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Tatsunoko Production

Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社タツノコプロ
(formerly spelled as 竜の子プロダクション)
Kabushiki-gaisha Tatsunoko Puro
Company typeKabushiki gaisha
FoundedOctober 19, 1962; 62 years ago (1962-10-19)[1]
FounderTatsuo Yoshida
Kenji Yoshida
Ippei Kuri
HeadquartersMusashino, Tokyo, Japan[1]
Key people
Kyou Itou
(President and CEO)
ProductsAnime
OwnerNippon Television (55.2%)
Takara Tomy (20.0%)
Horipro (13.5%)
Production I.G (11.2%)
Number of employees
101[2] (2024)
DivisionsI.G Tatsunoko (1987–1993)
Websitetatsunoko.co.jp

Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. (株式会社タツノコプロ, Kabushiki gaisha Tatsunoko Puro)[a] and often shortened to Tatsunoko Pro (タツノコプロ, Tatsunoko Puro), 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.[3][4]

Tatsunoko Production was established in 1962 and is engaged in the planning and production of anime films and television series, as well as character licensing.[5] The company produced many hit anime series from the 1960s through the 1980s, and holds numerous original rights and character copyrights for its original works in Japan and abroad.[5] The company is one of Japan's leading anime studios in terms of the breadth and richness of its content, ranging from hard action heroes to comedies, science fiction, anthropomorphic animals, and domestic dramas.[6][7][8] Since the first work, Space Ace, they have produced many works such as Speed Racer, Hakushon Daimaō, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, and the Time Bokan series, supporting the dawn of Japanese animation.[7][9] Although the company later began producing works set in Japan, it has basically aimed from its inception to produce works that can be used anywhere in the world in a stateless manner.[7]

In the genealogy of animation studios in the history of Japanese animation, Tatsunoko is known as the studio that created many derivative studios along with Toei Doga (currently Toei Animation), Mushi Production, and Tokyo Movie (currently TMS Entertainment).[10][11][12]

In the past, Tatsunoko had a production system in which almost all processes, from planning to scriptwriting, drawing, cinematography, and editing, were completed in-house. The company continued to use this system for a long time after Toei Doga and Mushi Production, which had a similar production system, became unsustainable due to streamlining and bankruptcy.[6][13][b]

Initially, Founder Tatsuo Yoshida tried to establish his studio's own style with realistic drawings that accurately depicted muscles and skeletons.[9][14] At that time, it was common knowledge that animation was to be abbreviated or deformed, and that pictures were to be simplified as much as possible to show movement.[14][15] Even Mushi Production and Disney used to draw the car so that when it starts, it first contracts like rubber and then jumps out like a bullet due to the recoil, and when it stops, it contracts once due to braking and then extends and returns to its original state.[14][15] However, Tatsuo Yoshida insisted on realistic animation and produced Mach GoGoGo.[6][16] For the scene where the car spins, he rented a driving school and had the driver actually demonstrate the spin with the car, and had the animators draw the scene without deforming it by referring to the demonstration.[14][15][17] It was so well received that it became the studio's origin and led to subsequent realistic, hard-action works.[7] However, Yoshida's drawings, with their many lines, precision, and sharpness, were unsuitable for animation, which required many drawings of the same picture, and were difficult for other animators to imitate.[7][17] Most animators refused to participate in the production, and the company's schedule was on the verge of collapse. However, the company was able to get through the busy season when a comedy with a simple design happened to enter the production rotation.[14] This allowed the company to learn how to run a studio that alternated between serious action animation with detailed drawings and comedy animation with simple drawings using deformation, resulting in a wide range of styles.[9]

History

The studio was founded in October 1962 by mangaka and anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, and his two younger brothers, Kenji, who managed Tatsuo, and Toyoharu (better known by his pen name "Ippei Kuri"), a manga artist, at Tatsuo's own house.[3][7][18] It initially began as a production company specializing in manga to manage the copyrights of Tatsuo Yoshida's manga and his assistants.[19] However, at that time, the broadcast of Astro Boy, Japan's first domestically produced anime television series produced by Osamu Tezuka's Mushi Production, had just begun, and the manga artist community was abuzz.[6] Tatsuo Yoshida became interested in anime production after hearing from Hiroshi Sasagawa, a manga artist who had worked as Tezuka's assistant,[c] and Tatsunoko set out to produce anime.[7][20] Tatsuo saw that more and more people were buying televisions in the early 1960s and predicted that they would demand higher quality anime program in the future, so he decided to provide it to them.[3] Just around that time, Toei Doga, having heard of Tatsuo's hopes, invited Tatsunoko to produce an anime TV series.[21] It was a good deal for Tatsunoko, which was entrusted with the original story, script, and direction, while Toei worked on the subsequent inbetweening, finishing, cinematography, etc., and Toei trained animators over a three-month period, with Tatsunoko staff, including Tatsuo and Sasagawa, also able to participate in training.[14] However, the negotiations broke down due to copyright issues, so Tatsunoko decided to produce an original work on its own. They bought a plot of land in Kokubunji, cleared out a wooded area, and built a prefab house, which became an improvised studio.[14][15][d] As for animators, Tatsunoko had three manga artists, Tatsuo, Kuri, and Sasagawa, and about 10 assistants to Tatsuo, so they were confident that they could manage, but most of them refused, saying that they wanted to be manga artists, not to make animation. Having no choice, Tatsunoko placed an advertisement in the newspaper looking for animators and trained 50 amateurs from all over the country based on their training experience at Toei.[6][14][21] In addition, art director Mitsuki Nakamura from Toei Doga and scriptwriter Jinzō Toriumi from Nikkatsu transferred to the company to provide immediate assistance.[15][e] Tatsunoko didn't have any experience yet, so they produced a 15-minute pilot and pitched it to TV stations.[14]

Tatsunoko, as credited in Space Ace, its first production

In 1965, Tatsunoko's first TV anime series, Space Ace, began broadcasting.[7][21] The series became popular and successful. Tatsuo was so pleased with the success that he immediately began work on the next series.[8][21]

In 1967, Tatsunoko's second TV animation series Mach GoGoGo began broadcasting.[15] Not only was it repeatedly reran in Japan, but it was also exported overseas. In the U.S. in particular, it was broadcast under the title Speed Racer and became very popular, paving the way for syndication around the world.[4][15] This was Tatsunoko's first full-color work.[3][22] At the time, color TVs were not widely available in Japan, and most households watched TV programs in black and white, but Tatsunoko dared to produce this series in full color, assuming from the start that it would be broadcast in the United States.[22] This was due to Tatsuo's desire to move pictures like American comic books and create American-style animation, as well as for financial reasons.[16] The funds from commercial TV stations and sponsors were not enough to cover the production costs, so Tatsunoko decided that the only way to complete the series was to sell it in the United States. They chose car racing as their theme because their target the U.S. was a car society.[22] However, due to sloppy work by the Japanese intermediaries, Tatsunoko profited little from its worldwide success and received no tribute beyond a mention in the credits of a later live-action film.[4]

In 1972, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman began broadcasting. Tatsuo demanded thorough realism in the works he led. Although the results were excellent, the animators were reluctant to take on the next series because of the increased number of animation cells and the time and effort required to draw them. Tatsunoko therefore recruited and trained new animators and introduced them to this series.[21] The series was a huge hit and related merchandise sold well. Thanks to the copyright income, Tatsunoko was finally on track to recoup its production costs and make a profit. Therefore, from then on, Tatsunoko began to actively introduce mecha in its works for toy manufacturers.[14] Outside of Japan, independent TV program packager Sandy Frank has acquired the rights to syndicate Gatchaman worldwide except in Asia. He altered the series by cutting action scenes to meet U.S. broadcast codes, changing the dialogue to take advantage of the popularity of the then hit Star Wars and changing the setting of the work to outer space, and also changed the title to Battle of the Planets. The series was broadcast in the U.S. and around the world, and he profited considerably from its merchandising. However, Tatsunoko did not profit from the series because they gave him the overseas copyrights.[3]

In 1975, Time Bokan, the first of the Time Bokan series, began broadcasting. This series, which added an element of comedy to the action that had already become Tatsunoko's signature, lasted for eight years and became a new Tatsunoko masterpiece.[23]

At that time, Hiroshi Sasagawa, who excelled at comedies, and Hisayuki Toriumi, who had a hard, serious style, supported Tatsunoko's heyday in the 1970s as the two signatures.[24] Also during this period, Tatsunoko was trying to bring up university-educated directors in-house, following the example of Toei Doga, instead of hiring directors from outside the company. Those were Mizuho Nishikubo, Kōichi Mashimo, Hidehito Ueda, and Mamoru Oshii.[13][25]

On September 5, 1977, Tatsuo Yoshida died of liver cancer. Kenji Yoshida was appointed as the second president.[3][26]

Around that time, Tatsunoko's production site was on the verge of collapse due to busyness and lack of funds, and there was a steady flow of personnel out of the company, particularly members from the pioneering period.[13][27][f]

In 1978, Tatsunoko Anime Technology Research Institute, an animator training institution, was established.

In 1982, Tatsunoko produced Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the first in the Super Dimension series. Macross was a project by Studio Nue that was adopted by Bigwest, an advertising agency, which secured broadcast slots for sponsor companies and commercial TV stations. However, Nue was not capable of producing animation, so Artland, which was headed by director Noboru Ishiguro, was assigned to produce the series. However, Artland, a subcontractor, was deemed insufficiently capable, and Tatsunoko took over as the prime contractor, placing orders with Artland and its own subsidiary, Anime Friend.[28] Later, however, Bigwest produced a sequel, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again, without Tatsunoko or Studio Nue, and in response, Tatsunoko signed a contract with Harmony Gold USA without the consent of Bigwest and Nue, resulting in a dispute over intellectual property rights.[29] In Japan, Tatsunoko sued Bigwest and Studio Nue over copyright and won, but conversely lost a lawsuit filed by them over character and mecha design. As a result of the trial, it was decided that Tatsunoko Productions would retain ownership of the film of the work, but that the designs would be shared by Bigwest and Studio Nue. Meanwhile, overseas, Harmony Gold USA, which had obtained the license, adapted and broadcast several Tatsunoko works as a single epic Robotech series depicting different eras and generations in the same world. Bigwest and Harmony Gold had different claims over the rights to the Macross and Robotech series for many years, and Macross was not developed for business worldwide and Robotech in Japan.[30] However, in 2021, the two companies announced an agreement regarding worldwide rights to the Macross and Robotech series from that point forward.[31] This will allow the Macross series to be developed globally and confirms that Bigwest does not object to the release of a live-action Robotech movie in Japan.[31] In addition, an exclusive worldwide license outside of Japan to use Macross characters and mecha in the Robotech series approved by Tatsunoko for Harmony Gold through 2021 has been ratified.[31][g]

In 1987, Kenji Yoshida retired from Tatsunoko Production, and Ippei Kuri became the third president. Kenji established a new production company, Yū Entertainment.

In December of the same year, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, together with the Tatsunoko Production Branch Office, which consisted mainly of staff who had participated in Zillion, became independent and established IG Tatsunoko Ltd. (now Production I.G).[32][33][h]

In 1990, Tatsunoko Anime Technology Research Institute led by Koji Sugii became independent and participated in the establishment of Animation 21.

In 1995, Kenji Yoshida returned to Tatsunoko Production and became its first chairman.

Since the 1990s, Tatsunoko has brought back former key staff members, including Hiroshi Sasagawa, who had left the company, and has been producing mainly remakes of older works.

On June 3, 2005, major toy manufacturer Takara (now Takara Tomy) acquired 88% of Tatsunoko's stock from the Yoshida family, making the company a subsidiary.[34] Accordingly, Chairman Kenji Yoshida and President Ippei Kuri resigned, and the entire Yoshida family, including executives, left the management of Tatsunoko Production. In the same year, Tatsuo Yoshida was awarded the Special Achievement Award as one of the 20 People Who Made Japanese Animation at the Tokyo Anime Award held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair.

In 2010, Production I.G. acquired 11.2% of Tatsunoko's outstanding shares. Additionally, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, president of Production I.G and IG Port, becomes non-executive director of Tatsunoko Production.[35][36]

In 2013, Horipro acquired 13.5% of the shares, making it the second largest shareholder (at the time) after Takara Tomy.[37][38] In the same year, the company changed its name from Tatsunoko Purodakushon (竜の子プロダクション) (written in kanji) to Tatsunoko Puro (タツノコプロ) (written in katakana). At the same time, the head office was relocated from Kokubunji City, Tokyo to Musashino City, and the dispersed corporate functions were consolidated.[39]

At Anime Expo 2013, Sentai Filmworks announced a deal to license and release some of Tatsunoko's titles, including Gatchaman and Casshan.[40]

In 2014, Nippon Television acquired 54.3% of the outstanding shares held by Takara Tomy and made Tatsunoko Production a subsidiary. Takara Tomy continued to hold a 20% stake in the company and maintained the partnership.[5][41][42]

In 2019, Tatsunoko founded a new label, Bakken Record.[43] In the same year, four people associated with Tatsunoko received the Achievement Award at the Tokyo Anime Award: Kunio Okawara, Akiyoshi Sakai, Hisayuki Toriumi, and Tsuneo Ninomiya.[25]

Representative directors

  • Tatsuo Yoshida (1962–1977)
  • Kenji Yoshida (1977–1987)
  • Ippei Kuri (1987–2005)
  • Kouki Narushima (2005–2010)
  • Keita Satou (2010–2012)
  • Shuuichirou Tanaka (2012–2014)[44]
  • Yuuzou Kuwahara (2014–2019)
  • Daisuke Kadoya (2019–2022)[45][46]
  • Kyou Itou (2022–present)[47]

Major people from Tatsunoko

Main productions

1960s

Title Series director Broadcast network(s) Year(s) Notes
Space Ace (Uchuu Ace) Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV May 8, 1965 – April 28, 1966 Tatsunoko's first ever animated TV serial; adapted from the original manga by Tatsuo Yoshida that was serialized in Shueisha's Shonen Book magazine
Mach GoGoGo (Speed Racer) (original) Fuji TV April 2, 1967 – March 31, 1968 Tatsunoko's first animated TV serial to be produced in color; adapted from the original manga by Tatsuo Yoshida that was serialized in Shueisha's Shonen Book magazine
Oraa Guzura Dado (original) Fuji TV October 7, 1967 – September 25, 1968
Dokachin the Primitive Boy (or simply, "Dokachin") Seitarō Hara, Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV October 2, 1968 – March 26, 1969
Kurenai Sanshiro Ippei Kuri Fuji TV April 2 – September 24, 1969 Adapted from two manga serials by Tatsuo Yoshida that were serialized in Shueisha's Shonen Book from 1961 to 1962, and Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday and Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from 1968 to 1969
Hakushon Daimaō Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV October 5, 1969 – September 27, 1970 Adapted into Bob in a Bottle by Saban Entertainment in 1992

1970s

Title Series director Broadcast network(s) Year(s) Notes
Honeybee Hutch (Mitsubachi Monogatari Minashigo Hacchi and La Abeja Hutch) Ippei Kuri Fuji TV April 7, 1970 – September 8, 1971
Inakappe Taishō Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV October 4, 1970 – September 24, 1972 Adapted from the manga by Noboru Kawasaki, which was serialized in Shogakukan's Gakkushu Zasshi educational magazines for Japanese schoolchildren
Kabatotto Fuji TV January 1, 1971 – September 30, 1972
Animentari Ketsudan Ippei Kuri Nippon TV April 3 – September 25, 1971 Dramatic adaptation of the Japanese Empire's role in the Second World War
Mokku of the Oak Tree Seitaro Hara Fuji TV January 4, 1972 – January 1, 1973 A daptation of Italian novelist Carlo Collodi's 1881 novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman Hisayuki Toriumi Fuji TV October 1, 1972 – September 29, 1974 Adapted for western audiences by Sandy Frank Entertainment into Battle of the Planets in 1978, by Sandy Frank and Turner Entertainment into G-Force: Guardians of Space in 1986, and by Saban Entertainment into Eagle Riders in 1996
Tamagon the Counselor Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV 1972 – 1973
Kerokko Demetan Fuji TV January 2 – September 25, 1973 Adapted for western audiences by Harmony Gold USA as an animated film The Brave Frog in 1985
Neo Human Casshan Fuji TV October 2, 1973 – June 25, 1974 A notable source of inspiration for Keiji Inafune who went on to be the artistic director for the Mega Man franchise for Capcom[citation needed]
New Honeybee Hutch Seitaro Hara NET April 4 – September 27, 1974 Sequel to 1970's Honeybee Hutch
Hurricane Polymar Hisayuki Toriumi NET October 4, 1974 – March 28, 1975
Tentomushi no Uta Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV October 6, 1974 – September 26, 1976 Adapted from Noboru Kawasaki's manga of the same name that was serialized in Shogakukan's Gakkushu Zasshi educational magazines from 1973 to 1975
Space Knight Tekkaman Hiroshi Sasagawa, Hisayuki Toriumi NET July 2 – December 24, 1975
Time Bokan Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV October 4, 1975 – December 25, 1976 First entry in Tatsunoko's Time Bokan Series
Gowappa 5 Gōdam Hisayuki Toriumi ABC April 4 – December 29, 1976
Paul's Miraculous Adventure Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV October 3, 1976 – September 11, 1977
The Time Bokan Series: Yatterman Fuji TV January 1, 1977 – January 27, 1979 Second installment of the Time Bokan Series
Ippatsu Kanta-kun Fuji TV September 18, 1977 – September 24, 1978 First of Tatsuo Yoshida's original works to be produced posthumously; he died of liver cancer on September 5, 1977, 13 days before the first episode aired
Temple the Balloonist Seitaro Hara Fuji TV October 1, 1977 – March 25, 1978 Second and last of Tatsuo Yoshida's original works to be produced posthumously
Tobidase! Machine Hiryuu [ja] Tokyo Channel 12 October 5, 1977 – March 29, 1978 Co-production with Toei Company, another rare instance where Toei used another studio for its production, rather than its own Toei Animation studio. The only time they would work together with Tatsunoko.
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV October 1, 1978 – September 23, 1979 Sequel to 1972's Science Ninja Team Gatchaman; adapted into Eagle Riders by Saban Entertainment in 1996; First of Tatsunoko's works to be produced by Kenji Yoshida
The Time Bokan Series: Zenderman Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV February 3, 1979 – January 26, 1980 Third installment of the Time Bokan Series
Lupin the Thief: Enigma of the 813 Fuji TV May 5, 1979 Made-for-TV anime film; loosely adapted from Maurice Leblanc's 813
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman Fighter Seitaro Hara Fuji TV October 7, 1979 – August 31, 1980 Direct sequel to 1978's Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II; final installment in the Gatchaman franchise until 1994 OVA
Gordian the Warrior Masamune Ochiai, Kunihiko Okazaki Tokyo Channel 12 October 7, 1979 – February 27, 1981
Ashinaga Ojisan Yūichi Higuchi Fuji TV October 10, 1979 TV special; adapted from Jean Webster's 1912 novel, Daddy-Long-Legs

1980s

Title Series director Broadcast network(s) Year(s) Notes
Cheerful Dwarves of the Forest: Belfy and Lillibit Masayuki Hayashi Tokyo Channel 12 January 7 – July 7, 1980 Adapted by Saban Entertainment into The Littl' Bits, which ran on the Nick Jr. Channel from 1991 to 1995
The Time Bokan Series: Time Patrol Team Otasukeman Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV February 2, 1980 – January 31, 1981 Fourth installment of the Time Bokan Series
Dashing Warrior Muteking Seitaro Hara Fuji TV September 7, 1980 – September 27, 1981
The Great Navy War: 20,000 Miles of Love Ippei Kuri Nippon TV January 3, 1981 Made-for-TV anime film; loosely adapted from Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, Adapted into English by Harmony Gold as simply Undersea Encounter
The Time Bokan Series: Yattodetaman Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV February 7, 1981 – February 6, 1982 Fifth installment of the Time Bokan Series
Golden Warrior Gold Lightan Kōichi Mashimo Tokyo Channel 12 March 1, 1981 – February 18, 1982
Superbook Masakazu Higuchi TV Tokyo October 1, 1981 - March 25, 1982 Produced in conjunction with the Christian Broadcasting Network
Dash Kappei Masayuki Hayashi, Seitaro Hara Fuji TV October 4, 1981 – December 26, 1982 Adapted from the manga by Noboru Rokuda, which was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday manga magazine from November 1979 to November 1982
The Time Bokan Series: Gyakuten! Ippatsuman Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV February 13, 1982 – March 26, 1983 Sixth installment of the Time Bokan Series
The Flying House Masakazu Higuchi TV Tokyo April 5, 1982 - March 25, 1983 Produced in conjunction with the Christian Broadcasting Network
Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman Kōichi Mashimo Fuji TV January 9 – December 24, 1983 Adapted from the manga by Hirohisa Soda and Noboru Akashi, which was serialized in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shonen Champion manga magazines
Superbook II: In Search for Ruffles and Return to the 20th Century Masakazu Higuchi TV Tokyo April 4 - September 26, 1983 Produced in conjunction with the Christian Broadcasting Network, sequel to Superbook
The Time Bokan Series: Itadakiman Hiroshi Sasagawa Fuji TV April 9 – September 24, 1983 Seventh and final installment of the Time Bokan Series; returned briefly in 1993 as an OVA titled Royal Revival; resumed in 2000 with Kaito Kiramekiman
Genesis Climber MOSPEADA Katsuhisa Yamada Fuji TV October 2, 1983 – March 23, 1984 Adapted by Harmony Gold USA as Robotech: The New Generation in 1985, co-production with Artmic
Starzan S Hidehito Ueda Fuji TV January 7 – August 25, 1984 Adapted from an original concept by Hiroshi Sasagawa
Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross Yasuo Hasegawa MBS April 15 – September 30, 1984 Adapted by Harmony Gold USA into Robotech: The Masters in 1985
Yoroshiku Mechadoc Hidehito Ueda Fuji TV September 1, 1984 – March 30, 1985 Adapted from the manga of the same name by Ryuji Tsugihara, which was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine from November 1982 to March 1985
Fire of Alpen Rose: Judy and Randy Hidehito Ueda Fuji TV April 6 – October 5, 1985 Adapted from the manga, Alpen Rose, by Michiyo Akaishi, which was serialized in Shogakukan's Ciao manga magazine for female readers from April 1983 to May 1986
Showa Era Idiot Story Book: Most Refined Hidehito Ueda TV Asahi October 7, 1985 – March 24, 1986 Adapted from the manga of the same name by Yuu Azuki, which was serialized in Shueisha's Margaret manga magazine for female readers from 1985 to 1987
Shonen Jump Special: Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo Hiroshi Sasagawa Anime Film; Shown at 1985 Shonen Jump Film Festival November 23, 1985 Adapted from the manga of the same name by Osamu Akimoto, which was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine from October 1976 to September 2016; presented as a double feature with Shonen Jump Special: Kimagure Orange Road, which was animated by Studio Pierrot
The Legend of Hikari Tomomi Mochizuki ABC May 3 – September 20, 1986 Adapted from the manga of the same name by Izumi Aso, which was serialized in Shueisha's Ribon manga magazine for female readers from 1985 to December 1988
Doteraman Shinya Sadamitsu NTV October 14, 1986 – February 24, 1987 Tatsunoko's first TV anime to be broadcast on NTV in 15 years since Animentary Ketsudan
Red Photon Zillion Mizuho Nishikubo NTV April 12 – December 13, 1987 After the production of the anime, Tatsunoko Production and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the producer of Zillion, established IG Tatsunoko (which later became Production I.G) to obstruct the dispersing of the excellent staffs of Tatsunoko branch which had done actual production. Therefore, Zillion is considered to be Production I.G's first work.
Oraa Guzura Dado Hiroshi Sasagawa TV Tokyo October 12, 1987 – September 20, 1988 Color remake of the 1967 series
Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato Mizuho Nishikubo TV Tokyo April 6, 1989 – January 18, 1990 Adapted from the manga of the same name by Hiroshi Kawamoto, which was serialized in Shonen Gahosha's Shonen King manga magazine from February to September 1988
Konchū Monogatari: Minashigo Hutch Iku Suzuki NTV July 21, 1989 – August 31, 1990 Modern remake of the 1970 anime Honeybee Hutch

1990s

Title Series director Broadcast network(s) Year(s) Notes
Kyatto Ninden Teyandee Kunitoshi Okajima TV Tokyo February 1, 1990 – February 12, 1991 Adapted into English by Saban Entertainment as Samurai Pizza Cats in 1991; a Sequel series known as Kyatto Keisatsu Beranmee (or Crime Stoppin' Cats) was planned, but was mysteriously cancelled for unknown reasons[citation needed]
The Great Adventure of Robin Hood Kōichi Mashimo NHK July 29, 1990 – October 28, 1992 Adapted from the English folktale Robin Hood; also Tatsunoko's first anime to be broadcast on the government-owned NHK network.
Shurato: Dark Genesis Yoshihisa Matsumoto OVA August 1991 – March 1992 Sequel to Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato
Space Knight Tekkaman Blade Hiroshi Negishi TV Tokyo February 18, 1992 – February 2, 1993 1992 reboot of 1975's Space Knight Tekkaman, adapted by Saban Entertainment and Media Blasters into English as Teknoman
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Kōichi Mashimo TV Tokyo January 25 – July 19, 1993 Adapted from the light novel series of the same name by Hitoshi Yoshioka, which was serialized in Fujimi Shobo's Fujimi Fantasia Bunko magazines from January 1989 to January 1996
Casshan: Robot Hunter Hiroyuki Fukushima, Masashi Abe, Takashi Watanabe OVA August 21, 1993 – February 21, 1994 1993 remake of 1973's Neo-Human Casshan; co-produced by Artmic and Gainax
Time Bokan: Royal Revival Hiroshi Sasagawa, Akiyuki Shinbo OVA November 26, 1993 – January 1, 1994 Direct-to-video installment of Time Bokan Series
The Legend of Snow White Tsuneo Ninomiya NHK April 6, 1994 – March 29, 1995 Adaptation of the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm
Tekkaman Blade II Hideki Tonokatsu OVA July 21, 1994 – April 21, 1995 Sequel to 1992's Tekkaman Blade
Gatchaman Akihiko Nishiyama OVA October 1, 1994 – April 1, 1995 1994 reboot of 1972's Science Ninja Team Gatchaman; co-produced by Artmic
Dokkan! Robotendon Hiroshi Sasagawa TV Tokyo October 5, 1995 – March 28, 1996
Cinderella Monogatari Hiroshi Sasagawa NHK April 4 – October 3, 1996 Adapted from the fairy tale by Charles Perrault and The Brothers Grimm
Hurricane Polymar: Holy Blood Akiyuki Shinbo OVA September 21, 1996 – February 21, 1997 1996 reboot of 1974's Hurricane Polymar; co-produced by J.C. Staff
Mach GoGoGo Hiroshi Sasagawa TV Tokyo January 9 – September 25, 1997 1997 reboot of 1967's Mach GoGoGo; adapted into English by DiC Entertainment as Speed Racer X in 2002
Generator Gawl Seiji Mizushima TV Tokyo October 6 – December 22, 1998
Seikimatsu Densetsu: Wonderful Tatsunoko Land Hiroshi Sasagawa TBS December 31, 1999 TV special

2000s

Title Series director / Genre Broadcast network(s) / Platform(s) Year(s) Notes
Tatsunoko Fight Electronics Application (Eleca) PSX October 5, 2000 Video game featuring an exclusive character, Denkou Senka Volter
Time Bokan 2000: Kaitou Kiramekiman Hidehito Ueda TV Tokyo April 5, 2000 – September 27, 2000
The SoulTaker Akiyuki Shinbo WOWOW April 4, 2001 – July 4, 2001
Yobarete Tobidete Akubi-chan Hiroshi Sagasawa TV Tokyo December 11, 2001 – March 26, 2002 Spin-off of The Genie Family
Nurse Witch Komugi Yasuhiro Takemoto & Yoshitomo Yonetani OVA August 8, 2002 – April 2, 2004 Co-production with Kyoto Animation; spin-off of The SoulTaker
Fate/stay night Visual novel PC January 30, 2004 Video game; Opening animations
Karas Keiichi Sato OVA March 25, 2005 – August 3, 2007 Tatsunoko's 40th anniversary work; combined into a two-part film in the west by Manga Entertainment
Akubi Girl Hiroshi Sagasawa TV Tokyo 2006 Remake to Yobarete Tobidete Akubi-chan
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles Tommy Yune, Dong-Wook Lee & Yeun-Sook Seo Movie January 5, 2007 co-production with Harmony Gold USA
Fate/stay night Réalta Nua Visual novel PS2 April 19, 2007 Video game; Opening animations
Yatterman Hiroshi Sagasawa YTV January 14, 2008 – September 27, 2009 Remake of 1977 Series
Casshern Sins Shigeyasu Yamauchi MBS October 1, 2008 – March 15, 2009 Re-imaging of the 1973 series; Animation production by Madhouse
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes Fighting Wii December 11, 2008 Video game; Tatsunoko also animated Cross Generation's opening and anime cutscenes.

2010s

2020s

Co-productions

Anime studios founded by former animators

Notes

  1. ^ Formerly written Kabushiki gaisha Tatsunoko Purodakushon (株式会社竜の子プロダクション), 1962–2013
  2. ^ Mamoru Oshii said that this system was useful for his training as a director.
  3. ^ He was Tezuka's first exclusive assistant for his manga, and also had a little experience helping Mushi Production, which was short on staff for animation, by drawing storyboards.
  4. ^ Toei Doga later produced and broadcast the TV series called Space Patrol Hoppa.
  5. ^ Nakamura, in particular, not only drew background art for his main job, but also handled building interiors, designs for automobilis and robots, and everything else that corresponds to live-action stage set or props.[15][6][14]
  6. ^ According to Mamoru Oshii, while Tatsunoko, which produced programs for commercial TV stations, limited the number of cels used to less than 3,000 per episode to save budget, the studio established by people who left Tatsunoko produced the program for NHK, a public broadcasting station that gave them time to prepare carefully and was properly funded, going on location scouting trips to Northern Europe and using 18,000 cels per episode, even for the same 30-minute program. Hearing this story, the work site was tense. Oshii eventually quit Tatsunoko and joined that studio.[13]
  7. ^ The international trademark rights for Robotech owned by Harmony Gold were returned to Tatsunoko Production in 2021, and the related products have been discontinued outside Japan.[29]
  8. ^ This capital relationship was temporarily dissolved in 1993, but was revived in 2010 when Production I.G. acquired an 11.2% stake in Tatsunoko Production.

References

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  30. ^ "「マクロス」、「ロボテック」、それぞれの国際展開で協力 日米企業が合意" ["Macross" and "Robotech" cooperate in their respective international expansion - Japanese and American companies reach an agreement]. Animation Business Journal (in Japanese). April 12, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
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Sources

  • Sasagawa, Hiroshi (September 1, 2000). Buta mo Odaterya Ki ni Noboru: Watashi no Manga-dō to Anime-dō ぶたもおだてりゃ木にのぼる: 私のマンガ道とアニメ道 [Even pigs will climb trees if you flatter them: My Manga Way and Anime Way]. Wani Books. ISBN 4-8470-1358-1.
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