and often shortened to , is a Japanese

animation Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...

company. The studio's name has a double meaning in Japanese: "Tatsu's child" (Tatsu is a nickname for Tatsuo) and " sea dragon", the inspiration for its

seahorse A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster" or " ...

logo. Tatsunoko's headquarters are in Musashino, Tokyo.

History

The studio was founded in October 1962 by

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, 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 Japane ...

pioneer

Tatsuo Yoshida was a Japanese cartoonist, writer, manga artist and anime pioneer who founded the anime studio Tatsunoko Productions. Biography Born in 1932, Yoshida grew up in the hardship of war-torn Japan. A self-taught artist, his first job was as worki ...

and his brothers

Kenji Kenji may refer to: *Kenji (given name), a masculine Japanese given name, and list of people & characters with this name *Kenji (era), a Japanese era spanned from 1275 to 1278 * ''Kenji'' (manga) (拳児), a 1980s manga by Matsuda Ryuchi * "Kenji" ...

and Toyoharu (better known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

"Ippei Kuri"). The studio's first production was the 1965 TV series ''

Space Ace ''Space Ace'' is a LaserDisc video game produced by Bluth Group, Cinematronics and Advanced Microcomputer Systems (later renamed RDI Video Systems). It was unveiled in October 1983, just four months after the ''Dragon's Lair'' game, followed b ...

''. Since then many figures in the anime industry have worked with Tatsunoko, including Mizuho Nishikubo, Hiroshi Sasagawa, Koichi Mashimo, Katsuhisa Yamada,

Hideaki Anno is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...

(Tatsunoko provided animation work on the ''

Neon Genesis Evangelion , also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...

'' TV series), and Kazuo Yamazaki. Sasagawa is notable for bringing his fondness for comedy animation to the forefront in Tatsunoko series such as the ''

Time Bokan is a Japanese anime series first aired on Fuji TV from October 4, 1975 to December 25, 1976 throughout Japan every Saturday at 6:30pm, with a total of 61 30-minute episodes. It was produced by Tatsunoko Productions in partnership with Topcraft ...

'' (1975) franchise. The company later licensed ''Macross'' to Harmony Gold, who then produced ''Robotech''. Takara acquired Tatsunoko on June 3, 2005 after purchasing an 88 percent stake and made the company a subsidiary.

Production I.G is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, founded on December 15, 1987, by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. The letters I and G derive from the names of the company founders: producer Mitsuhisa Ish ...

was established in 1987 as I.G. Tatsunoko, a branch for the production of ''

Zillion Many languages have words expressing indefinite and fictitious numbers—inexact terms of indefinite size, used for comic effect, for exaggeration, as placeholder names, or when precision is unnecessary or undesirable. One technical term for such ...

'' led by

Mitsuhisa Ishikawa is a Japanese anime entrepreneur, the co-founder and current president and CEO of Production I.G, as well as a producer for the studio. Career Mitsuhisa Ishikawa was executive at Bee Train from 1997 to 2006, Ishikawa acted as executive produce ...

. In 2009, Tatsunoko announced that it would collaborate with

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

on a joint television project and other ventures.

IG Port is a Japanese holding company that was established on December 1, 2007, as a result of a merger between the Japanese anime studio Production I.G and manga publisher Mag Garden. History The merger between Production I.G and Mag Garden was ann ...

announced on June 2, 2010 that its subsidiary, Production I.G, had purchased an 11.2 percent stake in Tatsunoko. Production I.G president Mitsuhisa Ishikawa became a part-time director of the studio. Talent agency

Horipro is a large Japanese talent agency. History It was founded in 1960 as Hori Productions (ホリプロダクション ''Hori Purodakushon'') and changed to its present name in 1990. Horipro has two locations in the United States: Nashville and ...

announced on February 23, 2013 that it had acquired a 13.5 percent stake in Tatsunoko. At

Anime Expo Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first w ...

2013,

Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...

announced a deal to license and release some of Tatsunoko's titles, including ''

Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatchaman ...

'' and ''

Casshan ''Casshan'', also known in Japan as , is an anime series created by Tatsunoko Productions founder Tatsuo Yoshida in 1973. The ''Casshern'' franchise also includes a 1993 original video animation titled '' Casshan: Robot Hunter'', and a 2004 ...

''.

Nippon TV JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...

announced on January 29, 2014 that it had purchased a 54.3 percent stake in Tatsunoko and adopted the company as its subsidiary. In 2017, two short films titled ''Pandora to Akubi'' were released. These were the first works produced under Tatsunoko's "Bakken Record" label, which was officially established in April 2019.

Main productions

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

* '' Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars'' (Nintendo Wii) (January 26, 2010) * '' Hutch the Honeybee: Yuki no Melody'' (2010; co-production with

Group TAC was a Japanese animation and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya, Tokyo, and founded in 1968 from former Mushi Pro staff. They worked on movies, videos, TV shows, and commercials, and contributed to all stages of the process, including p ...

) * ''

Yozakura Quartet is a Japanese manga series created by Suzuhito Yasuda that began publishing by Kodansha in 2006, and was then published in the US by Del Rey in 2008. The anime adaptation aired from October 2 to December 18, 2008 in Japan and comprised 12 ...

: Hoshi no Umi'' (2010; co-production with KMMJ Studios) * ''

Princess Resurrection is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasunori Mitsunaga. The manga was serialized in '' Monthly Shōnen Sirius'' magazine and published by Kodansha. A 26-episode anime series by Madhouse aired on TBS in 2007. Both the ma ...

'' (2010; remake of original TV series) * '' The Money of Soul and Possibility Control'' (Fuji TV) (2011) * ''

Sket Dance ''Sket Dance'' (stylized as ''SKET DANCE'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara. The manga follows the adventures of the ''Sket-dan'', a high school club whose goal it is to help the students and teachers ...

'' (TV Tokyo) (2011–2012) * '' Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream'' (TV Tokyo) (2011) * '' Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future'' (TV Tokyo) (2012–2013; co-production with DongWoo A&E) * ''Ippatsu-Hicchuu! Devander'' (2012;

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

in celebration of Tatsunoko Productions' 50th anniversary) * ''

Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Keiji Najima. It was adapted into an anime television series. Plot Takurō Mukōjima is a boy angler. He lands a ningyo (Japanese mermaid) by the name of Muromi- san and develops rapport ...

'' (MBS) (2013) * '' Pretty Rhythm: Rainbow Live'' (TV Tokyo) (2013–2014; co-production with DongWoo A&E) * ''

Gatchaman Crowds is a 2013 anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production and directed by Kenji Nakamura. It is a part of the ''Gatchaman'' franchise. The first season aired between July 12 and September 27, 2013, and the second season, titled ''Gatc ...

'' (

NTV NTV may refer to: Television * NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh * NTV (India), Telugu regional channel * NTV (Kenya) * NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia * NTV (Newport Televis ...

) (2013) * '' Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta''/'' Yozakura Quartet: Tsuki ni Naku'' (2013) * ''Triple Combination:

Transformers Go! is a ''Transformers'' anime series and toyline exclusive to Japan. It features several Autobots teaming up to battle the evil Predacons seeking to conquer Earth. It is the first animated series in the franchise to be produced in Japan, followi ...

'' (2013) * '' Robotech: Love Live Alive'' (2013) (Robotech version of the MOSPEADA OVA: Love Live Alive) * ''

Wake Up, Girls! ''Wake Up, Girls!'' is an anime series produced by Ordet and Tatsunoko Production and directed by Yutaka Yamamoto. A film titled opened in Japan on January 11, 2014, and a television series aired in Japan between January and March 2014. T ...

'' (2014; co-production with

Ordet ''Ordet'' (, meaning " The Word" and originally released as ''The Word'' in English), is a 1955 Danish drama film, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. It is based on a play by Kaj Munk, a Danish Lutheran priest, first performed in 1932. The film w ...

) * ''

Ping Pong Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

'' (Fuji TV) (2014) * '' PriPara'' (TV Tokyo) (2014–2017; co-production with DongWoo A&E) * ''

Psycho-Pass 2 ''Psycho-Pass 2'' is a 2014 anime series by Tatsunoko Production that serves as a direct sequel to the 2012–2013 series '' Psycho-Pass''. It was directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Kiyotaka Suzuki, and supervised by Katsuyuki Motohiro and G ...

'' (Fuji TV) (2014) * ''

Yatterman Night is a 2015 anime television series by Tatsunoko Production. The series celebrates the 40th anniversary of the ''Time Bokan'' franchise and is inspired by Tatsunoko's 1970s anime series ''Yatterman''. The series aired in Japan between January ...

'' (MBS) (2015) * '' Gatchaman Crowds insight'' (NTV) (2015) * '' PriPara Mi~nna no Akogare Let's Go PriPari'' (TV Tokyo) (2016) * '' Transformers: Combiner Wars'' (2016; co-production with

Hasbro Studios Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...

and

Machinima Inc. Machinima, Inc. was an American multiplatform online entertainment network owned by WarnerMedia. The company was founded in January 2000 by Hugh Hancock and was headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It originated as a hub for its namesake, m ...

) * ''

Time Bokan 24 is a Japanese anime series that is a re-imagining of the original ''Time Bokan'' series that debuted on October 1, 2016, featuring a team of time travelers in search for the "True History" that is not written in the textbooks. It is a co-produ ...

'' ( YTV /NTV) (2016–2017; co-production with Level-5) * ''

Infini-T Force is a Japanese 3DCG anime series featuring a crossover between characters from '' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'', '' Casshan'', '' Hurricane Polymar'' and '' Tekkaman: The Space Knight'', all series produced by Tatsunoko Production in the 1 ...

'' (NTV) (2017, co-production with

Digital Frontier , also called as is a motion picture production company in Japan with a distinguished large scale CG production department. The company is equipped with motion capture studio called "OPAKIS" in Odaiba, Tokyo. The company started producing CG wo ...

) * ''

Idol Time PriPara is a Japanese anime by DongWoo A&E. It is the second animation adaption of the '' PriPara'' arcade game, as well as the sequel series to the ''PriPara'' TV series. It began airing from April 4, 2017 to March 27, 2018. It was followed by '' ...

'' (TV Tokyo) (2017–2018; co-production with DongWoo A&E) * '' Transformers: Titans Return'' (2017–2018; co-production with Hasbro Studios and Machinima Inc.) * '' Transformers: Power of the Primes'' (2018; co-production with Hasbro Studios and Machinima Inc.) * ''

Kiratto Pri Chan , short for ''Sparkling Prism☆Channel'', is a Japanese arcade game by Takara Tomy Arts. It is the successor to ''Pretty Rhythm'', '' PriPara'', ''Idol Time PriPara'' and the third entry in Takara Tomy's ''Pretty Series''. An anime televi ...

'' (TV Tokyo) (2018–2021; co-production with DongWoo A&E) * ''

The Price of Smiles is a Japanese anime series produced by Tatsunoko Production. The series was created as part of the studio's 55th anniversary celebration. Synopsis A kingdom full of smiles on a star far away from the earth. Princess Yūki Soleil is twelve ye ...

'' (2019, Tatsunoko's 55th anniversary work) * '' King of Prism: Shiny Seven Stars'' (2019) * ''Ninja Box'' (2019–2020; co-production with

C2C Trenitalia c2c Limited,Companies House extract company no 789726 ...

)

2020s

* '' Hakushon Daimaō 2020'' (YTV) (2020, co-production with

Nippon Animation is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City. Nippon Animation is known for producing numerous anime series based on works of ...

) * '' Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood'' (NTV) (2021) * ''Idol Land PriPara'' (2021) * '' Muteking the Dancing Hero'' (

TVO TVO (stylized as tvo), formerly known as TVOntario, is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It operates flagship station CICA-DT (channel 19) in To ...

) (2021, co-production with

Tezuka Productions is a Japanese animation studio founded by Osamu Tezuka in 1968. It is known for animating notable works such as ''Marvelous Melmo'', the 1980 and 2003 ''Astro Boy'' series, and '' Black Jack''. It is also the holder of the intellectual property ...

) * ''

Waccha PriMagi! is a Japanese arcade game by Takara Tomy Arts. It is the successor to ''Pretty Rhythm'', '' PriPara'', ''Idol Time PriPara'', '' Kiratto Pri☆Chan'' and the fourth entry in Takara Tomy's ''Pretty Series''. Plot "PriMagi", is a form of e ...

'' (TV Tokyo) (2021–2022, co-production with DongWoo A&E, the final ''Pretty Series'' to date until it was ended on TV in 2022) * '' Exception'' (

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

) (2022, co-production with 5 Inc.) * '' Mou Ippon!'' (TV Tokyo) (2023) * '' The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War'' (2023) * ''

Pole Princess!! is a Japanese ONA series about pole dancing animated by Tatsunoko Production and produced by Avex Pictures. It is directed by Hitomi Ezoe and written by Touko Machida, with Yoshihiro Otobe serving as CG director, and Shūji Katayama and Ken ...

'' (TBA)

Co-productions

* '' Once Upon a Time...Man'' (1978–1981; produced by

Procidis Procidis is a French animation studio, founded by Albert Barillé, which among other things produced the educational series '' Once Upon a Time...'' (''Man'' 1978, ''Space'' 1982, ''Life'' 1987, ''The Americas'' 1992, ''The Discoverers'' 1994, ...

) * '' Superbook'' (1981–1982; co-production with

Christian Broadcasting Network The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is an American Christian media production and distribution organization. Founded in 1960 by Pat Robertson, it produces the long-running TV series '' The 700 Club'', co-produces the ongoing ''Superbook'' ...

) * '' The Flying House'' (1982–1983; co-production with Christian Broadcasting Network) * ''

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is an anime television series from 1982. According to story creator Shoji Kawamori, it depicts "a love triangle against the backdrop of great battles" during the first Human-alien war. It is the first part of two franchises: The ''Super D ...

'' (MBS) (1982–1983; produced by

Studio Nue Studio Nue, Inc. ( ja, スタジオぬえ) is a Japanese design studio formed in 1972 (as Crystal Art Studio) by Naoyuki Kato, Kenichi Matsuzaki, Kazutaka Miyatake, and Haruka Takachiho. Crystal Art Studio would change their name to Studio Nue ...

and

Artland is a Japanese animation studio. It has produced numerous noted anime series, including the award-winning ''Mushishi'' and epic ''Legend of the Galactic Heroes''. It is also well known for producing the anime adaptation of '' Katekyō Hitman Re ...

) * '' Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?'' (1984; produced by Studio Nue and Artland) * ''Genesis Climber MOSPEADA: Love Live Alive'' (1985; co-production with Artmic) * ''

Robotech ''Robotech'' is a science fiction franchise that began with an 85-episode anime television series produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production and first released in the United States in 1985. The show was adapted from ...

'' (1985; co-production with

Harmony Gold USA Harmony Gold USA, Inc. was an American film and television production company. It was founded in 1983 by Egyptian-born Frank Agrama and is managed by his daughter, Jehan F. Agrama. In 1976, Agrama sold broadcast rights from Paramount Pictures ...

and

Big West The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific ...

) * '' Robotech II: The Sentinels'' (1986; co-production with Harmony Gold USA) * ''

Anmitsu Hime Anmitsu (, rarely ) is a Japanese dessert that dates to the Meiji era. It is made of small cubes of agar jelly, a white translucent jelly made from red algae. The agar is dissolved with water (or fruit juice such as apple juice) to make the jell ...

'' (Fuji TV) (a.k.a. ''Anmitsu Hime: From Amakara Castle'') (1986–1987; produced by Studio Pierrot) * '' Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012'' (1987; co-production with Studio Nue and Artland) * ''

Time Travel Tondekeman is an anime series directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Akira Sugino. It was written by Junki Takegami and produced by Animax network president Masao Takiyama. Logo Cake Entertainment It was originally broadcast by Fuji Television in Japan between ...

'' (Fuji TV) (a.k.a. ''Time Quest Tondekeman!'') (1989–1990; produced by

Ashi Productions is a Japanese anime studio, located in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan, known for its four magical-girl anime, especially ''Magical Princess Minky Momo''. It was established by Toshihiko Sato and other artists on December 20, 1975, as ''Ashi Productions ...

) * ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

'' (1990–1992; co-production with

Mondo TV Mondo TV is an Italian production and television distribution company. Founded by Orlando Corradi in 1985 and based in Rome, Mondo TV is a public company, quoted on the STAR segment of the Italian main stock exchange, Borsa Italiana. It distribu ...

) * ''

The Legend of Snow White is an Italian-Japanese anime series produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Mondo TV, based on the 1812 European fairy tale. Directed by Kunitoshi Okajima, the series premiered on NHK on 6 April 1994 and ran for 52-episodes until its conclusion o ...

'' (1994–1995; co-production with Mondo TV) * ''

'' (TV Tokyo) (1995–1996; co-production with Gainax) * ''

The Story of Cinderella is an Italian-Japanese 1996 anime television series based on the fairytale of the same name by Charles Perrault and The Brothers Grimm. It was produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Mondo TV. The series originally aired from April 4 to Octobe ...

'' (1996; co-production with Mondo TV)

Anime studios founded by former animators

* Ashi Productions/Production Reed (since 1975) *

Artmic was a Japanese animation design studio formed in 1978. It went bankrupt and was liquidated in 1997. AIC RIGHTS now holds the intellectual property of most of Artmic's titles. The studio was founded by Toshimichi Suzuki after he left Tatsunoko ...

(1978-1997) (defunct) *

Pierrot Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''Pi ...

(since 1979) *

J.C.Staff , is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986 by Tomoyuki Miyata, who previously worked at Tatsunoko Production. The studio's first release was ''Yōtōden'' in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as '' Food ...

(since 1986) *

(since 1987) * Animation 21 (since the 1990s) *

Xebec A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a small, fast vessel of the sixteenth to nineteenth ...

(1995-2019) (defunct) *

Radix Ace Entertainment was a Japanese animation studio closed on October 1, 2006. The studio was formed on September 3, 2001 from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger between Radix (founded on December 6, 1995) and Zero-G Room (founded on September 11, 1991). Much of th ...

(1995-2006) (defunct) *

Bee Train Production , commonly referred to simply as Bee Train, is a Japanese animation studio founded by Kōichi Mashimo in 1997. Since their involvement with '' Noir'', '' .hack//Sign'', and '' Madlax'' (among other series) they have a strong following in the yuri ...

(since 1997) *

Actas is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1998. It is currently a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Filmworks, which in turn is a subsidiary to Bandai Namco Holdings. History Actas was founded on July 6, 1998, by Hiroshi Katō and Jūtarō Ōba, who pr ...

(since 1998) * TNK (since 1999)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Japanese companies established in 1962 Animation studios in Tokyo Mass media companies established in 1962 Japanese animation studios Musashino, Tokyo Video game companies of Japan Video game development companies Video game publishers