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Bandai Namco Pictures

Japanese animation studio From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bandai Namco Pictures Inc.,[a] also branded as BN Pictures[b] is a Japanese animation studio. 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, copyright and production divisions of Sunrise that target children and family were transferred to BN Pictures such as Sgt. Frog, the Battle Spirits series, the Aikatsu series, the Gintama series, the Zorori series among others. The company began its operations in April 2015.

BN Pictures
Native name
株式会社バンダイナムコピクチャーズ
Kabushiki gaisha Bandai Namuko Pikuchāzu
TypeSubsidiary
Quick facts Trade name, Native name ...
Bandai Namco Pictures Inc.
BN Pictures
Native name
株式会社バンダイナムコピクチャーズ
Kabushiki gaisha Bandai Namuko Pikuchāzu
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAnimation studio
FoundedApril 2015; 11 years ago (2015-04)
HeadquartersOgikubo,
Suginami, Tokyo
,
Japan
Key people
ProductsAnime
Revenue¥10 million
Owner
Number of employees
130 (December 2021)
DivisionsBN Pictures Creative Room
BN Pictures Osaka Studio
BN Pictures Iwaki Studio
SubsidiariesStudio Dub [ja]
Websitewww.bn-pictures.co.jp
Footnotes
"Corporate Profile". www.bn-pictures.co.jp (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Pictures. Archived from the original on April 28, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
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Secondary logo used for the animation studio division and also used as a corporate logo from 2015 to 2022.

History

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] BNP absorbed Sunrise's production departments and copyrights 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, BNP would produce several original projects, such as the stop-motion animation series Milpom![6] BNP 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, BNP opened a division in Osaka, the BN 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, BNP absorbed Studio Dub, an animation subcontractor established by former Sunrise animators. The acquisition renamed the company BN Pictures Iwaki, though it continues using the name Studio Dub for its projects.

Works

Television series

More information Title, Director(s) ...
Title Director(s) First run
start date		 First run
end date		 Broadcast network(s) Eps. Notes Ref.
Battle Spirits: Burning Soul [ja] Kunihisa Sugishima April 1, 2015 March 30, 2016 TV Tokyo 51 Original work, Battle Spirits production produced by BN Pictures [8]
Tribe Cool Crew Masaya Fujimori April 5, 2015[c] October 4, 2015 Nagoya TV, TV Asahi 26[d] Original work, took over production from Sunrise [9]
Gintama° Chizuru Miyawaki April 8, 2015 March 30, 2016 TV Tokyo 51 Based on the Gintama manga series by Hideaki Sorachi, first Gintama production produced by BN Pictures [10]
Aikatsu! Ryūichi Kimura October 1, 2015[c] March 31, 2016 26[d] Original work, took over production from Sunrise [3]
Brave Beats Yūta Murano October 6, 2015 March 27, 2016 Nagoya TV, TV Asahi 22 Original work
Battle Spirits: Double Drive [ja] Kunihisa Sugishima April 6, 2016 March 29, 2017 TV Tokyo 51 Original work, second Battle Spirits production produced by BN Pictures [8]
Aikatsu Stars! Teruo Satō April 7, 2016 March 29, 2018 100 Original work [11]
Heybot! [ja] Shinji Ishihira September 18, 2016 September 24, 2017 Nagoya TV, TV Asahi 50 Original work [8]
Gintama. Chizuru Miyawaki January 8, 2017 October 7, 2018[12][13] TV Tokyo 51 Second Gintama production produced by BN Pictures
Also known as Gintama. Porori-hen[8] and Gintama. Shirogane no Tamashii-hen[10]		 [8]
Aikatsu Friends! Shishō Igarashi April 5, 2018 September 26, 2019 76 Original work [14]
B-PROJECT～Zecchō＊Emotion～ Makoto Moriwaki January 11, 2019 March 29, 2019 Tokyo MX 12 Original work [10]
Aikatsu on Parade! Shishō Igarashi October 5, 2019 March 28, 2020 TV Tokyo 25 Original work [15]
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Makoto Moriwaki October 5, 2019 present NHK Educational TV 65 Renewed for season 4[16] [17][18][19]
Zorori the Naughtier Hero [ja] Takahide Ogata April 5, 2020 September 21, 2022 75[20][21] Based on the Kaiketsu Zorori book series by Yutaka Hara, co-production with Ajiado [22]
Saikyō Kamizmode [ja] Mitsutoshi Satō October 9, 2020 April 9, 2021 Tokyo MX 26 Original work, first premiered on BN Pictures' YouTube channel on September 28, 2020 before launching on television.[23][better source needed] [24]
Aikatsu Planet! Ryūichi Kimura January 10, 2021 June 27, 2021 TV Tokyo 25 Original work, live-action/anime hybrid [25]
Cestvs: The Roman Fighter[e]
  • Toshifumi Kawase[f]
  • Kazuya Monma
 April 15, 2021 June 24, 2021 Fuji TV[26] 11 Based on the manga series by Shizuya Wazarai [27]
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story Takayuki Inagaki April 6, 2022 June 24, 2023[28] TV Tokyo 25 Original work [29]
Raven of the Inner Palace Chizuru Miyawaki October 1, 2022[30] December 24, 2022 Tokyo MX 13 Based on the light novel series by Kōko Shirakawa [31][32]
Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari Ryūichi Kimura January 10, 2023 September 19, 2023 24 Based on the manga series by Oniguzou [33]
Wistoria: Wand and Sword
  • Tatsuya Yoshihara[g]
  • Hideaki Nakano
 July 7, 2024 present TBS 12 Based on the manga series written by Fujino Ōmori and illustrated by Toshi Aoi, co-production with Actas [35]
I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! Katsumi Ono January 12, 2025 June 29, 2025 Nippon TV 24 Based on the light novel series by Kōsuke Unagi [36]
Mashin Creator Wataru Yumi Kamakura January 12, 2025 June 22, 2025 TV Tokyo 24 Fourth installment in Sunrise's Mashin Hero Wataru series [37][38]
Rock Is a Lady's Modesty Shinya Watada April 3, 2025 June 26, 2025 TBS[39] 13 Based on the manga series by Hiroshi Fukuda [40]
Shabake Takahiro Ōkawa October 3, 2025 December 26, 2025 Fuji TV 13 Based on the novel series by Megumi Hatanaka [41]
Gintama: Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class
  • Makoto Moriwaki[f]
  • Natsumi Higashida
 October 7, 2025[42] December 23, 2025 TV Tokyo 12 Based on the light novel series written by Tomohiko Ōsaki and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi, spin-off to the Gintama franchise[43] [44]
Sgt. Frog☆
  • Nobuhiro Kondo[f]
  • Akihiko Sano
 October 3, 2026 TBA TBA Based on the Sgt. Frog manga series by Mine Yoshizaki [45]
Battle Spirits Re Zekkai no Kū [ja] Masashi Kudo October 6, 2026 TBA Tokyo MX TBA Original work, Battle Spirits production produced by BN Pictures [46]
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Films

More information Title, Director(s) ...
Title Director(s) Release date Distributor Notes
Incredible Zorori: Heroes of Space Tomoko Iwasaki September 12, 2015 Tokyo Theaters[47][better source needed] Co-produced with Ajiado[48]
Aikatsu! Music Awards - The Show Where Everyone Gets an Award! Shinya Watada August 22, 2015 Toei Company
Aikatsu Stars! The Movie Shinya Watada August 13, 2016
Aikatsu! The Targeted Magical Aikatsu Card Ryūichi Kimura Double-billed with Aikatsu Stars! The Movie
Incredible Zorori: Secret of the Double Z Masaya Fujimori November 22, 2017 Tokyo Theaters[49][better source needed] Co-produced with Ajiado
Gintama: The Very Final Chizuru Miyawaki January 8, 2021 Warner Bros. Japan
Hula Fulla Dance
December 3, 2021 Aniplex [50]
Aikatsu Planet! The Movie Ryūichi Kimura July 15, 2022 BN Pictures
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
Incredible Zorori: Lalala A Star Is Born Takahide Ogata December 9, 2022 Tokyo Theaters[51][better source needed] Co-produced with Ajiado
Aikatsu! × PriPara: The Movie The Miracle of Our Encounter! [ja] Takahiro Okawa October 10, 2025 BN Pictures
Gintama the Movie 2026: Yoshiwara in Flames [zh] Naoya Ando February 13, 2026 Warner Bros. Pictures [52]
New Theatrical Movie Keroro Gunsō: Upon Revival, Immediately Facing the Threat of Earth's Destruction!
June 26, 2026 Kadokawa
Bandai Namco Filmworks		 [53]
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OVA/ONAs

More information Title, Director(s) ...
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[54]
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 [55]
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Notes

  1. [a]
    Japanese: 株式会社バンダイナムコピクチャーズ, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Bandai Namuko Pikuchāzu; BNP
  2. [b]
    Japanese: BNピクチャーズ, Hepburn: Bi En Pikuchāzu
  3. [c]
    First episode under BN Pictures
  4. [d]
    Total number of episodes under BN Pictures
  5. [e]
    BN Pictures is producing the series and is responsible for the 2D animation work, whereas Logic&Magic is responsible for the 3D animation work.
  6. [f]
    Credited as Chief Director.
  7. [g]
    Credited as chief director for season 2.[34]

References

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