Bandai and Twin Engine have formed a strategic partnership for the development of new intellectual properties in manga and animation.
Unveiled on August 5, this joint project aims to develop original works in the form of manga with the express intent of anime adaptation and licensing ventures later on. To cover the costs of publishing and production, both companies have already committed to investing at least 4 billion yen (around 25 million USD) into the joint venture.
Bandai is a well known player in the IP business. As the toy production division of Bandai Namco Holdings, it has already helped develop such series as Mobile Suit Gundam, Digimon and Tamagotchi into gargantuan multimedia entities. Twin Engine, on the other hand, maintains an impressive portfolio of animation studios and creative agencies such as BUG FILMS, who produced the recent adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier.
Such moves have been commonplace across the industry in recent years. One of the reasons why Sony increased its share in Kadokawa in late 2024 was to get in on the ground floor of IP development that comes through such sites as Shousetuka ni Narou. Labor shortages also mean that securing resources is becoming increasingly important for reliable anime production workflows.
