Kadokawa Acquires CG Studio Behind Blue Lock, Slime & Mushoku Tensei

Kadokawa Corporation has announced its acquisition of Chiptune Inc, the CG studio behind popular titles like Blue Lock, Slime and Mushoku Tensei, on Feb 17, 2025.

This acquisition marks a significant step in Kadokawa’s ongoing expansion within the anime industry, bringing the total number of studios under its umbrella to seven, including ENGI, Studio KADAN, Raging Bull, Vernox Films, Doga Kobo and Kinema Citrus (in which they have 31.8% stakes).

Founded in 2012, Chiptune has established itself as a significant contributor to the anime industry. The company plays a crucial role in the production pipeline, handling tasks such as compositing, CG animation, background art creation, and coloring.

It is estimated that the company contributes to approximately 10 anime projects annually. In addition to the titles mentioned above, Chiptune also has credits in Penguin Highway, Blue Giant and Blue Excorcist.

The move is part of a broader strategy to internalize key production processes and secure a stable pool of creative talent. According to reports, Chiptune boasts top-class directors of photography and a team of highly skilled staff, earning recognition for their high-quality photography and production capabilities.

By integrating Chiptune, Kadokawa aims to reduce its reliance on external animation partners and exert greater creative control over its growing portfolio of anime properties.

Takeshi Kikuchi, Kadokawa’s Chief Anime Officer, highlighted this very point while expressing enthusiasm for welcoming Chiptune.

“By integrating Chiptune into our group, we can internalize the photography process in animation production, secure stable resources, enhance the quality of our works, and facilitate the inheritance and development of photography techniques. We will continue to strengthen our system to create globally competitive anime works,” Kikuchi said.

Chiptune Inc., on its end, affirmed its commitment to the founding vision of Masayuki Narai and pledged to continue producing high-quality anime as part of the Kadokawa group.

This strategic acquisition occurs in the context of Kadokawa’s broader global ambitions, strengthened by a recent alliance with Sony.

The company had recently revealed that they plan to release 9000 titles a year, a significant publishing milestone, with Sony’s backing by 2027.

Source: Oricon