is a Japanese

animation studio An animation studio is a company producing animation, 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 ...

founded in 1998. It is currently a subsidiary of

Bandai Namco Filmworks is a Japanese entertainment company owned by Bandai Namco Holdings with its business focused on production, planning, and management of anime. It was founded in September 1972 by former Mushi Production staff as the animation studio branch o ...

, which in turn is a subsidiary to

Bandai Namco Holdings (commonly known as and formerly Namco Bandai until 2015, also known as Bandai Namco Group,) is a Japanese mass media and entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 2005 by the merger of Namco and Bandai. The company specia ...

History

Actas was founded on July 6, 1998, by Hiroshi Katō and Jūtarō Ōba, who previously worked for

Tatsunoko Production and often shortened to , is a Japanese animation 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 logo. Tatsunoko Production was e ...

and

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 Productio ...

. Following Katō's death in 2009, Shunpei Maruyama was named the new company president. The studio also had a subsidiary animation studio Karaku, but Actas merged it with the main company in July 2017. In September 2017,

Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America. Most of the anime and ...

has announced that it had acquired Actas. In August 2023, it was announced that former president and animation producer Shunpei Maruyama had died.

Works

TV series

* 1999–2000: '' Gozonji! Gekko Kamen-kun'' * 2000–2001: '' Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children'' * 2002–2003: '' Transformers: Armada'' * 2002–2003: '' Shin Megami Tensei: D-Children – Light & Dark'' * 2003–2004: ''

Pluster World is a Japanese anime television series that originally aired on TV Tokyo from April 2003 to March 2004. It was produced by Nihon Ad Systems , NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned s ...

'' (with

Brain's Base is a Japanese animation studio An animation studio is a company producing animation, animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, ...

) * 2003–2004: ''

Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch is a ''shōjo'' manga and anime series created by Michiko Yokote, with artwork by Pink Hanamori. The manga was originally published in the monthly manga anthology ''Nakayoshi''. Thirty-two chapters have been published (including two spe ...

'' (with

SynergySP is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 24, 1998, as ''Synergy Japan'' which originally split off from Studio Junio (which itself was founded by Toei Animation staff). In 2005, the company became associated with Shogakukan-Shueish ...

) * 2004: '' Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Pure'' (with

) * 2004: '' Transformers: Energon'' (with

Studio A-Cat is a Japanese animation studio An animation studio is a company producing animation, animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, a ...

) * 2005: ''

Ginban Kaleidoscope is a Japanese light novel series written by Rei Kaibara and illustrated by Hiro Suzuhira. A manga adaptation authored by Jun Hasegawa was serialized in Margaret from 2005 to 2006. An anime adaptation of the first arc of the novels aired on ...

''; animated by Karaku * 2006: ''

Tactical Roar is a Japanese anime television series centered around the mostly female crew of a commercial Warship, the ''Pascal Magi'', which is trying to fight pirates in the near future. The series is mix of serious combat, political intrigue, light roma ...

'' * 2006: '' Night Head Genesis'' (with Bee Media) * 2007: ''

Kotetsushin Jeeg is a 13-episode Japanese television anime sequel to the 1975 Super Robot series ''Steel Jeeg'', created by Go Nagai. It is directed by Jun Kawagoe (previously known for ''New Getter Robo'' and ''Innocent Venus''). This 21st century sequel be ...

'' * 2007: ''

Moetan is a series of English language study aids published by SansaiBooks in Japan. Targeted at otaku, it attempted to teach English words using examples drawn from computer games and anime. In the reprint of the first ''Moetan'' book and the bath ...

'' * 2007–2008: ''Mori no Sensha Bonolon'' * 2012–2013: ''

Girls und Panzer , abbreviated as ''GuP'' or ''Garupan'' , is a Japanese franchise created by Actas. It depicts a competition between girls' high schools practicing tank warfare as a sport. The series was directed by Tsutomu Miz ...

'' * 2013: ''

Da Capo III is a Japanese visual novel developed by Circus that was released in limited and regular editions on April 27, 2012 as a DVD for Windows and is rated for ages 15 and up. It is the third main installment of the ''Da Capo'' visual novel franc ...

''; credited as Kazami Gakuen Kōshiki Dōga-bu * 2016: '' Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars'' * 2016–2017: ''

Long Riders! is a Japanese manga series by Taishi Miyake, which began serialization in Ichijinsha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Comic Rex'' from 2012 and has been collected in nine ''tankōbon'' volumes. Another volume containing material which predate ...

'' * 2017: ''

Princess Principal is a Japanese anime television series produced by Studio 3Hz and Actas. The series was directed by Masaki Tachibana and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, with original character designs by Kouhaku Kuroboshi and Yukie Akiya, and music by Yuki ...

'' (with

3Hz was a Japanese animation studio established by ex-Kinema Citrus animators. Yuichiro Matsuka founded the studio in March 2013. The company is referred to as Studio 3 Hz in anime credits. On June 17, 2024, 3 Hz announced that it had tran ...

) * 2023: ''

Classroom for Heroes is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Shin Araki and illustrated by Haruyuki Morisawa. Shueisha have published fifteen volumes since January 2015 under their Dash X Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Takashi Minakuc ...

'' * 2024: '' Wistoria: Wand and Sword'' (with

Bandai Namco Pictures also known as BN Pictures and BNP, is a Japanese animation studio. It is a spinoff of Sunrise, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Filmworks which is owned by Bandai Namco Holdings. The company was formed as a part of the medium-term management pla ...

)

OVA/ONAs

* 2000–2001: ''

éX-Driver is an anime OVA series planned, drafted and designed by manga artist Kōsuke Fujishima. It is produced by Bandai Visual, Dentsu, Genco, Faith and Actas. The anime series spanned 6 episodes, as well as a feature movie, entitled ''éX-Driver: ...

'' * 2001–2002: ''Ajimu - Kaigan Monogatari'' * 2002: '' éX-Driver: Danger Zone'' * 2003: ''Ai Shimai 2: Futari no Kajitsu'' * 2004–2006: '' Tales of Phantasia: The Animation'' * 2008: ''

The Idolmaster Live For You! is a Life simulation game, live simulation video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It was released in Japan on February 28, 2008, as a sequel to ''The Idolmaster (video game), The Idolmaster''. The gameplay in ' ...

'' * 2008–2009: ''

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

'' * 2009–2010: ''Yutori-chan'' * 2010: ''Mayo Elle Otoko no Ko'' * 2011: '' Mazinkaizer SKL'' * 2012–2013: ''

'' * 2014: '' Girls und Panzer: This Is the Real Anzio Battle!'' * 2015: ''

Cyborg 009 VS Devilman is a three-part anime OVA that serves as a crossover between the '' Cyborg 009'' and '' Devilman'' series. It was first screened on 17 October 2015 and was released on 11 November 2015. The series inspired a manga adaptation and a preque ...

'' (with Bee Media)

Films

* 2002: '' éX-Driver: The Movie'' * 2010: '' Kowarekake no Orgel'' * 2015: ''

Girls und Panzer der Film is a 2015 Japanese animated film and a sequel to the 2012 anime series ''Girls und Panzer''. Produced by Actas and distributed by Showgate, the film is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima from a script written by Reiko Yoshida and features an ensemb ...

'' * 2017–present: '' Girls und Panzer das Finale'' * 2021–present: '' Princess Principal: Crown Handler'' * 2026–scheduled: '' Girls und Panzer: Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu!'' (with

P.A. Works is a Japanese animation studio founded on November 10, 2000, in Nanto, Toyama. The company's founder and president Kenji Horikawa once worked for Tatsunoko Production, Production I.G, and Bee Train Production, before forming P.A. Works Corporat ...

)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Japanese companies established in 1998 Animation studios in Tokyo Japanese animation studios Mass media companies established in 1998 Bandai Namco Filmworks Mitaka, Tokyo