SAND B, the company leading the anime and IP business of the TBS Holdings Group, has acquired 51% of the shares of Xenotoon, the studio to which anime creator Yasuda Gensho belongs, making it a subsidiary. TBS has positioned the anime business as the core of its growth area in the “EDGE Strategy” of its medium-term management plan “TBS Group Medium-Term Management Plan 2026,” and will use this opportunity to fully expand its IP creation framework.
Xenotoon is a next-generation anime studio that merges a creator-driven production system with cutting-edge technology, with the mission to “hack the world with anime.” By building a 3DCG anime studio led by Yasuda Gensho, an anime creator with over 6.3 million total SNS followers who produced works such as “Make a Girl,” and a multi-studio network led by anime creators, Xenotoon develops IP using efficient production methods not bound by conventional production schemes, from SNS-based short animations to TV series and theatrical films.
The globally expanding anime market is a crucial area where Japan-originated content can demonstrate competitive advantages on a global scale. While the TBS Group has built a strong brand and track record in live-action areas such as dramas and films, there was room for further evolution in building an independent production foundation in the anime domain. This initiative accelerates TBS’s transition toward an “IP Company” that creates and expands IP globally, and the participation of Xenotoon represents a strategic investment that will play a central role in that endeavor.
Additionally, to further accelerate IP development, SAND B is considering a management integration of Xenotoon with Seven Arcs, an existing TBS Group anime studio that is scheduled to begin broadcasting “Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance” in July, with a target within the fiscal year 2027.
By fusing the high-quality TV series and theatrical film production capabilities that Seven Arcs has cultivated over the years with Xenotoon’s IP development know-how through efficient production methods unbound by conventional production schemes, the group aims to evolve into an “IP creation engine” that completes the process from planning to production.
Going forward, the TBS Group will combine Xenotoon’s anime IP development capabilities through efficient production methods, its global market presence, and the group’s diverse non-broadcasting initiatives (such as PLAZA and Akasaka Entertainment City) to build a world-standard content ecosystem that continuously creates IPs that dominate not only the domestic market but also the global market.
Below are full comments
TBS Holdings Corporation President and Representative Director Ryuujirou Abe
We are truly delighted to welcome the members of Xenotoon as new comrades in the TBS Group. We are confident that walking together with Xenotoon, which possesses keen sensibilities and free creativity, will shake up existing common sense and frameworks, and open up entertainment for a new era. In the growth strategy we are promoting, the animation business is an extremely important core area. We believe that the “power of IP,” which moves the emotions of people around the world and transcends borders, is the vital driving force that will shape the future of the TBS Group. With this new connection as an opportunity, the TBS Group will evolve into a company that delivers richer stories to the world. We sincerely hope that you will look forward to our new challenges.
Xenotoon Co., Ltd. Representative Director CEO Yoshikazu Kawase
We are very honored to be able to make a new start as a member of the TBS Group. Xenotoon has been challenging IP creation not bound by conventional frameworks of funding, production, and distribution under the mission of “hacking the world with anime.” Through this partnership, by combining the TBS Group’s powerful media network, capital strength, and diverse business foundation with our creativity and development capabilities, we are confident that we can challenge the world market at unprecedented speed and scale. We will establish a new success model for Japan-originated IP and continuously produce content that can compete globally.
Director Yasuda Gensho
I feel that our future endeavors with the TBS Group are an opportunity to greatly expand the potential of our creativity. The environment that allows us to deliver the expressions and IP creation methods we have built up from an individual and SNS-based start to society on a larger scale is very exciting for me as an anime creator and director of the Yasuda Gensho Studio. Through collaboration with historical production studios such as Seven Arcs, I will take on the challenge of creating new works!
Anime creator Yasuda Gensho, who became a topic by producing high-quality 3D short animations entirely alone. We asked about his goals with crowdfunding, the behind-the-scenes story of establishing the “Yasuda Gensho Studio by Xenotoon” with cooperation from Xenotoon Co., Ltd., and his unique yet orthodox creative theory that resonates with all aspiring creators — the current state of Yasuda Gensho.
The theatrical original anime “Make a Girl,” in theaters since January 31, 2025. The charm of the first feature-length anime by independent creator “Yasuda Gensho” is discussed together with Tanezaki Atsumi, the voice of the heroine.
