Japan’s Kadokawa Aims To Produce 40 Animated Titles Per Year By 2023

Kadokawa is doubling down on anime. The Japanese media behemoth stated its intention to produce 40 animated titles a year by 2023, in a presentation covering the fiscal year that ended on March 31.

To help achieve this goal, Kadokawa is looking to set up a cg studio that will gather “top-class creators from around the world,” according to the Japanese website Animation Business Journal. Such a studio wouldn’t be able to produce 40 titles a year by itself, so the company will presumably continue to work with outside production partners too.

Kadokawa’s strategy to grow its anime business will also involve expanding revenue from licensing and from developing video game products around its anime IP, as well as from strengthening its partnerships with Sony and advertising company Cyberagent. Earlier this year, the three companies announced an alliance through which Kadokawa will aim to develop its game and animation businesses.

Animation Business Journal notes that Kadokawa already hit 40 releases in the business year that just ended, if titles it merely financed are included. That number includes 31 series, five theatrical features, and four original video animation or event animation productions.

Kadokawa is a majority shareholder in Tokyo-based cg studio Engi, which was established in 2018, and also has a stake in Tokyo-based 2d studio Kinema Citrus. The company’s anime business grew by 9% in the year just ended, buoyed by series like Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World and Sword Art Online: Alicization (image at top).

By ALEX DUDOK DE WIT/cartoonbrew