is a Japanese

animation studio An animation studio is a company producing animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, and hold a major stake in the sales or rentals o ...

founded by ex-

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology A ...

producer Mikihiro Iwata and it is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan's

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

production firm

Aniplex is a Japanese anime, music production and anime licensee company owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Established in September 1995, Aniplex has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime series, such as both '' Fullm ...

History

The studio was established by SMEJ's animation production division,

, on May 9, 2005, to animate its anime series and productions. In 2006, it co-produced the original production ''

Zenmai Zamurai is a short subject children's cartoon created by Momoko Maruyama and Ryōtarō Kuwamoto (m&k). It aired daily in the mornings and afternoons on NHK Educational TV in Japan. Two short features were shown in the mornings and afternoons both fi ...

'', and in October of the same year, established a studio in Asagaya. In the following year, 2007, the studio produced its first series, ''

Ōkiku Furikabutte , often shortened to just , is a Japanese baseball-themed manga series written and illustrated by Asa Higuchi. It has been serialized in Kodansha's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Afternoon'' since September 2003, with its chapters coll ...

''. Originally established to oversee the production of only a few of Aniplex's family-oriented series, the studio has since grown and expanded as a full-fledged studio involved in the production of a wide range of media and anime productions and other activities, which it has overseen. The studio has also expanded its international presence, participating in the noted international convention, Anime Expo 2007 (AX 2007), held in

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and having its own panel there. In 2010, A-1 Pictures worked in collaboration with a joint project of

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...

's anime department and

called Anime no Chikara for the creation of original anime series. Three anime series were produced that year for the project: ''

Sound of the Sky is a Japanese anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex and directed by Mamoru Kanbe. The 12-episode anime aired in Japan on the TV Tokyo television network between January 4, 2010 and March 22, 2010. The anime was also s ...

'', ''

Night Raid 1931 , is a Japanese anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex and directed by Atsushi Matsumoto. The 13-episode anime aired in Japan on the TV Tokyo television network starting April 5, 2010. ''Senkō no Night Raid'' is the secon ...

'' and ''

Occult Academy is a Japanese anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex and directed by Tomohiko Itō. The 13-episode anime premiered in Japan on the TV Tokyo television network on July 6, 2010. ''Occult Academy'' is the third and final pro ...

''. In April 2018, A-1 Pictures rebranded its Kōenji Studio as

CloverWorks is a Japanese animation studio that was rebranded from A-1 Pictures' Kōenji Studio. It is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan's anime production firm Aniplex. Establishment On April 1, 2018, A-1 Pictures rebranded its Kōenji Studio ...

, giving it a unique brand identity, which made it distinguishable from its main Asagaya Studio. On October 1, 2018, CloverWorks separated from A-1 Pictures, although it still remains as a subsidiary under

Productions

Television series

Films

OVAs

Specials

Others

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Japanese companies established in 2005 Mass media companies established in 2005 Animation studios in Tokyo Japanese animation studios