Toei operates as a broad entertainment conglomerate spanning animation, tokusatsu, games, and IP licensing, with Toei Animation pushing original works through its Eterna Animation brand and hybrid films while its live-action and game arms expand into new markets.
Toei's current state is defined by expansion across several fronts. Toei Animation, which turned 70 on July 31, marked the milestone with a retrospective video and website, a 35mm retrospective at the National Film Archive of Japan, and the launch of Eterna Animation, an in-house brand for original short films. The brand's first project, Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki, premiered at Fantasia and entered the festival circuit, with director Takeru Shinozuka making his commercial debut. The studio also detailed Monkey Quest, its first hybrid 2D-3D feature, targeting a 2027 release with Studio SANZIGEN handling 3D animation.
Toei Animation is also rethinking its global role. General manager Asama Yosuke said at Cannes that anime is no longer exclusively Japanese, and the studio is pursuing works rooted in local cultures with creators worldwide. That stance shows in One Piece's North American live events, including the second One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium, and the One Piece Day '26 event streaming on YouTube, X, and LINE. The studio is collaborating with Netflix on The One Piece reboot from Wit Studio, and with Fuji Television.
On the tokusatsu side, Toei is driving its PROJECT R.E.D. video series forward, with Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn beginning July 26 and a crossover with Super Space Sheriff Gabban Infinity teased through a gaiden mini-drama. Toei Tokusatsu YouTube streams classic films and episodes for free, including a full Hell Teacher Nube run and a Kamen Rider Agito special. Toei Games, the game business brand, is preparing its first Tokyo Game Show booth and presenting strategy at Taiwan's TGDF. Toei is also participating in the second Tokyo IP Market, offering live-action adaptation and remake rights for its IP.
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Lionsgate is partnering with Toei Animation as its new U.S. distribution partner for anime projects, beginning with the Monkey Quest film in 2027. The company will be considered for future co-productions with Toei. The film, a 2D-3D hybrid loosely based on Journey to the West, is in post-production and aiming for a 2027 release. Charades will distribute the film worldwide outside the U.S.
Toei Animation issued a statement confirming it has not granted a license for a planned Dragon Ball theme park in France. The studio said concept art and videos used in reports on the French project were originally made for a Saudi Arabia park announced in March 2024 and are unrelated. Rights holders Bird Studio and Shueisha have not commented.
Toei Animation issued an official statement on August 31 denying media reports that a Dragon Ball theme park is planned for construction in France. The company said that neither Toei Animation nor the relevant rights holders have granted any licenses for such a project, and that the company is not aware of any facts supporting the reports. Toei Animation also addressed concept images and footage circulated alongside the claims, stating that all of the material originated from the Dragon Ball theme park project announced with Qiddiya Investment Company on March 22, 2024. Those visuals are for the planned Dragon Ball theme park at Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia and have no connection to the reports concerning France. The reports began circulating after French President Emmanuel Macron announced on August 24 that three manga-related theme parks were planned for Cergy-Pontoise, France, involving EUR 6 billion in investment and the creation of 22,000 jobs. Macron did not name Dragon Ball or any other specific franchise in his announcement. Valérie Pécresse, president of the Paris regional council, later posted a video claiming the property was coming to the area.
The anime production technology event Anitsuku 2026 will take place October 3 at UDX GALLERY NEXT and UDX GALLERY in Akihabara, Tokyo. Admission is free with prior registration, and web applications open the same day. The 12th edition carries the theme 'Passing the Power of Creation to the Next Generation' and plans 14 sessions from studios including Toei Animation, MAPPA, Orange, and Sanzigen.
UniJapan announced on August 20, 2026 the first batch of IP holders for the second Tokyo IP Market: Adaptation & Remake, held at TIFFCOM 2026. Eight publishing and film companies, including KADOKAWA, Shochiku, Toei, and Square Enix, will meet film producers from Europe, the U.S., and Asia seeking live-action adaptation and remake rights for Japanese IP. The event runs October 28-30 in Tokyo.
Reito Kuji, producer of the tokusatsu video series [PROJECT R.E.D.], discussed the response to Ultra Gavan Infinity and what comes next with Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn. He described the crossover between Omega Horn and Ultra Gavan as unfolding like pieces being unearthed little by little, with plans to keep the project moving forward.
Toei Tokusatsu YouTube Official began free streaming of 'Kamen Rider Agito Special: New Transformation' on August 22. The 2001 TV special bridges to the film 'Kamen Rider Agito PROJECT G4,' debuts the G3 Mild System and Shining Form, and features Masaki Kyomoto.
Toei Games will exhibit for the first time at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 21. The booth will feature special trial versions of HINO, KILLA, and DEBUG NEPHEMEE. DEBUG NEPHEMEE hits Steam on September 10, HINO on September 17, while KILLA is available only at the venue. A crane game offers TGS-exclusive mugs, and a forum lecture with Sanrio and PARCO is scheduled.
Toei Animation turned 70 on July 31 and released a special video celebrating its history, decade by decade. The studio also opened a 70th anniversary website with a production history and a message from president Katsuhiro Takagi, who thanked fans and staff and framed the milestone as a step toward the studio's 100th anniversary.
TOKYO MX will broadcast 'Eiga Yes! Pretty Cure 5: Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken!' on August 9 at 19:00. The 2007 film introduced the Miracle Light support item and the dark warrior team Dark Pretty Cure 5, whose members were voiced by actors later cast in other Pretty Cure series.
TVer began a limited free streaming run of three Precure films on August 2: Hugtto! Precure, Star Twinkle PreCure, and Healin' Good PreCure. The end date is not yet announced. The lineup includes the 15th anniversary crossover film featuring 55 Precure characters with original voice casts.
Toei Animation established Eterna Animation in 2025 as an in-house production brand for original IP development. Its first production, the short film Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki, premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. Director Takeru Shinozuka, a veteran animator, makes his directorial debut with the film.
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Shueisha, and Toei Animation announced on Sunday that the One Piece Day '26 event will stream worldwide on YouTube, with X and LINE added as free livestream platforms this year. The two-day event takes place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on August 22-23. The August 22 stream runs from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. JST, and the August 23 stream runs from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. JST. The livestream will be archived for a limited time. The event includes the final results of the second WORLD TOP 100 character popularity poll, with rankings 100 through 31 announced on August 22 and the top 30 on August 23. A prediction campaign called WORLD TOP 100 The King of Guesses launched August 3 on the ONE PIECE BASE app, letting fans predict the final top 30 characters for digital rewards and a chance at prizes. The August 23 program features three One Piece News segments, a One Piece Card Game special panel, the finals of the 8th One Piece Knowledge King competition, an Elbaf Arc voice cast panel, and a live concert with Hiroshi Kitadani, Maki Otsuki, Aina The End, and 36km/h.
Toei producer Toshinari Yanaka and PLEX designer Akira Yamamoto discussed the creation of the movie-exclusive form Kamen Rider Zezt Agent Dream in an interview with Cinema Today. The form appears in the film "Kamen Rider Zezt: Farewell Mission," which opens July 24 as a double feature with "Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity: The Day the Sun Cried." Yanaka said the design team deliberately changed the face for the first time in a movie-exclusive form, breaking from the TV series approach of keeping the face consistent across forms so global audiences would recognize the character. Yamamoto explained that bubble-like motifs on the body represent the "fleeting dream" of the CODE agents, who unite only briefly. The form also introduces a waist cape, a first for Kamen Rider Zezt. The base color is white, which Yamamoto proposed to convey that the powers of the differently colored agents mix into white light, while turquoise accents maintain Zezt's identity. The design process for the series as a whole pursued a "subtractive" approach, removing accumulated armor details to emphasize the modified-human aesthetic of Kamen Rider. Yanaka noted that placing the transformation belt on the chest, another series first, made bike scenes easier to film from multiple angles.
Toei announced a mini-drama series 'Super Space Sheriff Gabban Infinity Gaiden' set after the TV series finale. It will be distributed from August 2 on YouTube and the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club. The episode holds the key to a crossover between 'Super Space Sheriff Gabban Infinity' and 'Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn'. A mysterious red Arc Gaburion appears. The second PROJECT R.E.D. series 'Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn' begins July 26, with Kohei Nagata returning as Iron Wall Rage.
The second online lottery for 'The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe' opened July 17, 2026, with a summer beach theme. Character designer Yokatabe Tōko drew new illustrations of Kitaro's father and Mizuki relaxing on the beach. Prizes include foil-stamped acrylic art boards, acrylic stands, keychains, clear file sets, and hologram badges. The lottery runs through August 16, 2026, at 880 yen per play.
The 1987 Dragon Ball theatrical film Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle will air on TOKYO MX on July 19, 2026 at 20:00. It is the second broadcast in a series following last year's airing of the first Dragon Ball film. The film features Goku and Krillin rescuing a sleeping princess from demons.
The main poster visual, main trailer, and story for V Cinema Next 'Kamen Rider Kabuto: 20th - Heir to the Sky' have been unveiled. The theme song 'NEXT LEVEL Pass the tofu Version' is performed by Yuki Sato, Hidenori Tokuyama, and Kazuki Kato, their first vocal collaboration in 20 years. The film will screen in theaters from November 6, 2026, with a Blu-ray/DVD release on February 10, 2027. An experiential event 'Kamen Rider Kabuto World 20th CAST OFF' will be held starting September 19, 2026.
Toei Animation's Eterna Animation brand short film FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki will screen at three festivals, including a competition slot at Fantasia IFF for the Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation. The film follows character designer Shinano as she encounters her discarded creations. Takeru Shinozuka makes his commercial directorial debut, writing and designing the characters. The short also screens at Indy Shorts Film Festival and RIFFA. Eterna Animation launched this year for Toei's 70th anniversary, focusing on original works.
Toei Games, the game business brand of Toei, will hold a seminar at the Taipei Game Developers Forum 2026 in Taiwan on July 16. Manager Hiroaki Nagashima will discuss the company's business strategy, the current state of the game business from Toei's perspective, and the relationship between Japanese and Taiwanese game markets. The event runs July 15-16.
Toei Video announced the 2026 edition of its fan-vote-driven Blu-ray project, selecting 10 candidate tokusatsu works including Superhuman Barom-1, Inazuman, Metalder, and Kabutack. Fans vote in two rounds; one or more titles will receive a new 4K negative scan HD remaster and Blu-ray release. The first voting period runs July 8-16.
Toei announced on July 6 that it will stream all 49 episodes of the 1996-1997 TV anime Hell Teacher Nube for free on its Toei Animation Museum Channel on YouTube, starting July 20 with 8 episodes released weekly. The free streaming celebrates the anime's 30th anniversary. A new anime adaptation aired in summer 2025.
Toei Animation presented its next film project, the 2D-3D hybrid animated film Monkey Quest, at the Annecy Festival. Studio SANZIGEN is handling the 3D animation. The film follows a girl and her brother who free a forgotten protector of Earth. The cast includes Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, and J.K. Simmons. The film is in post-production and aiming for a 2027 release.
Toei Animation's new Eterna Animation brand released a trailer for its short film Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki. The film follows character designer Shinano as discarded creations from her past appear to her. Takeru Shinozuka directs and writes in his commercial debut. The short is set to debut this year.
Toei's official YouTube channel, Toei Tokusatsu YouTube Official, has surpassed 2 million subscribers. To mark the milestone, the channel will stream five classic tokusatsu films for free as premium premieres starting July 4. The lineup includes "Kamen Rider vs. Shocker," "Himitsu Sentai Gorenger: Bomb Hurricane," "Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Goseiger: Super Sentai 199 Hero Great Battle," "Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger: The Fire Mountain Roars," and "Heisei Kamen Rider 20th Anniversary: Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FOREVER." Each film will be available for about two weeks from its premiere date. The channel will also premiere two special "Kamen Rider x Super Sentai" videos on June 27 at 19:00, directed and composed by Koichi Sakamoto. The "Drama Ver." features suit actor Seiji Takaiwa, his son Taisei Takaiwa, and Ruka Shibata, while the "Music Ver." is an archive-footage montage. The channel launched in 2011.
Director Koichi Sakamoto, who has made numerous original tokusatsu works for Toei's streaming service TTFC, said in an interview marking the service's 10th anniversary that he wants to produce a sequel to the 2017-2018 crossover series Space Squad. He also expressed interest in reviving Metal Hero series and rebooting past heroes on the platform.
The National Film Archive of Japan (NFAJ) will host a retrospective of Toei Animation this summer, screening 50 theatrical features on 35mm film prints. The program runs from late July through early September. It offers a rare chance to see the studio's films in their original format at a time when most archival screenings have moved to digital. The NFAJ has not published a full lineup, but a teaser flyer confirms the selection spans more than four decades of Toei's output. Early works include The Tale of the White Serpent (1958), considered Japan's first color animated feature, Magic Boy (1959), and Alakazam the Great (1960). The retrospective also features The Little Norse Prince (1968), Isao Takahata's feature that launched a 50-year creative partnership with Hayao Miyazaki, who worked on scene designs and key animation. Later decades are represented by Galaxy Express 999 (1979) and Adieu Galaxy Express 999 (1981). The program highlights Toei's shift into franchise filmmaking with Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) and Sailor Moon R: The Movie (1993). More recent selections include Digimon Adventure (1999) and One Piece: The Movie (2000).
Netflix announced a slate of new One Piece projects on April 7, headlined by The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio that will re-adapt the East Blue saga from Eiichiro Oda's manga. The series is produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. Unlike the original 1999 anime, this version is described as a reimagining using contemporary production techniques and updated visuals, suggesting a more compact, seasonal approach. Netflix also previewed LEGO One Piece, a two-part animated special premiering September 29. Produced with The LEGO Group, Shueisha, and Atomic Cartoons, it retells the story of the live-action series' first two seasons in LEGO form. The company confirmed that live-action Season 3, titled One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta, is in production for a 2027 release. Additional franchise expansions include a podcast, and merchandise lines from Moose Toys, NERF, Quiksilver, Funko, Netflix Shop, Penguin Random House, Hot Topic, and Primark.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toei Animation will host another One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium on July 2, 2026, during the team's home game against the San Diego Padres. The event, which follows a successful 2025 collaboration, will include a stadium-wide hat giveaway for the first 40,000 ticketed fans. Pregame activations are planned at Centerfield Plaza, along with a ceremonial first pitch and a postgame drone show featuring characters from the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Lon Rosen, the Dodgers' Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said the collaboration has quickly become a can't-miss event. Lisa Yamatoya, Senior Director and Head of Marketing at Toei Animation Inc., called last year's promotion one of the franchise's biggest in 2025 and said the company looks forward to welcoming a record crowd. The announcement follows Toei Animation's recent reveal of the first One Piece Fest 2026 in Los Angeles, further expanding the franchise's North American presence.
Toei Animation is streaming five detective-themed episodes from past Precure series on YouTube, starting with 'Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!' Episode 9, where Cure Mint plays detective over a missing cake. Each episode is available for two weeks.
Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that the era of anime being made only by Japanese people is over, saying the studio aims to create works rooted in local cultures with creators worldwide. The remark from a foundational studio executive signals a potential shift in the industry's self-definition.
Roronoa Zoro has taken first place in every region in the latest weekly results of the One Piece World Top 100 2nd character popularity poll, overtaking Monkey D. Luffy who led the midterm rankings. The data covers votes from April 27 to May 3, 2026. Final results will be announced at One Piece Day '26 in August 2026.