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Toei Animation
Toei Animation is expanding its original output through the new Eterna Animation brand, developing a hybrid 2D-3D feature with international talent, and deepening its North American live-event presence for One Piece, while a senior executive publicly redefines anime as no longer exclusively Japanese.
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Yomimono stories · updated
3d ago
Toei Animation launched the Eterna Animation brand in 2026 for its 70th anniversary, focusing on original works and emerging talent. The first project, the short film FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki, entered the festival circuit with a competition slot at Fantasia IFF for the Satoshi Kon Award. Takeru Shinozuka makes his commercial directorial debut on the short, which follows a character designer confronting her discarded creations. A trailer debuted in June, and the short is set to premiere this year.
The studio also detailed its next feature, Monkey Quest, a 2D-3D hybrid film aiming for a 2027 release. Studio SANZIGEN handles the 3D animation, and the crew includes Sonic the Hedgehog designer Naoto Oshima and Shrek 2 writer David N. Weiss. The cast features Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, and J.K. Simmons. The project was presented at the Annecy Festival and is in post-production.
Toei Animation expanded its franchise footprint in North America. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toei Animation will host a second One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium in July 2026, following a successful 2025 collaboration. Netflix announced a slate of new One Piece projects, including The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio re-adapting the East Blue saga, produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. A LEGO One Piece special and live-action Season 3 are also in development. The studio also streamed classic episodes for free on YouTube, including all 49 episodes of Hell Teacher Nube for its 30th anniversary and detective-themed episodes from the Precure franchise.
In a statement to Variety at Cannes, Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke said the era of anime being made only by Japanese people is over, signaling a potential shift in the industry's self-definition. The National Film Archive of Japan will host a retrospective of 50 Toei Animation theatrical features on 35mm film prints, spanning more than four decades of the studio's output.
Key facts
- Eterna Animation brand launched
- Toei Animation launched the Eterna Animation brand in 2026 for its 70th anniversary, focusing on original works and emerging talent. ↗
- First Eterna project
- The short film FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki is the first project from the Eterna brand to enter the festival circuit, competing for the Satoshi Kon Award at Fantasia IFF. ↗
- Monkey Quest hybrid feature
- Toei Animation detailed the 2D-3D hybrid film Monkey Quest, with Studio SANZIGEN handling 3D animation, aiming for a 2027 release. ↗
- International crew for Monkey Quest
- The crew includes Sonic the Hedgehog designer Naoto Oshima and Shrek 2 writer David N. Weiss. ↗
- One Piece Night returns
- The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toei Animation will host a second One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium on July 2, 2026. ↗
- Netflix One Piece slate
- Netflix announced The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio re-adapting the East Blue saga, produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. ↗
- GM redefines anime
- Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety that the era of anime being made only by Japanese people is over. ↗
- Free streaming of Hell Teacher Nube
- Toei streamed all 49 episodes of the 1996-1997 TV anime Hell Teacher Nube for free on YouTube starting July 20, 2026, for its 30th anniversary. ↗
- Retrospective at NFAJ
- The National Film Archive of Japan will host a retrospective of 50 Toei Animation theatrical features on 35mm film prints, running from late July to early September 2026. ↗
Timeline
- Jul 9, 2026 FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki Short Screens at Festival Circuit
- Jul 6, 2026 Toei Streams All 49 Episodes of Hell Teacher Nube for Free on YouTube
- Jun 27, 2026 Toei Animation Details 2D-3D Hybrid Film Monkey Quest for 2027
- Jun 27, 2026 Toei Animation's Eterna Brand Reveals Trailer for Foxing: Kitsuné-Tsuki Short
- May 30, 2026 Toei Animation Retrospective Set for 35mm Screenings in Tokyo
- May 30, 2026 Netflix Expands One Piece Slate With Wit Studio Reboot and LEGO Special
- May 28, 2026 One Piece Night Returns to Dodgers Stadium on July 2
- May 26, 2026 Toei Streams Classic Precure Detective Episode on YouTube
- May 22, 2026 Toei Animation GM Says Anime Is No Longer Exclusively Japanese
- May 17, 2026 Zoro Leads Every Region in One Piece World Top 100 2nd Poll Weekly Results
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Noted
- Toei Animation retrospective set for 35mm screenings in Tokyo · 2026-05-30
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Claim activity
When a claim about Toei Animation was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed toei animation produces one piece May 28 · source
- Confirmed toei animation produces star detective precure May 28 · source
- Confirmed toei animation produces detective conan May 28 · source
- Confirmed toei animation produces yes precure 5 gogo May 27 · source
All coverage
3d ago
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.
6d ago
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 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 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.
May 30
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 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
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 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 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
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.