JOEN Inc.

JOEN Inc. (株式会社JOEN) is a Japanese anime production and planning company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Established in May 2022, it is a joint venture between the animation studios CloverWorks and Wit Studio, production company Aniplex, and publisher Shueisha.[1][2][3][4]

History

The company was established on May 30, 2022, following the collaboration between CloverWorks and Wit Studio on the anime adaptation of Spy × Family. While that series was produced under a traditional production committee led by Toho, the partnership between producers Yuichi Fukushima (CloverWorks) and Tetsuya Nakatake (Wit Studio) led to the creation of a permanent corporate framework. This structure was designed to allow the studios to act as central stakeholders in the business lifecycle of their projects, rather than operating solely as work-for-hire entities.[5][6]

The name "JOEN" is derived from several Japanese homophones, including joen (助演, "supporting role"), joen (助円, "assisting smooth connections"), and joen (助縁, "support through ties"). The corporate logo features three horizontal lines, referencing the Japanese "Legend of the Three Arrows" regarding the strength of unity.[3][7]

JOEN's corporate structure is intended to redistribute a higher percentage of royalties and secondary profits such as those from merchandising and international distribution directly back to the animation studios and production staff. This model differs from the traditional industry standard, where such profits are typically retained by the publishers and distributors on the production committee.[8]

While the company initially focused on managing collaborations for Shueisha intellectual property, it expanded into original cinematic works in 2025. JOEN served as the primary production hub for the omnibus film project Grotesqqque, directed by Atsushi Nishigori.[9][10]

Works

External links