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TOHO Acquires 6% Stake in Makoto Shinkai's Studio CoMix Wave Films

Japanese entertainment company TOHO announced on Tuesday that it has acquired 45 shares, or 6.09%, of stock in the anime management, production, and distribution company CoMix Wave Films. The investment is intended to elevate the studio's working environment in order to raise the quality of their works and increase the studio's creative opportunities.

TOHO has distributed and participated in the production of all of director Makoto Shinkai's films through CoMix Wave Films in Japan since The Garden of Words in 2013.

TOHO also recently announced its 100% acquisition of North American animation distributor GKIDS earlier on Tuesday. The movie makes GKIDS a wholly-owned subsidiary of TOHO International, which is based in Los Angeles. GKIDS has also distributed a number of Shinkai's titles in the United States, including Weathering With You, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Voices of a Distant Star, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices.

TOHO acquired all shares of the anime studio Science SARU on June 19, and made it its consolidated subsidiary. TOHO acquired a controlling stake in the TIA (TOHO Interactive Animation) studio in 2022 and made it a subsidiary company under the new name TOHO animation STUDIO.

CoMix Wave Films was established in 2007 when board director Noritaka Kawaguchi split and acquired CoMix Wave's (formerly CW) animation business division as part of a management buyout (MBO). Aside from animation production, the company also handles planning, financing, distribution, and rights management. Kawaguchi served as the company's representative director and president since its founding until this past May, when he became representative director and chairperson while Tomohiro Tokunaga became representative director and president.

CoMix Wave Films is best known for producing and distributing the anime films of director Makoto Shinkai, beginning from his first film Voices of a Distant Star, until his recent popular hits your name., Weathering With You, and Suzume.

Sources: Toho, Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)