Toei Animation, the studio behind Dragon Ball and One Piece, has announced a ten-year global expansion plan that includes setting up new studios, creating international IPs, and expanding into regions like India.
As highlighted and translated by X user @Venixys, the first phase of the plan includes opening two or three new studios in Asia to support Japanese production, increasing hiring at its main Oizumi Studio, and exploring new visual styles in its productions. Toei also plans to develop projects across VR, AR, XR, games, motion capture, and AI.
The studio aims to triple the creation of new IPs, targeting 25 titles developed overseas in regions such as North America, China, and Europe. Toei wants animation made in other countries to become a “second pillar” of its business within ten years, and is investing about 20 billion yen over five years to support this overseas growth.
The company’s expansion map includes North America, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, China, the Middle East, Africa, and India, with plans to produce content that reflects regional cultures and collaborates with local artists.
Back in October 2023, Variety reported that Toei would begin its global push by opening an office in Italy before expanding to other countries like India and South America. Satoshi Shinohara, an executive at Toei Animation, said at TIFFCOM that having a sales division in India would be “hugely significant,” and serving Latin American audiences would be a “game changer.” Toei’s interest in expanding its reach into international markets has been reported since 2023.
Toei also plans to invest another 19 billion yen into logistics, e-commerce, facilities, and global events as part of this long-term strategy.
Anime’s popularity continues to grow worldwide, including in India, where films like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle have drawn strong box office numbers and even houseful shows months after release.
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