Sunday, 12 July 2026
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Toei

Toei is expanding its global footprint with a new Eterna Animation brand for original works, a hybrid 2D-3D film in post-production, and deeper North American live-event partnerships, while its GM publicly redefines anime as a global medium.

Synthesized from 15 Yomimono stories · updated 2d ago

Toei Animation entered a new phase in 2026, marked by the launch of the Eterna Animation brand for original works and emerging talent, with its first short film FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki competing at Fantasia IFF for the Satoshi Kon Award. The studio also unveiled its first hybrid 2D-3D feature, Monkey Quest, in post-production for a 2027 release, with 3D animation by Studio SANZIGEN and a cast including Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, and J.K. Simmons.

Toei deepened its relationship with Netflix, which announced a Wit Studio reimagining of the East Blue saga, a LEGO special, and a live-action Season 3 for 2027. The One Piece franchise also saw its second annual One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium and the first One Piece Fest in Los Angeles, signaling sustained North American live-event growth. A character popularity poll showed Roronoa Zoro leading every region, with final results due at One Piece Day '26 in August.

On the legacy side, Toei Video launched a fan-vote Blu-ray project for 10 tokusatsu candidates, and the Toei Tokusatsu YouTube channel surpassed 2 million subscribers, streaming five classic films for free. The company also streamed all 49 episodes of Hell Teacher Nube for free on YouTube, celebrating its 30th anniversary. Toei Games made its first public appearance at Taiwan's TGDF 2026, signaling expansion into the Taiwanese game market. General Manager Asama Yosuke stated that anime is no longer exclusively Japanese, aligning with the studio's international strategy.

Key facts

Eterna Animation brand launched
Toei Animation launched the Eterna Animation brand for its 70th anniversary, focusing on original works and emerging talent. Its first short film FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki screens at three festivals including Fantasia IFF. ↗
Hybrid 2D-3D film Monkey Quest in post-production
Monkey Quest is Toei Animation's first hybrid 2D-3D feature, with 3D animation by Studio SANZIGEN, aiming for a 2027 release. Cast includes Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, J.K. Simmons. ↗
Netflix One Piece slate includes Wit Studio reboot
Netflix announced The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio re-adapting the East Blue saga, produced with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. A LEGO special and live-action Season 3 for 2027 were also confirmed. ↗
One Piece Night returns to Dodger Stadium
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toei Animation hosted One Piece Night on July 2, 2026, with a hat giveaway, drone show, and pregame activations. The event followed a successful 2025 collaboration. ↗
GM says anime is no longer exclusively Japanese
Toei Animation GM Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that the era of anime being made only by Japanese people is over, aiming to create works rooted in local cultures worldwide. ↗
Toei Games presents at Taiwan's TGDF 2026
Toei Games held a seminar at the Taipei Game Developers Forum 2026 on July 16, discussing business strategy and the Japanese-Taiwanese game market. Manager Hiroaki Nagashima spoke. ↗
Tokusatsu Blu-ray fan-vote project 2026 edition
Toei Video opened voting for the 2026 edition of its fan-vote Blu-ray project, with 10 candidate works including Superhuman Barom-1, Inazuman, Metalder, and Kabutack. Winners receive a 4K negative scan HD remaster. ↗
Free streaming of Hell Teacher Nube on YouTube
Toei streamed all 49 episodes of the 1996-1997 TV anime Hell Teacher Nube for free on its Toei Animation Museum Channel, celebrating the anime's 30th anniversary. ↗
Kamen Rider Kabuto 20th anniversary film details
The film Kamen Rider Kabuto: 20th - Heir to the Sky screens in theaters from November 6, 2026, with a Blu-ray/DVD release on February 10, 2027. Theme song performed by original cast trio Yuki Sato, Hidenori Tokuyama, and Kazuki Kato. ↗
Toei Animation retrospective at NFAJ on 35mm
The National Film Archive of Japan hosted a retrospective of 50 Toei Animation theatrical features on 35mm film prints, spanning from The Tale of the White Serpent (1958) to One Piece: The Movie (2000). ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Announced
2026 edition of fan-vote-driven Blu-ray project with 10 candidate tokusatsu works · 2026-07-08

Connections

Produces
metalder, kubutack, barom 1

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/toei. CC BY 4.0.

All coverage

2d ago

Kamen Rider Kabuto 20th Film Theme Song Performed by Original Cast Trio

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.

3d ago

FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki Short Screens at Festival Circuit

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.

3d ago

Toei Games to Present Business Strategy at Taiwan's TGDF 2026

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.

4d ago

Toei Tokusatsu Blu-Ray Project 2026 Edition Opens Voting With 10 Candidates

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.

6d ago

Toei Streams All 49 Episodes of Hell Teacher Nube for Free on YouTube

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.

Jun 27

Toei Animation Details 2D-3D Hybrid Film Monkey Quest for 2027

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.

Jun 27

Toei Tokusatsu YouTube Streams 5 Classic Films Free for 2 Million Subscriber Milestone

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.

Jun 14

Koichi Sakamoto Wants To Bring Back Space Squad At TTFC

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.

May 30

Toei Animation Retrospective Set for 35mm Screenings in Tokyo

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).

May 30

Netflix Expands One Piece Slate With Wit Studio Reboot and LEGO Special

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.

May 28

One Piece Night Returns to Dodgers Stadium on July 2

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.

May 26

Toei Streams Classic Precure Detective Episode on YouTube

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.

May 22

Toei Animation GM Says Anime Is No Longer Exclusively Japanese

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.

May 17

Zoro Leads Every Region in One Piece World Top 100 2nd Poll Weekly Results

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.