Toei Animation

Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio, formed after Toei acquired Japan Animated Films in 1956 and established Toei Doga. This feature, The Tale of the White Serpent, premiered in 1958, later reaching foreign markets as Panda and the Magic Serpent. The film adapted a Chinese folk narrative and marked a milestone in Japanese theatrical animation’s transition to full color production. In 1998, the company changed its corporate name from Toei Doga to Toei Animation, while remaining within the Toei group. Films included Horus, Prince of the Sun, released in 1968, whose staff included director Isao Takahata and animator Hayao Miyazaki. Toei’s television output helped establish robot and adventure staples through series including Mazinger Z, Galaxy Express 999, and Saint Seiya. Mazinger Z debuted in 1972 from Go Nagai’s manga, and its pilot-controlled giant robot concept influenced later genre conventions internationally. Galaxy Express 999, derived from Leiji Matsumoto’s manga, became both a television series and a successful 1979 animated feature film. The studio animated the first television adaptation of Dragon Ball in 1986, followed by Dragon Ball Z, GT, and Super. It has continued producing Dragon Ball films, including Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero theatrical releases. One Piece began on Fuji Television in 1999, and Toei Animation has produced its television episodes continuously since that premiere. The company also animated Digimon Adventure, beginning with the 1999 television series that followed a preceding theatrical short film release. Its Sailor Moon television animation started in 1992, adapting Naoko Takeuchi’s manga and becoming an internationally circulated franchise for Toei. Since 2004, Toei Animation has produced the Pretty Cure, or Precure, franchise, whose television lineup has usually received annual installments. The studio’s Saint Seiya adaptation premiered in 1986 and expanded through films, video productions, later series, and international releases widely. Toei Animation has also produced World Trigger, based on Daisuke Ashihara’s manga; its first season debuted on television in 2014. Toei Animation Inc., its Los Angeles-based subsidiary, handles company distribution and licensing in North America for its key franchise properties. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and its headquarters and animation production operations are located in Nerima, Tokyo. Its logo and credits have consequently appeared across theatrical features, weekly broadcasts, home-video releases, and digital distribution of these properties. From early feature filmmaking to globally exported serial franchises, its documented history tracks major shifts in Japan’s commercial animation industry.