A-1 Pictures

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).

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

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

• Anime production studio
• TV anime series
• Theatrical anime films
• Animation production services
• Anime content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Higashi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. IP Licensing and Royalties: Revenue from licensing company-produced anime IPs for merchandise, games, publications, and other media adaptations.
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/a1pictures
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/a1pictureschannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-1-pictures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 A-1 Pictures