C & I entertainment

What C & I entertainment does

C & I Entertainment Inc. (C&Iエンタテインメント株式会社) is a Tokyo-based Japanese entertainment production company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Culture Entertainment Group (under the Culture Convenience Club / CCC conglomerate). Founded in 2003 as IMJ Entertainment, the company was renamed C & I Entertainment following a 2011 share transfer to CCC and was further realigned under Culture Entertainment Group in 2014. The company produces theatrical films, television dramas, variety shows, music videos (PV), television commercials (CM), and DVD/Blu-ray releases, and operates a talent agency representing three principal creators: directors Inudou Isshin and Furumaya Tomoyuki, and screenwriter Ikegami Junya.

The company monetizes across six revenue streams: theatrical film production and distribution licensing (partnered with Shochiku, Warner Bros. Japan, Toho, Asmik Ace), drama production fees and broadcast/streaming licensing (TV Tokyo, MBS, TBS, WOWOW, TV Asahi, NHK, Netflix, Disney+ STAR), CM and PV production services, DVD/Blu-ray home video sales, and agency commissions on represented talent. C & I's catalog includes the Oscar-nominated Drive My Car (2021) and the Netflix most-watched Japanese series First Love (2022). In 2023, the company extended into production-infrastructure software with Staff File, a B2B staff-matching and scheduling platform for the Japanese production industry. The company is led by Representative Director and President Naito Osamu (久保田修) and operates from a single Shibuya office with a core team of 1-10 employees, scaling via project-based freelancers.

Name

C & I entertainment

Legal name

C&I Entertainment Inc. (C&Iエンタテインメント株式会社)

Website

https://ci-e.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Akasaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Film Production and Distribution: The company produces theatrical films and partners with major distributors (Shochiku, Warner Bros., Toho) for theatrical release and distribution. Revenue is generated through box office, home video sales, and streaming licensing.
2. Drama Production: Produces television dramas for broadcast networks including TV Tokyo, MBS, TBS, WOWOW, and others. Revenue comes from production fees, licensing to broadcasters, and secondary streaming rights.
3. CM/Commercial Production: Produces television commercials for corporate clients. Revenue generated through production fees for creating advertising content.
4. PV (Promotion Video) Production: Produces music promotion videos for artists. Revenue through production service fees.
5. DVD/Blu-ray Production: Produces and releases DVD and Blu-ray products for films, dramas, and variety content. Revenue from physical media sales.
6. Agent Services for Creators: Represents film directors and screenwriters, earning commissions on their work. Manages talent including Inudou Isshin, Furumaya Tomoyuki, and Ikegami Junya.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

C & I entertainment is a Japanese entertainment production company that produces theatrical films, television dramas, variety shows, music videos (PV), television commercials (CM), and home video (DVD/Blu-ray) releases on behalf of broadcasters, distributors, and corporate clients. It also operates a talent agency representing film directors and screenwriters, and runs the Staff File staff-matching platform for production crew scheduling.

Product overview

C & I entertainment is an entertainment production company offering a comprehensive portfolio of content production services including theatrical films, television dramas, variety shows, DVD releases, music videos (PVs), television commercials (CM), and talent representation. The company operates as a platform of interconnected production services under one umbrella, producing content across multiple media formats. The core offerings span from movie and drama production to commercial production and talent agency services, all coordinated through the company's unified production infrastructure. The company also launched 'Staff File', a specialized staff-matching platform for film and drama professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Movie Production (映画プロデュース) Theatrical film production services producing releases including adaptations of novels, manga, and original works across various genres. Distributed through partnerships with Shochiku, Warner Bros. Japan, Toho, and Asmik Ace.
• Drama Production (ドラマプロデュース) Television drama production for broadcast networks, streaming platforms, and satellite TV channels. Licensed to TV Tokyo, MBS, TBS, WOWOW, TV Asahi, NHK, Netflix, and Disney+ STAR.
• Variety Production (バラエティープロデュース) Variety show production including radio programs, online streaming programs, and broadcast TV variety content.
• DVD Production (DVDプロデュース) DVD and Blu-ray production services for home video releases of films, dramas, and other entertainment content. Distributed through retail channels including electronics stores and entertainment retailers.
• PV Production (PVプロデュース) Music video (PV) production services for artists, including promotional videos and promotional content.
• CM Production (CMプロデュース) Commercial (CM) production services for television advertising, brand promotions, and marketing content. Clients include Digital Hollywood University, TSUTAYA, LIXIL (Tostem, Eyeful Home), Samantha Vega, dejavu, EXILE, and Sony Records artists.
• Agent Business (エージェント業務) Talent agency services representing film directors and screenwriters in the entertainment industry. Current roster includes Inudou Isshin (Rurouni Kenshin, Joze to Tora to Sardines), Furumaya Tomoyuki, and screenwriter Ikegami Junya. Revenue is earned through commissions on their work.
• Staff File A staff matching service for film and drama production that enables efficient assignment of production staff with real-time schedule management. Targets the production crew labor market for Japanese film and drama.

Quantifiable outcome

• Drive My Car received Oscar nomination for Best International Feature Film (2022)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• MBS (Mainichi Broadcasting System)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 May 2026Primary drama broadcast partner. MBS airs C&I drama productions including '100-nichi Go Aeru to Tomodachi' (2026), 'Shitsuren Karuta' (2026), and numerous other dramas.
• TV TokyocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 April 2026Broadcast partner for drama productions. TV Tokyo airs C&I dramas including 'Aku no Hana' (2026), 'Ryoryo Luka' (2025), and 'Tetsu-ota Michiko 2-man km' series.
• Asmik AcemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 December 2025Film distribution partner. Asmik Ace distributes C&I theatrical releases including 'Kaede' (2025) and 'Yoru ga Aketara' (2023).
• ShochikucoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 April 2025Major film distribution partner. Shochiku distributes C&I productions including 'Paripi Koumei THE MOVIE' (2025), 'Ichikei no Karasu' (2023), and other theatrical releases in Japan.
• WOWOWmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Premium satellite broadcaster and streaming partner. WOWOW airs C&I premium drama productions including 'Secret -THE TOP SECRET-' (2025) and 'Gugu da neko dearu' series.
• TBS TelevisionmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Broadcast partner. TBS airs C&I drama productions including 'Red Blue' (2024), based on manga by Namase Takeshi.
• TV AsahimajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 September 2024Broadcast partner. TV Asahi airs C&I drama productions including 'Kimi to shita KISS wa Itsudemo' (2025).
• Warner Bros. JapancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 August 2024Film distribution partner. Warner Bros. handles theatrical distribution for C&I productions including 'Blue Period' (2024) and 'My Home Hero' (2024).
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 November 2022International streaming partner. Netflix distributes C&I original series including 'First Love Hats初恋' (2022), the most-watched Japanese series on the platform, and 'Zen-aku-joshi' (Gyakusatsu) (2024).
• Disney+ STARcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 September 2022International streaming partner. Disney+ STAR distributes C&I original drama 'Subete Wasurete Shimau kara' (2022), starring Abe Hiroshi and Maeda Chieko.
• Bitters InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2021Co-producer of award-winning film 'Drive My Car' (2021). Bitters International served as production partner for this Oscar-nominated film directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke.
• NHK EnterprisesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2021Co-production partner for 'Spy Family' (2020) film. NHK Enterprises collaborated with C&I on this acclaimed production directed by Kurosawa Kiyoshi.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Toei Company, Ltd. Major Japanese film, television, and animation production company with deep broadcast and theatrical distribution. Comparable to C&I as a multi-format Japanese content production house with strong broadcast/distribution ties.
• Shochiku Co., Ltd. Major Japanese film production and distribution company that serves as C&I's primary theatrical distribution partner (Paripi Koumei, Ichikei no Karasu). Directly comparable as a long-established Japanese film producer and distributor.
• Toho Co., Ltd. Japan's leading film production and distribution company, and a distributor of C&I titles including theatrical releases. Operates across film production, distribution, and cinema exhibition as a vertically integrated incumbent.

Direct peers

• Nikkatsu Corporation: Long-established Japanese film production and distribution company with theatrical and streaming operations. Comparable in theatrical film production, broadcast licensing, and adaptation-driven slate strategy.
• Kadokawa Corporation: Vertically integrated Japanese content company spanning publishing, film, and TV. Directly comparable to C&I in adapting manga and novels into film/TV, and is a likely competitor for the same source IP and broadcast slots.
• Fuji Creative Corporation: In-house production arm of Fuji Television, one of Japan's major commercial broadcasters. Comparable in drama production for a major network and competes for the same drama commissions and creative talent as C&I.
• Robot Communications Inc. Japanese entertainment and advertising production group producing TV dramas, films, and digital content. Comparable in scale, multi-format production approach, and broadcaster relationships, and competes with C&I for the same commission slots.
• NHK Enterprises, Inc. Production and licensing arm of NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster, and an existing co-production partner with C&I (e.g., Spy Family). Closely comparable in Japanese drama and film production, and competes for top-tier creative talent.
• Avex Pictures Inc. Japanese music, film, and drama production company under Avex Group, active in music video, drama, and film production. Highly comparable in CM/PV/drama production overlap with C&I's multi-format production model.

Others

• Warner Bros. Japan (Warner Bros. Discovery Japan): Japanese distribution arm of Warner Bros. that handles theatrical release of C&I titles (Blue Period, My Home Hero). Comparable as a counterparty rather than direct competitor, but a relevant benchmark for Japanese theatrical economics.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about C & I entertainment