TBS Acquires Xenotoon Studio: A Major Merger with Seven Arcs is on the Way
TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System), one of Japan's most established broadcasting organizations, continues to strengthen its position in the animation world. Sand B Company, a subsidiary of TBS, has officially announced the acquisition of the successful CG animation studio Xenotoon. This strategic move will not be limited to just an acquisition; Xenotoon is planned to merge with the well-known studio Seven Arcs in mid-2027.
Xenotoon is particularly known as the force behind the highly anticipated anime film Make A Girl, directed by independent animator Genshō Yasuda. Reaching millions of followers with short animations shared on social media, this project by Yasuda serves as proof of the studio's success in modern CG techniques. Expected to meet audiences around 2025, Make A Girl blends traditional anime aesthetics with high-tech digital production.
Seven Arcs, on the other side of the merger, is a name familiar to anime fans. Acquired by TBS in 2017, the studio has produced popular series such as Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Blue Period, Dog Days, and Arte. The combination of Xenotoon's digital expertise and Seven Arcs' deep production experience will significantly increase TBS's competitive power in the anime market. This merger will allow the studios to combine their resources and focus on larger-budget and technically more ambitious projects.
Such consolidations, which we have seen in the anime industry in recent years, aim to increase production quality and be more effective in the global market.
