The Answer Studio
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The Answerstudio Co., Ltd.(Japanese: アンサー・スタジオ) is a Japanese animation studio founded in June 2004 by Motoyoshi Tokunaga and headquartered in Tokyo. Formed after the closure of Walt Disney Animation Japan, the studio has collaborated on and produced animation projects, including television series, films, OVAs and ONAs. It had worked with CoMix Wave Films on Makoto Shinkai’s films, such as Your Name (2016), and with DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation on projects like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018), alongside productions like Golgo 13 (2008–2009) and Tower of God season 2 (2024).
History
The history of The Answerstudio is linked to several predecessor studios. Its lineage traces back to Topcraft, established in 1972 by former Toei Animation producer Toru Hara. Topcraft became known for its collaborations with Rankin/Bass Productions on animated films such as The Hobbit (1977), The Return of the King (1980), and The Last Unicorn (1982). Despite its achievements, Topcraft faced financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy, leading to its dissolution on June 15, 1985. After completing Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) with Hayao Miyazaki, Topcraft split, with some talent, including Toru Hara, forming Studio Ghibli, while others established Pacific Animation Corporation.
In 1988, The Walt Disney Company acquired Pacific Animation Corporation and renamed it Walt Disney Animation Japan. This studio produced television series and direct-to-video works, including The Tigger Movie (2000) and Piglet’s Big Movie (2003). Disney announced the closure of Walt Disney Animation Japan in September 2003, with Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005) as its final work.
Following the closure, Motoyoshi Tokunaga, former vice president and general manager of the studio, founded The Answerstudio in June 2004. Tokunaga secured a loan to establish the new company and reassembled many of the animators and staff from the former Disney Japan team.
Works
Television
| Title | First run start date | First run end date | Director(s) | Eps. | Note(s) | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | September 18, 2004 | December 16, 2006 | Ciro Nieli, Fumio Maezono, Alan Wan | 52 | Produced by Jetix, American-Japanese Production | |
| Nepos Napos[ja] | January 31, 2005 | July 25, 2005 | Hiroshi Kawamata[ja], Shunji Oga | 26 | Original | |
| Transformers: Animated | December 26, 2007 | May 23, 2009 | Matt Youngberg | 13 | Produced by Cartoon Network Studios | |
| Golgo 13 | April 12, 2008 | March 28, 2009 | Shunji Oga | 50 | Based on a manga by Takao Saito | |
| Otona Joshi no Anime Time[ja] | January 6, 2011 | March 24, 2013 | Hiroshi Kawamata | 1 | TV special | |
| Shimajiro: A World of WOW! | April 2, 2012 | TBA | Takamitsu Kawamura | 680+ | Original, Produced by Benesse | |
| Tower of God season 2 | July 7, 2024 | December 29, 2024 | Kazuyoshi Takeuchi, Akira Suzuki | 26 | Based on a webtoon by S.I.U. | |
| Anne Shirley | April 5, 2025 | September 27, 2025 | Hiroshi Kawamata | 24 | Based on a novel by L. M. Montgomery |
Films
| Release date | Title | Director(s) | Note(s) | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 8, 2007 | Flag Director's Edition | Ryousuke Takahashi & Kazuo Terada | Compilation of Flag ONA | |
| January 17, 2009 | Armored Trooper Votoms: Pailsen Files Movie | Ryousuke Takahashi | Co-production with Sunrise | |
| May 7, 2010 | Rainbow Magic: Return to Rainspell Island | Hiroshi Kawamata | Co-production with HIT Entertainment | |
| October 28, 2010 | Hal's Flute[ja] | Hiroshi Kawamata | Co-production with TMS Entertainment | |
| March 19, 2012 | Juju the Weightless Dugong | Hiroshi Kawamata | Original, Part of Anime Mirai[ja] | |
| March 15, 2013 | Shimajirō to Fufu no Daibouken | Isamu Hirabayashi[ja] | ||
| March 14, 2014 | Shimajirō to Kujira no Uta | Hiroshi Kawamata & Isamu Hirabayashi | ||
| March 13, 2015 | Shimajirō to Ookinaki | Hiroshi Kawamata & Isamu Hirabayashi | ||
| March 11, 2016 | Shimajirō to Ehon no Kuni | Hiroshi Kawamata & Isamu Hirabayashi | ||
| March 10, 2017 | Shimajirō to Niji no Oasis | Isamu Hirabayashi | ||
| March 9, 2018 | Eiga Shimajirō Mahou no Shima no Daibouken | Takashima Hiro & Hiroshi Kawamata | Co-production with Back Street | |
| March 15, 2019 | Shimajirō to Ururu no Hero Land | Takamitsu Kawamura | Co-production with Back Street | |
| March 11, 2022 | Shimajirō to Kirakira Oukoku no Oujisama | Takamitsu Kawamura | ||
| September 8, 2023 | City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust | Kazuyoshi Takeuchi | Co-production with Sunrise | |
| July 17, 2026 | Kimi to Hanabi to Yakusoku to | Kei Suzuki | Co-production with SynergySP |
Original video animations (OVAs)
| Release date | Title | Director(s) | Eps. | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 26, 2007 | Armored Trooper Votoms: Pailsen Files | Ryousuke Takahashi | 12 | |
| April 23, 2008 | Takashi Yanase Fairy Tale Theatre[ja] | Hiroshi Kawamata | 30 | |
| March 26, 2010 | Armored Trooper Votoms: Phantom Arc[ja] | Ryosuke Takahashi | 6 |
Original net animations (ONAs)
| Release date | Title | Director(s) | Eps. | Note(s) | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 16, 2006 | Flag | Ryosuke Takahashi & Kazuo Terada | 13 | Co-production with Aniplex | |
| October 11, 2017 | Road to You: Kimi e to Tsuzuku Michi[ja] | Hiroshi Kawamata | 1 | ||
| October 20, 2022 | Modern Love Tokyo: He's Playing Our Song | Naoko Yamada | 1 | Seventh episode |
Support
| Year | Title | Type | Production | Note(s) | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Batman: Under the Red Hood | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2011 | Children Who Chase Lost Voices | Film | CoMix Wave Films | Animation Production Assistance | |
| 2013 | The Garden of Words | Film | CoMix Wave Films | Animation Production Assistance | |
| 2014 | Son of Batman | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2015 | Batman vs. Robin | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2016 | Batman: Bad Blood | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2016 | Your Name | Film | CoMix Wave Films | Animation Production Cooperation | |
| 2016 | Batman: The Killing Joke | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2016 | DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2017 | Teen Titans: The Judas Contract | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2018 | Batman: Gotham by Gaslight | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2018 | Flavors of Youth | Film | CoMix Wave Films, Haoliners Animation League | Animation Production Assistance | |
| 2018 | Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors | OVA | Marvel Animation | Production Assistance | |
| 2019 | Weathering With You | Film | CoMix Wave Films | Production Cooperation | |
| 2020 | Superman: Man of Tomorrow | OVA | DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation | Animation Production | |
| 2022 | Suzume | Film | CoMix Wave Films | Production Assistance |
Other works
| Year | Title | Director | Note(s) | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Z-Kai: Cross Road | Makoto Shinkai | Production | |
| 2020 | Marukome[ja] "Taste of Restaurant" Anime CM- Together Forever | Kenya Hirata | Animation Production | |
| 2021 | Marukome "Taste of Restaurant" Anime CM- Be Careful! | Kenya Hirata | ||
| 2021 | Seven-Eleven Japan Anime CM | Hiroshi Kawamata[ja] | ||
| 2022 | Marukome "Taste of Restaurant" Anime CM- Memories of Summer Vacation | Kenya Hirata | ||
| 2022 | KitKat Japan TV CM | Naoko Yamada |
Notable staff
Representative staff
Motoyoshi Tokunaga
Animation staff
- Hiroshi Kawamata
- Kazuyoshi Takeuchi
- Ryousuke Takahashi
- Yuji Watanabe
- Kazuo Terada
- Shunji Oga
- Seigo Kitazawa
Notes
External links
- (in Japanese)
- at Anime News Network's encyclopedia