A-1 Pictures
A-1 Pictures is a Tokyo-based B2B animation production studio (founded 2005) wholly owned by Aniplex/Sony Music Group, employing 200+ staff across four studios to produce TV anime, theatrical films, and special animations for publishers, IP holders, and game companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersHigashi, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What A-1 Pictures does
A-1 Pictures is a Tokyo-headquartered animation production studio that has produced TV anime series, theatrical films, and special animations since its founding on May 9, 2005. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aniplex Inc. (Sony Music Group) and runs four studios — Asagaya, Shin-Koenji, and Koenji Minami in Suginami, Tokyo, plus a regional studio in Fukuoka — employing 200+ animation professionals. The studio's catalog spans flagship franchises including Kaguya-sama, Sword Art Online, Fate/strange Fake, Solo Leveling, NieR:Automata, MASHLE, and Lycoris Recoil, covering action, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and idol genres across both original works and adaptations of manga, light novels, and games.
Production is fully digital and paperless, built on industry-standard tooling: Autodesk 3ds Max for 3DCG, Adobe After Effects and Photoshop for compositing and art, RETAS STUDIO PaintMan/TraceMan for finishing and coloring, and CLIP STUDIO PAINT for animation drawing. A-1 maintains in-house capability across every production department — drawing, CG, finishing, art/background, photography/compositing, and production management — enabling parallel production of multiple simultaneous projects. The 2026–2027 slate includes the MASHLE third season, original works BLESS and Grow Up Show, the co-produced Eisenfluegel with Nitroplus, and the theatrical film Kusunoki no Bannin.
Commercially, A-1 Pictures is a B2B animation production services provider. Revenue is generated primarily through production-committee contracts with IP holders and publishers (Shueisha, Square Enix, D&C WEBTOON/REDICE, Shogakukan, Kadokawa), supplemented by IP licensing/royalties and one-time film distribution licenses through Aniplex, Shochiku, Toei, and Toho. Projects are commissioned rather than sold to end consumers; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per committee. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct relationships with publishers, broadcasters, streaming platforms, and brands, supported by an active recruitment funnel (campus hiring, Wakuwork job fairs, the a1p.jp/recruit portal) and a modest brand presence through Twitter/X, YouTube, and industry events such as Anime Expo. The company is led by Representative Director, President and CEO Akira Shimizu (清水 暁).
A-1 Pictures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A-1 Pictures
- Legal name
- 株式会社A-1 Pictures
- Website
- https://a1p.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- A-1 Pictures is a Tokyo-based B2B animation production studio (founded 2005) wholly owned by Aniplex/Sony Music Group, employing 200+ staff across four studios to produce TV anime, theatrical films, and special animations for publishers, IP holders, and game companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A-1 Pictures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming) (MPADACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Animated Feature Film Production (MPADACAH), CG Asset Creation (Modeling, Texturing, Lookdev, Rigging) (MPAHABAE)
Keywords
Where A-1 Pictures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Higashi
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
A-1 Pictures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Anime Production Contracts: Primary revenue stream from producing TV anime, movies, and other animation content commissioned by production committees and IP holders. Work is produced for various clients including publishers (Shueisha, Shogakukan, Kadokawa), streaming platforms, and entertainment companies.
- IP Licensing and Royalties: Revenue from licensing company-produced anime IPs for merchandise, games, publications, and other media adaptations.
- Film Distribution Revenue: Revenue from theatrical releases of anime films distributed through major distributors such as Aniplex, Shochiku, Toei, and Toho.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
A-1 Pictures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A-1 Pictures is a B2B Japanese animation production studio that produces TV anime series, theatrical anime films, anime commercials, music videos, and promotional/special animation content for production committees and IP holders. The studio adapts manga and light novel properties as well as develops original anime works across genres including action, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and music/idol. It operates a full-cycle, all-digital, paperless production workflow across its Asagaya, Shin-Koenji, Koenji Minami, and Fukuoka studios.
Product overview
A-1 Pictures is a Japanese animation studio producing TV anime series, theatrical films, and special animations. Founded in 2005, the studio operates as a subsidiary of Aniplex (Sony Music Entertainment Japan). The company produces diverse anime content including original works and adaptations of manga/light novel properties across genres such as action, romance, fantasy, music idol, and science fiction. Notable production series include the 'Kaguya-sama' romantic comedy series, 'Sword Art Online' franchise, 'Fate' series adaptations, 'Uta no Prince-sama' idol series, 'MASHLE' fantasy comedy, and original works like 'Lycoris Recoil'. The studio also produces promotional animations for video games including 'NieR:Automata' and 'NIKKE'.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Anime Production Services (TV anime series, theatrical films, commercials, music videos, promotional animation) End-to-end B2B animation production service: TV anime series, theatrical anime films, anime commercials, music videos, and special/promotional animation content produced for production committees, IP holders, publishers, game companies, and entertainment brands. Includes full-cycle capability across all production departments (animation drawing, CG, finishing, art/background, photography/compositing, production management) using an all-digital paperless workflow.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully produced anime across 15+ years of continuous operation
Companies that use A-1 Pictures
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
A-1 Pictures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
A-1 Pictures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
A-1 Pictures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CloverWorks: Sister Aniplex/Sony subsidiary operating as a Japanese animation production studio on TV anime titles (Spy x Family, Bocchi the Rock!), directly comparable given shared ownership, similar size, and overlapping customer base in production committees.
- ufotable: Premium animation studio known for the Demon Slayer franchise and Fate series, directly comparable in terms of high-production-value anime film/TV work targeting global audiences.
- Wit Studio: Japanese animation studio behind Spy x Family (Season 1), Ranking of Kings, and Vinland Saga, comparable as a mid-to-large TV anime production house competing for adaptation commissions.
- MAPPA: Leading Japanese anime production studio behind JUJUTSU KAISEN, Attack on Titan (Final Season), and Chainsaw Man, competing for the same premium TV anime commissions and creative talent as A-1 Pictures.
- Madhouse: Long-standing Japanese animation studio producing One Punch Man and numerous TV/film titles, a comparable commission-based anime production peer in scale and heritage.
- Studio Trigger: Independent Japanese animation studio known for original works (Kill la Kill, Promare) and Darling in the Franxx, comparable as a competing animation studio pursuing premium TV and film commissions.
- BONES: Established Japanese animation studio producing My Hero Academia, Mob Psycho 100, and other major TV anime titles, directly comparable in scale, genre breadth, and commission-driven model.
- Production I.G: Veteran Japanese anime production studio (Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass) producing across TV and film, comparable in scope and as one of the larger mid-tier studios A-1 competes against.
Broad incumbents
- Toei Animation: One of Japan's largest and oldest animation studios (Dragon Ball, One Piece), comparable as a broad incumbent with in-house IP ownership and large-scale production capabilities, operating at greater scale than A-1.
- Bandai Namco Filmworks (Sunrise): Major anime production arm of Bandai Namco (Gundam franchise), comparable as a large diversified animation incumbent with owned IP and global distribution reach beyond A-1's committee-driven model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
A-1 Pictures social profiles
Digital presenceA-1 Pictures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A-1 Pictures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
A-1 Pictures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A-1 Pictures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A-1 Pictures
What does A-1 Pictures do?
A-1 Pictures is a B2B Japanese animation production studio that produces TV anime series, theatrical anime films, anime commercials, music videos, and promotional/special animation content for production committees and IP holders. The studio adapts manga and light novel properties as well as develops original anime works across genres including action, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and music/idol. It operates a full-cycle, all-digital, paperless production workflow across its Asagaya, Shin-Koenji, Koenji Minami, and Fukuoka studios.
Is A-1 Pictures a public or private company?
A-1 Pictures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was A-1 Pictures founded?
A-1 Pictures was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is A-1 Pictures based?
A-1 Pictures is headquartered in Higashi, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does A-1 Pictures make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Anime Production Contracts are the primary driver. The others are IP Licensing and Royalties and film Distribution Revenue.
Who are A-1 Pictures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CloverWorks, ufotable, Wit Studio, MAPPA, Madhouse, Studio Trigger, BONES and Production I.G. Broad incumbents are Toei Animation and Bandai Namco Filmworks (Sunrise).
Does A-1 Pictures have an API?
No public API is recorded for A-1 Pictures.
What industry is A-1 Pictures in?
A-1 Pictures's product category is Animation Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAG, Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming), with a secondary code of MPADACAH, Animated Feature Film Production. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.