Industry

industrybusiness 1 sources · May 26

Metamars Inc. Raises Funds From Takara Group and Uniontech

The funding signals that metamoon's live commerce business model, built on TikTok Shop in Japan, has reached a scale that attracts investment from established groups, with the company aiming to solidify its position in a rapidly expanding market.

ASCII.jp
industry 2 sources · May 26

Kadokawa's Da Vinci Magazine to End Publication After 32 Years

The closure of a 32-year-old print magazine that bridged literary fiction, manga, and anime reflects the accelerating shift of Japanese media consumption away from physical periodicals toward web-based platforms.

Anime News Network, Anime! Anime!
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 26

Anycolor Faces Profit Pressure as Inventory Losses Mount

Anycolor's shift in inventory valuation standards signals that its commerce-heavy revenue model, which makes up 70% of sales, now carries the same risk profile as a character goods retailer rather than a pure VTuber management firm.

GameBusiness.jp
industrybusiness 3 sources · May 25

U-NEXT HOLDINGS Acquires GoHands as Wholly Owned Subsidiary

The deal marks a rare vertical integration of a streaming platform and an anime production studio in Japan, giving U-NEXT HOLDINGS direct control over content creation and distribution while cutting external production costs.

Comic Natalie, Denfaminicogamer
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 21

Studio Ghibli Names Kenichi Yoda as New President

The change puts a Nippon Television event specialist with direct Ghibli liaison experience in the top operational role, signaling a closer day-to-day partnership between the broadcaster and the studio.

Studio Ghibli
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 20

Crunchyroll Japan Net Profit Falls 63% in Fiscal 2025

The steep profit decline at the Japanese branch, despite continued subscriber growth, signals that Crunchyroll's expansion is not translating into proportional earnings in its home market.

Anime News Network
industry 1 sources · May 20

The Anime Piracy Hydra Appears To Be Tiring

If the pattern holds and users do not quickly find a new top replacement, a meaningful percentage may finally migrate to legal services.

Anime By The Numbers
industrybusiness 2 sources · May 20

Arc System Works Reaffirms Anti-Harassment Policy Across Social Media

The reaffirmation signals that Arc System Works is actively enforcing its year-old anti-harassment stance, aligning with a broader industry trend as other major publishers like Square Enix and Capcom have recently formalized similar policies.

Inside
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 20

Kadokawa Admits Isekai Overreliance Led to Profit Collapse

Kadokawa, the publishing giant that rode the isekai wave to market dominance, now openly blames that same formula for a severe profit decline and is restructuring to break its own creative inertia.

Niche Gamer (Anime)
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 19

TBS Group Acquires Xenotoon, Eyes Integration With Seven Arcs

The acquisition gives TBS a direct production base in anime, an area where it previously relied on external studios, and the planned integration with Seven Arcs would combine traditional TV production with Yasuda's SNS-driven, 3DCG-heavy development model.

GameBusiness.jp
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 19

TBS' Sand B Company Acquires Xenotoon CG Anime Studio

The acquisition consolidates TBS' animation production pipeline by merging a CG specialist studio with a traditional 2D studio, creating a single entity capable of handling both formats under one roof.

Anime News Network
industry 1 sources · May 19

Fashion World Tokyo Adds Anime IP Apparel Zone

The dedicated zone signals that anime IP holders are treating fashion as a direct brand-awareness channel, bypassing traditional licensing middlemen as the global market matures.

Animenomics
industrybusiness 2 sources · May 19

Twin Engine and SBI Holdings Enter Capital and Business Partnership

The deal gives a mid-sized anime studio access to the financial and distribution infrastructure of a major holding company, a model that could become more common as studios seek scale without being acquired by larger entertainment conglomerates.

KAI-YOU, PANORA
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 18

CyberAgent Opens Canvas Kyoto Creative Hub in June

The hub is a direct investment in regional talent development outside Tokyo, paired with CyberAgent's recent restructuring of its anime subsidiary Cypic.

Anime News Network
industrybusiness 1 sources · May 18

Brave Group Raises 8 Billion Yen in Series E Round

The round, which includes investment from Gree Holdings subsidiary REALITY and Kirin Holdings, positions Brave group as one of the best-capitalized VTuber operators in Japan and signals continued institutional appetite for virtual talent IP.

Brave group