List of anime companies

This is a list of anime industry companies involved in the production or distribution of anime.

Japan-based companies

Animation studios

There are over 500 animation studios in Japan.[1] Below are those notable enough to have an article. <div class="Studio_List">

Producers

<div class="Producer_List">

Non-Japanese companies

Distributors

North America and other regions

South America

  • Editorial Ivrea (Argentina)
  • JBC (Brazil)
  • Panini Group (Brazil and Argentina)

Europe

  • Anime Limited (United Kingdom, France and Ireland)
  • Dybex (France, Belgium, Netherlands)
  • Dynit (Italy, Switzerland)
  • MVM Films (UK)
  • Naban Animé (France, Belgium, Switzerland)
  • Universum Film GmbH (Germany)
  • Sony (International), through Crunchyroll
  • Crunchyroll EMEA (France, Germany, Switzerland)
  • Crunchyroll UK and Ireland (United Kingdom)
  • StudioCanal UK (UK)
  • Universal Pictures (UK, Ireland)
  • Yamato Video (Italy)

Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Asia

  • Animation International (Hong Kong)
  • Aniplus (South Korea, Singapore)
  • Bilibili (China)
  • Medialink (Hong Kong)
  • Metal seinen (Pakistan)
  • Muse Communication (Taiwan)
  • Odex (Singapore)
  • KC Global Media Entertainment LLC (Singapore)

Australia and New Zealand

  • Sugoi Co

Defunct

  • ADV Films (U.S., U.K.) (shut down in 2009, selling off its assets and intellectual properties to four other Houston-based companies, such as Section23 Films)
  • AN Entertainment (U.S., division of AnimeNation, no new releases since 2007. Retail operations of parent company ceased in 2014.[7])
  • Bandai Entertainment (U.S., owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment[8])
  • Bandai Visual USA (U.S., previously a subsidiary of Bandai Visual Japan and not affiliated with Bandai Entertainment, now folded into Bandai Entertainment[9])
  • Beez Entertainment (EU, owned by Bandai)
  • Central Park Media (de facto defunct since mid-2007 when new DVD releases ceased; although they continued to license their titles for TV and VOD, they entered a state of limbo.[10] Officially declared bankruptcy and assets liquidated in mid-2009.[11] Several of their titles have been acquired by other anime distributing companies prior to and following Central Park Media's bankruptcy and liquidation, such as ADV Films, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, Media Blasters, Nozomi Entertainment, etc.)
  • US Manga Corps (U.S., part of Central Park Media)
  • Software Sculptors (U.S., part of Central Park Media)
  • Family Home Entertainment (U.S., renamed Artisan Entertainment) in the 1990s, then acquired by Lions Gate Entertainment in 2003)
  • Funimation (U.S., acquired by Sony in 2017 and merged with Crunchyroll in 2024)
  • Frontier Enterprises (Japan, Dubbed anime into English from 1964 to 2000)
  • Geneon Entertainment (U.S. branch "Geneon USA" (formerly "Pioneer Entertainment"), defunct September 2007. Parent Japanese company ceased in-house distribution of its own titles, many of which have been re-licensed by Funimation[12][13] and Sentai Filmworks. Parent company "Geneon Entertainment" then sold off its own ownership to NBCUniversal subsidiary UPI, which then merged Geneon with its own "Universal Pictures Japan" division on February 1, 2009, renaming the new company "Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan").[14][15]
  • Go Fish Pictures (U.S. subsidiary of DreamWorks)
  • Hanabee Entertainment (Australia and New Zealand)
  • Illumitoon Entertainment (U.S., de facto defunct since late-2007 when new DVD releases were cancelled[16])
  • Kadokawa Pictures USA (U.S., American subsidiary of Kadokawa Pictures)
  • Kazé (Europe acquired by Crunchyroll)
  • Magna Home Entertainment (Australia and New Zealand)
  • Manga Entertainment (UK, U.S.: Established as L.A. Hero in 1990, brought by Island World Communications in late 1994 and renamed Manga Entertainment in 1995, bought by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2005, later bought by Lionsgate in 2016)
  • Manga Entertainment UK (the main branch of "Manga Entertainment")
  • Miramax (U.S., previously owned by Disney until 2010 when it was acquired by Filmyard Holdings[17])
  • NuTech Digital (U.S.)
  • it:Panini Video (Germany and Italy)
  • Ponimu (Indonesia)
  • Right Stuf Inc.
  • Saban Brands (U.S., shuttered in 2018 after selling entertainment properties to Hasbro)
  • Saban Entertainment (U.S., acquisitions either went to The Walt Disney Company or just expired, succeeded by Saban Brands)
  • Shinca Entertainment (U.S.)
  • it:Shin Vision (Italy)
  • Streamline Pictures (U.S., Canada; stopped producing new anime releases in 1996. The Streamline brand name officially went defunct in 2002.)
  • Synch-Point (U.S., a subsidiary of Broccoli, defunct when parent company Broccoli International USA shut down their operations in 2007)
  • Tokyopop (U.S.) (still exists but no longer produces, distributes or licenses anime)
  • U.S. Renditions (U.S., a subsidiary of Books Nippan, defunct mid-1990s)
  • Urban Vision (U.S.)

North America and other regions

South America

  • Editorial Ivrea (Argentina)
  • JBC (Brazil)
  • Panini Group (Brazil and Argentina)

Europe

  • Anime Limited (United Kingdom, France and Ireland)
  • Dybex (France, Belgium, Netherlands)
  • Dynit (Italy, Switzerland)
  • MVM Films (UK)
  • Naban Animé (France, Belgium, Switzerland)
  • Universum Film GmbH (Germany)
  • Sony (International), through Crunchyroll
  • Crunchyroll EMEA (France, Germany, Switzerland)
  • Crunchyroll UK and Ireland (United Kingdom)
  • StudioCanal UK (UK)
  • Universal Pictures (UK, Ireland)
  • Yamato Video (Italy)

Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Asia

  • Animation International (Hong Kong)
  • Aniplus (South Korea, Singapore)
  • Bilibili (China)
  • Medialink (Hong Kong)
  • Metal seinen (Pakistan)
  • Muse Communication (Taiwan)
  • Odex (Singapore)
  • KC Global Media Entertainment LLC (Singapore)

Australia and New Zealand

  • Sugoi Co

Defunct

  • ADV Films (U.S., U.K.) (shut down in 2009, selling off its assets and intellectual properties to four other Houston-based companies, such as Section23 Films)
  • AN Entertainment (U.S., division of AnimeNation, no new releases since 2007. Retail operations of parent company ceased in 2014.[7])
  • Bandai Entertainment (U.S., owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment[8])
  • Bandai Visual USA (U.S., previously a subsidiary of Bandai Visual Japan and not affiliated with Bandai Entertainment, now folded into Bandai Entertainment[9])
  • Beez Entertainment (EU, owned by Bandai)
  • Central Park Media (de facto defunct since mid-2007 when new DVD releases ceased; although they continued to license their titles for TV and VOD, they entered a state of limbo.[10] Officially declared bankruptcy and assets liquidated in mid-2009.[11] Several of their titles have been acquired by other anime distributing companies prior to and following Central Park Media's bankruptcy and liquidation, such as ADV Films, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, Media Blasters, Nozomi Entertainment, etc.)
  • US Manga Corps (U.S., part of Central Park Media)
  • Software Sculptors (U.S., part of Central Park Media)
  • Family Home Entertainment (U.S., renamed Artisan Entertainment) in the 1990s, then acquired by Lions Gate Entertainment in 2003)
  • Funimation (U.S., acquired by Sony in 2017 and merged with Crunchyroll in 2024)
  • Frontier Enterprises (Japan, Dubbed anime into English from 1964 to 2000)
  • Geneon Entertainment (U.S. branch "Geneon USA" (formerly "Pioneer Entertainment"), defunct September 2007. Parent Japanese company ceased in-house distribution of its own titles, many of which have been re-licensed by Funimation[12][13] and Sentai Filmworks. Parent company "Geneon Entertainment" then sold off its own ownership to NBCUniversal subsidiary UPI, which then merged Geneon with its own "Universal Pictures Japan" division on February 1, 2009, renaming the new company "Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan").[14][15]
  • Go Fish Pictures (U.S. subsidiary of DreamWorks)
  • Hanabee Entertainment (Australia and New Zealand)
  • Illumitoon Entertainment (U.S., de facto defunct since late-2007 when new DVD releases were cancelled[16])
  • Kadokawa Pictures USA (U.S., American subsidiary of Kadokawa Pictures)
  • Kazé (Europe acquired by Crunchyroll)
  • Magna Home Entertainment (Australia and New Zealand)
  • Manga Entertainment (UK, U.S.: Established as L.A. Hero in 1990, brought by Island World Communications in late 1994 and renamed Manga Entertainment in 1995, bought by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2005, later bought by Lionsgate in 2016)
  • Manga Entertainment UK (the main branch of "Manga Entertainment")
  • Miramax (U.S., previously owned by Disney until 2010 when it was acquired by Filmyard Holdings[17])
  • NuTech Digital (U.S.)
  • it:Panini Video (Germany and Italy)
  • Ponimu (Indonesia)
  • Right Stuf Inc.
  • Saban Brands (U.S., shuttered in 2018 after selling entertainment properties to Hasbro)
  • Saban Entertainment (U.S., acquisitions either went to The Walt Disney Company or just expired, succeeded by Saban Brands)
  • Shinca Entertainment (U.S.)
  • it:Shin Vision (Italy)
  • Streamline Pictures (U.S., Canada; stopped producing new anime releases in 1996. The Streamline brand name officially went defunct in 2002.)
  • Synch-Point (U.S., a subsidiary of Broccoli, defunct when parent company Broccoli International USA shut down their operations in 2007)
  • Tokyopop (U.S.) (still exists but no longer produces, distributes or licenses anime)
  • U.S. Renditions (U.S., a subsidiary of Books Nippan, defunct mid-1990s)
  • Urban Vision (U.S.)

Producers

  • Harmony Gold USA (U.S.)
  • Nelvana (Canada)
  • Sav! The World Productions (FRA)
  • World Events Productions (U.S.)

References

  1. How Polygon Pictures is Changing the 3D Anime Industry 28 May 2023^
  2. Alex Mateo. Anime Matsuri Licenses, Dubs 2 Anime Shorts From Nippon Animation Anime News Network, July 28, 2022, retrieved 10 August 2022^
  3. Discotek News Discotek, February 2012, retrieved 2012-02-04^
  4. Hentai Anime is Coming to FAKKU! retrieved 2017-11-28^
  5. Form 10-Q .brand.edgar-online.com, August 14, 2012, retrieved August 28, 2016^
  6. The 4Kids 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' Transition ICv2, July 30, 2012, retrieved October 25, 2014^
  7. AnimeNation Retailer Closes Shop After 20 Years Anime News Network, September 13, 2014, retrieved 14 September 2014^
  8. BANDAI NAMCO Holdings (USA) Inc. www.namcobandai.com^
  9. Bandai Visual USA to be Liquidated by September Anime News Network, May 23, 2008, retrieved May 22, 2009^
  10. Musicland files for bankruptcy animenewsnetwork.com, 28 May 2023^
  11. Central Park Media Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (Update 2) Anime News Network, April 28, 2009, retrieved May 22, 2009^
  12. Funimation Agrees to Distribute Select Geneon Titles Anime News Network, July 3, 2008, retrieved May 22, 2009^
  13. Funimation to Distribute Gungrave Anime for Geneon Anime News Network, December 30, 2008, retrieved May 22, 2009^
  14. Geneon to Merge with Universal Pictures Japan Anime News Network, November 12, 2008, retrieved November 13, 2008^
  15. Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan Official Website retrieved 2009-02-22^
  16. Illumitoon's B'tX, Beet, BoBoBo-Bo DVDs Discontinued (Updated) Anime News Network, October 26, 2007, retrieved 17 March 2015^
  17. Disney's Sale of Miramax Completed The Hollywood Reporter, December 3, 2010, retrieved January 4, 2012^