit to net loss of 20.1 billion yen
― Fuji Media Holdings, the parent company of Fuji TV, announced on Thursday that four of its executives — president and representative director Osamu Kanemitsu, outside directors Yoshinari Shimatani (also board director for Fuji TV), Kiyoto Saito (also board director for Fuji TV), and Yuzaburo Mogi (also Audit & Supervisory ...
Webtoon Creators' Union to File Complaint Against Kakao Entertainment
Union states company refused to engage in collective bargaining
― The Webtoon Creators' Union in South Korea announced on April 21 that it plans to file a complaint with the Labor Relations Commission against Kakao Entertainment for refusing to engage in collective bargaining. Kakao Entertainment is the parent company of Kakao Webtoon, Tapas, and Kakao Page. According to the union, it submitted a re...
South Korea Announces 5-Year Plan to Boost Animation Industry
Government will establish fund with aim to expand it to US$100 million by 2029
― The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) announced the "2025–2030 Basic Plan for Animation Industry Promotion" on April 24, presided over by Acting President and Prime Minister Duck-soo Han. The new plan is a long-term strategy aimed at developing animation into a high-value industry. Key initiati...
Alliance Entertainment Terminates Diamond Comics Purchase Agreement
Sale originally slated to conclude on April 25
―
Wholesaler and distributor Alliance Entertainment announced on Thursday through a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) notice it had terminated the agreement to purchase "substantially all" of Diamond Comics Distributors' assets. Alliance Entertainment had announced on March 25 that it won the bid to acquire Diamond Comics Distributors' asset...
Nintendo Seeks Subpoena of Discord for Pokémon Leaker Info
Nintendo requests leaker's name, postal address, phone number, email address
― Polygon reported on Monday that Nintendo requested the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to issue a subpoena to compel Discord to share information on the alleged leaker who released almost a terabyte of data from Nintendo subsidiary and Pokémon game developer Game Freak last October. Nin...
CoMix Wave Films President and CEO Tomohiro Tokunaga Shares His Vision
Tokunaga talks about the studio's decades-long history with director Makoto Shinkai, navigating the pandemic, and a brand-new project with a 'rookie director.'
― CoMix Wave Films entered a new era on May 28, 2024 with the appointment of Tomohiro Tokunaga as President and CEO of the company. A former producer at Telecom Animation Film, Tokunaga has been involved in projects such as Lupin III and sever...
Pierrot, Asahi Production Enter Capital, Business Partnership
Companies had announced business partnership last year
― Asahi Production and Pierrot announced on Friday that they have formally entered into a capital and business partnership. As part of the new capital partnership, Pierrot will purchase and acquire new shares in Asahi Production. The two companies had announced last October that they had signed a business partnership agreement to strengthen the s...
Square Enix Store Pauses Some Pre-Orders, Hong Kong Suspends Mail to U.S. Due to Tariffs
The pre-orders page of Square Enix's online store now contains a notice that the store has temporarily paused some new merchandise pre-orders due to "ongoing international tariff uncertainties" as of April 9. Hong Kong Post Also Suspends Surface and Air Postal Services to the U.S. The Hong Kong Post also suspended and has stopped accepting surface postal items containing goods bound to the U.S., e...
LINE Manga App Becomes Top-Grossing App in Japan in 1st Quarter 2025
App is celebrating 12th anniversary
― According to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower, LINE Manga — Naver Webtoon's Japanese-language service — ranked No. 1 in total app market revenue in Japan in the first quarter of 2025. This milestone comes as the platform celebrates its 12th anniversary, having launched in 2013. LINE Manga first overtook Kakao Piccoma's digital manga and novel platform Piccoma ...
Kakao Ent. Co-CEOs Deny Reports of Company's Sale, Claim Reports are 'Misunderstanding'
Statement follows media reports last week that Kakao plans to sell Kakao Entertainment subsidiary
― Korean business media outlet Hankook Economy reported on April 8 that Kakao, one of the biggest tech companies in Korea, has signaled its intention to sell its subsidiary Kakao Entertainment, stepping away from its long-held plan to take the company public. According to investment banking sources, Kak...
Nintendo-Based Super Robot Wars Games' Developer A,I Files for Bankruptcy
A,I developed Super Robot Wars games for GBA, DS, 3DS
― A,I, a game developer best known for developing Nintendo-based installments of the Super Robot Wars game series starting in the 1990s, began bankruptcy proceedings in the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court on March 10. (The company's name was pronounced in Japanese as "Ei-Ai" and written in Roman characters as "A,I.") A,I developed the...
Game Developer gz Establishes Sirius Studio With Bloodborne Producer Teruyuki Toriyama
Studio to develop PC, console, VR, XR games
― Osaka-based game developer gz announced on Thursday it has established the wholly owned associated game studio named Studio Sirius, based in Tokyo. The studio was officially established on March 3, and will plan and develop digital games for consoles and PC as well as VR games and XR content. Demon's Souls remake and Bloodborne game producer Teruyuki Tori...
Nintendo Delays Switch 2 Pre-Orders in Canada to Align with U.S. Date
Switch 2 launch detailed hours before U.S. President Trump announced new import taxes
― Nintendo confirmed on Tuesday that pre-orders for its Switch 2 system in Canada has been delayed to align with its postponement of U.S. pre-orders. The June 5 launch date remains unchanged. The company announced on Friday that pre-orders for the system would be delayed in the United States from the initial April ...
Sazae-san Anime Regains Corporate Sponsors to End 11-Week Drought
Other anime series on Fuji TV still suffering from fewer to no corporate sponsorships
― Anime News Network's Japan-based staff confirmed the April 6 episode of Sazae-san aired with two corporate sponsors, Geo and OIC Group. This is the first time that the long-running anime had corporate sponsors in nine weeks. (Some sponsors already began removing their ads a couple of weeks earlier in late January...
Things From Another World Comics Retail Site to Shut Down on April 30
3 physical stores in Oregon, California to remain open
― Comics retailer Things From Another World announced on April 2 that its retail website will close on April 30. The company stated that its three physical stores (two in Oregon at Milwaukie and Beaverton, and one in California at Universal CityWalk) will remain open. Hey, TFAW customers! We're sad to announce that https://t.co/n9sE8fra8R will be...
Manta's Parent Company Ridi Posts Operating Loss for 2024 But Marks Record-High Revenue
Company attributes reduced deficit, revenue growth to expansion of its global business
― RIDI, the parent company of webtoon platform Manta, announced on April 3 that it posted an operating loss of 12.9 billion KRW (approx. US$8.8 million) on a consolidated basis in 2024, down 56.2% from the previous year. Revenue rose 7.2% year-over-year to a record high of 235.4 billion KRW (approx. US$161 million...
Webtoon Entertainment Appoints Aron Levitz as President of Wattpad
Levitz will report directly to Junkoo Kim, CEO and founder of WEBTOON Entertainment
― On April 2, WEBTOON Entertainment announced it has appointed Aron Levitz as president of Wattpad Corporation, its global web novel subsidiary. Levitz will step down from his concurrent position as president of Wattpad WEBTOON Studios Corp. and will now focus solely on Wattpad. He will report directly to Junkoo Kim,...
Nintendo Delays Switch 2 Pre-Orders in U.S. to Assess Tariffs' Impact
Switch 2 launch detailed hours before U.S. President Trump announced new import taxes
― Nintendo told GameStop and other retailers on Friday that it has postponed pre-orders for its Switch 2 system in the United States, "to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions." The company will announce the new U.S. pre-order date later, and added that it still plans to launch the sy...
Netflix Adds Full List of Languages for Subtitle, Dub Options on TV Viewing
Full list of language options previously available on mobile devices, web browsers only
― Netflix announced on Wednesday that subscribers can now choose from its full list of available languages for any title when watching Netflix on television, a feature that is carried over from mobile devices and web browsers. Netflix's catalog has a wide variety of TV shows and movies in over 30 languages. Netfli...
Udon Entertainment Signs Book Market Distribution Deal with Publisher Simon & Schuster
Udon departs previous deal with Diamond following bankruptcy filing in January
― Udon Entertainment announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a new book market distribution agreement with Simon & Schuster, effective April 1. Udon will depart from its previous book market distribution agreement with Diamond Book Distributors following its bankruptcy filing in January. Simon & Schuster will handl...
Media Do Distributor Sells MyAnimeList Site to Web3/AI Company Gaudiy
Tokyo-based Gaudiy develops Fanlink community platform using blockchain technology
― E-book distributor Media Do Holdings announced on March 26 that it has sold all of its shares in the anime database website MyAnimeList to Tokyo-based Web3 and AI company Gaudiy. Media Do noted that it expects to record an "extraordinary gain" in the first quarter of its fiscal year ending February 28, 2026, amountin...
Ultraman FAST Channel Launches on Amazon Prime Video
Channel features over 80 films, series from franchise, with new English dub debuts
― Mill Creek Entertainment and Tsuburaya Productions have launched a FAST (free ad-supported streaming) channel for the Ultraman franchise on Amazon Prime Video on Sunday. The channel will feature more than 80 films and series, including Ultraman, Ultra Q, Ultraman Mebius, and Ultraman Zero: the Revenge of Belial. Tsub...
Viz Media Appoints Brad Woods as President/CEO, Ken Sasaki as Chairman/Executive Advisor
Sasaki has served as President/CEO since 2012
― Viz Media announced on Monday that it is appointing Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brad Woods as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Current President and CEO Ken Sasaki (pictured right) will move into the role of Chairman & Executive Advisor. Viz promoted Sasaki to President and CEO in 2012. He joined the company ...
OpenAI, GKIDS (Indirectly) Respond After Studio Ghibli-Style AI Kerfuffle
GKids re-releases Ghibli's Princess Mononoke in IMAX as OpenAI releases new image generator
― A United States district judge ruled on Thursday that The New York Times and several other newspaper groups can proceed with a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft to restrict the two companies from using the newspapers' content to train chatbots like ChatGPT. In a statement following the ruling an...
Nikkatsu Film Studio Establishes Animation Company
New wholly owned subsidiary company NK Animation to handle Nikkatsu's animation-related business including planning, production, promotion
― Long-established film company Nikkatsu announced on March 3 that it has established NK Animation, a new company that will handle Nikkatsu's animation-related business, as part of Nikkatsu's organizational restructure. NK Animation will be a wholly owned subsidia...
Naver Webtoon Joins Anti-Piracy Coalition ACE
Company is the 1st webtoon company to join coalition
― The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) announced on March 25 that NAVER WEBTOON has joined as its newest member. NAVER WEBTOON, part of WEBTOON Entertainment Inc., is the first webcomic and webnovel company, and the first Korea-based company, to become a member of ACE. WEBTOON Entertainment, headquartered in Los Angeles and listed o...
Alliance Entertainment Acquires Most of Diamond Comics Distributors' Assets
Acquisition include Diamond Comic Distributors (U.S.), Alliance Game Distributors, more
― Wholesaler and distributor Alliance Entertainment announced on Tuesday that it has won the bid to acquire "substantially all" of Diamond Comics Distributors' assets, including Diamond Comic Distributors (U.S.), Alliance Game Distributors, Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles, and Collectible Grading Authority. All...
Titan Comics, Lunar Distribution Enter Non-Exclusive Agreement
Lunar to handle Titan's direct market sales, beginning with June products
― Titan Comics entered a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Lunar Distribution to handle its direct market sales, beginning on March 21 with comic book products that will ship in June 2025. Titan Comics' existing relationship with Diamond Comic Distributors will continue and the company's titles will be available at PRH ...
HIDIVE Expands Service to Amazon Prime Video in U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Streaming service also expands network in U.S. with Samsung, LG, VIZIO
― AMC Networks announced on Monday that its HIDIVE anime streaming service is now available on Amazon Prime Video Channels in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as an ad-free add-on subscription. The direct-to-consumer app is also available in these territories. The service also expanded its availability in the...
Cross Infinite World Leaves Bookwalker Global After Latter's Ownership Change
Publisher to open Shopify store in the near future
― North Amerian publisher Cross Infinite World announced on Thursday that it is ending its partnership with Kadokawa's BookWalker Global e-book site, due to the site's planned change in ownership from BookWalker Co., Ltd. to M12 Media LLC (formerly J-Novel Club LLC) on March 31. Cross Infinite World added that it was "not in [the company's] best inte...
Aniplex, Crunchyroll Establish Joint Venture for Anime Production
Tokyo-based Hayate to produce anime content for Crunchyroll's streaming service
―
Aniplex and Crunchyroll announced on Monday that they are teaming up to establish HAYATE Inc., a new anime production venture headquartered in Tokyo. HAYATE is focusing specifically on planning, developing, and producing anime content for Crunchyroll's streaming platform worldwide. Aniplex's Masanori Miyake leads the v...
KOMACON Report: Number of Webtoon Titles Dropped by Nearly 7% in 2024
57.7% of registered webtoons were categorized as "18+ content"
― According to the 2024 Comics and Webtoon Distribution Statistics Report published by the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (KOMACON) on March 12, the total number of webtoon titles registered last year was 18,792, marking a 6.7% decline from the previous year's 20,141. By platform, KakaoPage, a flagship platform of Kakao Entertainment, saw ...
7 Major Webtoon Firms Demand Maximum Penalty for 'OKToon' Pirate Site Operator
Illegal webtoon site caused US$37 million in losses according to companies
― Seven major webtoon companies — Kakao Entertainment, Naver Webtoon, Ridi, Lezhin Entertainment, Kidari Studio, Toptoon, and Toomics — have come together to call for strict legal action against the operator of the illegal webtoon site OKToon. The Webtoon Anti-Piracy Coalition, which represents these companies, submitted a pe...
WWWave Corporation's New OceanVeil Streaming Platform Launches; Announces Partnership with Ascendent Animation
Platform had soft launch on March 11 worldwide; partners with Ascendent Animation for English-dub titles
― WWWave Corporation's new anime streaming platform OceanVeil had a soft launch on March 11 worldwide (the platform may not be available in some countries during the soft launch), except Japan. The platform initially lists censored and uncensored WWWave titles including On a Lustful Night Mingling...
Yoyogi Animation Academy, Starry Cube, Ryū Nakayama's Andraft Establish Aurora Animation Studio
New anime production company aims to create supportive environment for creators
― Yoyogi Animation Academy, Starry Cube, and Andraft announced on Monday that they will jointly establish the anime production company Aurora Animation on April 1 (the start of the next fiscal year in Japan) in eastern Tokyo. Yoyogi Animation Academy CEO Daiki Hashimoto will also serve as the CEO of Aurora Animation. Andr...
BookWalker Global Service Changes Ownership on March 31
Service changes ownership from BookWalker Co, Ltd. to M12 Media LLC (formerly J-Novel Club LLC)
― The BookWalker Global service announced on Monday that the service is changing ownership on March 31 from BookWalker Co., Ltd. to M12 Media LLC, formerly J-Novel Club LLC. BookWalker Co., Ltd. and J-Novel Club/M12 Media LLC are both Kadokawa Group companies. The announcement clarified that the change in ...
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Wins 11th Anime Trending Awards
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End wins 5 other awards; DAN DA DAN, The Dangers in My Heart 2nd season win 4 awards each
― The 11th annual Anime Trending Awards announced its winners on Saturday and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End won Anime of the Year, as well as five other awards including Action or Adventure Anime of the Year and Fantasy Anime of the Year. DAN dA DAN and the second season of The Dangers ...
Media Do, NTT Docomo, Akatsuki Launch New Digital Service Manga Mirai in U.S.
Service initially offers 780 titles including Wind Breaker, Medalist, Blue Lock
― Media Do, NTT Docomo, Akatsuki Group, and MyAnimeList launched their jointly developed digital manga distribution service MANGA MIRAI in the United States on Tuesday. The service allows users to purchase over 11,000 volume across 780 titles of English-translated Japanese manga from publishers such as Kodansha USA Publis...
Kakao Entertainment Report States It Blocked 240 Million Cases of Piracy in 2nd Half of 2024
Company expands its piracy monitoring system to include web novels
― Kakao Entertainment, the parent company of webtoon platform Tapas, released its 6th Anti-Piracy White Paper on February 25, marking a significant expansion in its efforts to combat the illegal distribution of intellectual property (IP). The latest white paper introduces the industry's first comprehensive anti-piracy system for web ...
Getting To Know The Hosts Of The Award-Winning Shoujo Sundae Podcast
Shoujo Sundae hosts Giana Luna and Chika Supreme share what keeps them motivated, the secret to creating a successful podcast, and their mangaka interview wishlists.
― Anime and manga may be booming worldwide, but when it comes to things like award ceremonies, we all know that anime, manga, and media related to it rarely get the recognition they deserve. So when an anime-related podcast gets nominate...
Dark Horse Comic Closes Digital Service, Ends App Support
Dark Horse Digital sales have ended, iOS apps end service on March 31
― Dark Horse Comics announced on Monday that it has closed its Dark Horse Digital (DHD) service. Users can currently still log in and read the comics in their bookshelf. However, sales have ended for DHD. In addition, support for the Dark Horse Comics and Plants vs. Zombies Comics apps for iOS devices will end on March 31. The comp...
The Pokémon Company Reaches Settlement in IP Infringement Lawsuit in China
Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology, Khorgos Fangchi Network Technology issue apology over game app titled Pocket Monster: Remake
― The Pokémon Company announced on Wednesday that it has reached a settlement with Chinese video game operator Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology Co., Ltd. regarding a game app titled Pocket Monster: Remake (口袋妖怪：复刻. The game's alias is: "The Pocket Journey" ("口袋之旅"). The...
Bloomberg: Pokémon Go Developer Niantic in Talks to Sell Game Business
Saudi Arabia-owned mobile game developer/publisher Scopely reportedly in talks
― Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Pokémon Go mobile game developer Niantic Inc. is in talks to sell its video game business to Scopely, a Saudi Arabia-owned mobile game developer and publisher, according to "several people familiar with the discussions." According to Bloomberg's sources, the price being discussed is a...
19th Seiyū Awards Announces Special Award Winners
Gundam Seed FREEDOM, Look Back, Mari Okamoto, Keiichi Noda, Sōichirō Hoshi, Wakana Yamazaki, more honored
― The organizers of the 19th Annual Seiyū Awards announced in advance the winners of the special awards on Tuesday. Merit Awards
Award for the seiyū who have contributed to many genres, including foreign works, over the years 【第十九回声優アワード先行発表！】🏆功労賞長年に渡り外画も含め多くのジャンルに貢献された声優■岡本 茉利所属：81プロデュース■野田 圭一所属...
Former Science SARU Head Masaaki Yuasa Establishes New Studio ame pippin
Director launches Tokyo-based studio in collaboration with Asmik Ace, Aniplex, CoMix Wave Films
― Production company Asmik Ace announced on Tuesday that anime director and Science SARU studio co-founder Masaaki Yuasa is establishing a new Tokyo-based anime studio named ame pippin. Yuasa is launching the studio in collaboration with Asmik Ace, Aniplex, and CoMix Wave Films. The studio's website lists ...
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