Bandai Namco Pictures

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Bandai Namco Pictures Inc.
Native name
株式会社バンダイナムコピクチャーズ
Kabushiki gaisha Bandai Namuko Pikuchāzu
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAnime
FoundedApril 2015; 9 years ago (2015-04)
HeadquartersNerima, Tokyo
Key people
  • Masayuki Ozaki
  • (president)
  • Hiroyuki Sato
  • (director)
ProductsAnime, films, DVDs
Revenue¥10 million
OwnerBandai Namco Holdings
Number of employees
130 (December 2021)
ParentBandai Namco Filmworks
DivisionsBandai Namco Pictures Osaka Studio
Bandai Namco Pictures Iwaki
Websitewww.bn-pictures.co.jp
Footnotes / references
"Corporate Profile". www.bn-pictures.co.jp (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Pictures. Archived from the original on April 28, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.

Bandai Namco Pictures Inc.[a], also known as BN Pictures, is a Japanese animation studio and production company. It is a spinoff of Sunrise, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Filmworks which is owned by Bandai Namco Holdings. The company was formed as a part of the medium-term management plan of Bandai Namco Holdings on restructuring itself. All the anime intellectual property and production divisions of Sunrise that aims at children and family were transferred to Bandai Namco Pictures. The company began its operations in April 2015.

History[edit]

The secondary logo of the studio, which's used in commercials, credits, and the official channel on YouTube alongside the 2022 logo.

On February 12, 2015, Bandai Namco Holdings announced plans to restructure itself through the usage of a three-year medium-management plan.[1] The company sought to focus its resources on creating new intellectual properties (IPs) and marketable characters, and required faster planning and development time to satisfy these demands.[1][2] Bandai Namco executives also believed it was necessary for its IP Creation content area to strengthen ties with its Toy and Hobby area, as it would lead to both strong relationships between the two divisions and allow for future product collaborations.[2]

As part of its efforts to fulfill these obligations, Bandai Namco Pictures was established in April 2015 in Nerima, Tokyo.[2][3] Headed by Masayuki Ozaki, the representative director of animation studio Sunrise, the company was to lead its parent's "Strengthen IP Creation Output" project and focus on the creation of new characters and franchises, specifically those targeted towards children and families.[1][3] Bandai Namco Pictures would also work together with the Toy and Hobby division of Bandai Namco Holdings to strengthen the linkage between the two areas of the latter company.[1][2][3] Pictures absorbed Sunrise's production departments relating to children-oriented IPs, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunrise and part of Bandai Namco's IP Creation department.[4][5]

The company's first project was Aikatsu!, an anime based on the Bandai trading card arcade game of the same name which had been produced by Sunrise until that point.[3] In addition to working on pre-established franchises, Bandai Namco Pictures would produce several original projects, such as the stop-motion animation series Milpom![6] Pictures focused primarily on series and characters targeted towards children and families, though some, such as Tiger & Bunny and the Gintama series, were aimed at older audiences. The company regularly collaborates with other subsidiaries within Bandai Namco Holdings; in 2016, it partnered with Bandai Namco Entertainment to produce Dream Festival!, a multimedia franchise centered around video games and original net animations.

In August 2018, Bandai Namco Pictures opened a division in Osaka, the Bandai Namco Pictures Osaka Studio, for the purpose of digitally transferring animation to decrease production times.[7] The company hoped the success and productivity from the Osaka Studio could allow for additional offices to be opened in Japan and eventually overseas.[7] A year later in October, Pictures absorbed Studio Dub, an animation subcontractor established by former Sunrise animators. The acquisition renamed the company Bandai Namco Pictures Iwaki, though it continues using the name Studio Dub for its projects.

Works[edit]

Television series[edit]

Title Director(s) First run
start date
First run
end date
Eps. Ref.
Battle Spirits: Burning Soul Kunihisa Sugishima April 1, 2015 March 30, 2016 51 [8]
Aikatsu! Ryūichi Kimura April 2, 2015[b] March 31, 2016 52[c] [3]
Tribe Cool Crew Masaya Fujimori April 5, 2015[b] October 4, 2015 26[c] [9]
Gintama° Chizuru Miyawaki April 8, 2015 March 30, 2016 51 [10]
Brave Beats Yūta Murano October 6, 2015 March 27, 2016 22
Battle Spirits: Double Drive Kunihisa Sugishima April 6, 2016 March 29, 2017 51 [8]
Aikatsu Stars! Teruo Satō April 7, 2016 March 29, 2018 100 [11]
Heybot! Shinji Ishihira September 18, 2016 September 24, 2017 50 [8]
Gintama. Chizuru Miyawaki January 8, 2017 March 26, 2017 13 [8]
Gintama. Porori-hen Chizuru Miyawaki October 1, 2017 December 24, 2017 13 [8]
Gintama. Shirogane no Tamashii-hen Chizuru Miyawaki January 7, 2018 October 7, 2018 26 [10]
Aikatsu Friends! Shishō Igarashi April 5, 2018 September 26, 2019 76 [12]
B-PROJECT~Zecchō*Emotion~ Makoto Moriwaki January 11, 2019 March 29, 2019 12 [10]
Aikatsu on Parade! Shishō Igarashi October 5, 2019 March 28, 2020 25 [13]
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Makoto Moriwaki October 5, 2019 March 7, 2020 23 [14]
Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori Takahide Ogata April 5, 2020 November 8, 2020 25 [15]
Saikyō Kamizmode Mitsutoshi Satō October 9, 2020 April 9, 2021 26 [16]
Aikatsu Planet! Ryūichi Kimura January 10, 2021 June 27, 2021 25 [17]
Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori 2nd Season Takahide Ogata April 2, 2021 October 22, 2021 25 [18]
Cestvs: The Roman Fighter[d]
  • Toshifumi Kawase [e]
  • Kazuya Monma
April 15, 2021 June 24, 2021 11 [19]
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Season 2 Makoto Moriwaki April 17, 2021 September 11, 2021 21 [20]
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story Takayuki Inagaki April 6, 2022 June 29, 2022 13 [21]
Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori 3rd Season Takahide Ogata April 6, 2022 September 21, 2022 25 [22]
Raven of the Inner Palace Chizuru Miyawaki October 1, 2022 December 24, 2022 13 [23]
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Season 3 Makoto Moriwaki October 8, 2022 March 4, 2023 21 [24]
Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari Ryūichi Kimura January 10, 2023 September 19, 2023 24 [25]
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story Season 2 Takayuki Inagaki April 8, 2023 June 24, 2023 12 [26]
Wistoria: Wand and Sword[f] Tatsuya Yoshihara July 2024 TBA TBA [27]

Films[edit]

Title Director(s) Release date Notes
Kaiketsu Zorori: Uchū no Yūsha-tachi Tomoko Iwasaki September 12, 2015 Co-produced with Ajia-do Animation Works[28]
Aikatsu! Music Awards - The Show Where Everyone Gets an Award! Shinya Watada August 22, 2015
Aikatsu Stars! The Movie Shinya Watada August 13, 2016
Aikatsu! The Targeted Magical Aikatsu Card Ryūichi Kimura August 13, 2016 Double-billed with Aikatsu Stars! The Movie
Kaiketsu Zorori: ZZ no Himitsu Masaya Fujimori November 22, 2017 Co-produced with Ajia-do Animation Works
Gintama: The Very Final Chizuru Miyawaki January 8, 2021
Hula Fulla Dance
December 3, 2021 [29]
Aikatsu Planet! The Movie Ryūichi Kimura July 15, 2022
Aikatsu! 10th Story ~Starway to the Future~ Ryūichi Kimura July 15, 2022 (short film)
January 20, 2023 (feature film)
The short-film version was double-billed with Aikatsu Planet! The Movie
Kaiketsu Zorori: Lalala Star Tanjō Takahide Ogata December 9, 2022 Co-produced with Ajia-do Animation Works

OVA/ONAs[edit]

Title Director(s) First run
start date
First run
end date
Eps. Notes
Milpom! (Pilot) N/A March 20, 2015 N/A 1 [8]
Milpom! N/A September 5, 2015 September 29, 2017 6 [8]
Dream Festival! Yūta Murano September 23, 2016 December 16, 2016 12 Co-produced with Ajia-do Animation Works
Gintama°: Love Incense Arc Chizuru Miyawaki
Youichi Fujita
April 8, 2015 March 30, 2016 2
Dream Festival! R Yūta Murano August 23, 2017 November 8, 2017 12 Co-produced with Ajia-do Animation Works
Gintama: Monster Strike-hen N/A August 29, 2019 September 4, 2019 2
Fight League: Gear Gadget Generators Daisuke Nakajima February 14, 2019 August 8, 2019 26 Co-Produced by XFLAG[30]
Battle Spirits: Kakumei no Galette Masaki Watanabe August 28, 2020 April 23, 2021 5
Aikatsu on Parade! Dream Story Shishō Igarashi March 28, 2020 July 11, 2020 6
Tiger & Bunny 2 Mitsuko Kase April 8, 2022 October 7, 2022 25 [31]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Japanese: 株式会社バンダイナムコピクチャーズ, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Bandai Namuko Pikuchāzu
  2. ^ a b First episode under BN Pictures
  3. ^ a b Total number of episodes under BN Pictures
  4. ^ BN Pictures is producing the series and is responsible for the 2D animation work, whereas Logic&Magic is responsible for the 3D animation work.
  5. ^ a b Credited as Chief Director.
  6. ^ With Actas

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "ム › ニュース › トレンド › 記事 バンダイナムコピクチャーズ2015年4月設立 サンライズがキッズ・ファミリー向けを分社化". Anime Anime (in Japanese). IID. February 12, 2015. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "サンライズの一部を分社化「バンダイナムコピクチャーズ」設立 「アイカツ!」などキッズ向け担当". ITMedia. February 12, 2015. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Sunrise's Kids & Family IP to Spin Off Into New Bandai Namco Group Company". Anime News Network. February 12, 2015. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  4. ^ "Corporate Profile". www.bn-pictures.co.jp (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Pictures. Archived from the original on April 28, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  5. ^ "Bandai Namco Group Integrated Report 2019". Bandai Namco Holdings. September 13, 2019. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Ressler, Karen (March 30, 2015). "Bandai Namco Pictures Unveils Milpom Stop-Motion Anime Project for Girls". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "BNP、大阪スタジオを設立。アニメーション現場の環境整備にも着手。". OtakuIndustry.biz (in Japanese). September 7, 2018. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Pineda, Rafael Antonio (January 10, 2017). "Bandai Namco Pictures Studio Plans Original Projects". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  9. ^ Loo, Egan (September 9, 2015). "Tribe Cool Crew Team Makes Dance Anime Brave Beats". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "Works". www.bn-pictures.co.jp (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Pictures. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  11. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (April 12, 2016). "Your Complete Spring 2016 Anime Guide". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  12. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 4, 2018). "Aikatsu Friends! Anime's Cast, Staff Revealed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  13. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (October 5, 2019). "Your Spring 2019 Anime Guide". Kotaku Australia. G/O Media. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  14. ^ "「魔入りました!入間くん」第2シリーズ放送決定!!". NHK News (in Japanese). NHK. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  15. ^ Mateo, Alex (February 13, 2020). "New Kaiketsu Zorori Anime Reveals Cast, Theme Songs, April 5 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  16. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (August 10, 2020). "Bandai Namco Pictures Announces Saikyō Kamizmode Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  17. ^ "『アイカツプラネット!』実写×アニメ×CGでアイドル活動しちゃおう♪". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). Dengeki. August 12, 2020. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  18. ^ Loo, Egan (November 8, 2020). "New Kaiketsu Zorori Anime Gets 2nd Series Next April". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  19. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (November 5, 2020). "Kentō Ankoku Den Cestvs, Kentō Shitō Den Cestvs Manga Get TV Anime in April 2021". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  20. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 2, 2020). "'Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun' Anime Season 2 Premieres Next April". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  21. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 28, 2021). "Bandai Namco Pictures Unveils Original 2022 Golf TV Anime Birdie Wing". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  22. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 22, 2022). "Kaiketsu Zorori Anime's 3rd Series Reveals New Cast, Theme Songs, April 6 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  23. ^ Loo, Egan (August 20, 2022). "Raven of the Inner Palace Anime's New Video Unveils More Cast, October 1 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  24. ^ Mateo, Alex (August 15, 2022). "'Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun' Anime Season 3 Debuts on October 8". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  25. ^ Mateo, Alex (November 16, 2022). "Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari TV Anime Unveils Promo Video, Theme Song Artists, January 9 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  26. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (October 26, 2022). "Birdie Wing -Golf Girls' Story- Anime Season 2 Delayed by 3 Months to April 2023". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  27. ^ Mateo, Alex (February 7, 2024). "Wistoria: Wand and Sword Manga Gets TV Anime in July". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  28. ^ "Kaiketsu Zorori: Uchū no Yūsha-tachi Film Trailer Teases Original Story". Anime News Network. April 18, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  29. ^ "Original Anime Film Hula Fulla Dance's Teaser Unveils 4 Cast Members, New December 3 Debut". AnimeNewsNetwork. June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  30. ^ "Fight League Anime's Trailer Reveals Cast, More Staff, February 14 Debut". Anime News Network. December 10, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  31. ^ "Netflix Unveils Tiger & Bunny 2 Anime's Visual, April 2022 Worldwide Debut". Anime News Network. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.

External links[edit]