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 One of Bandai Namco Filmworks' headquarters in Ogikubo, dubbed "White Base" | |
Native name | 株式会社バンダイナムコフィルムワークス |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushiki gaisha Bandai Namuko Firumuwākusu |
| Formerly | Sunrise Studio Y.K. 有限会社サンライズスタジオ Nippon Sunrise Inc. 株式会社日本サンライズ Sunrise Inc. 株式会社サンライズ |
| Company type | Subsidiary (kabushiki gaisha, formerly yūgen gaisha) |
| Industry | Production enterprise and anime (Sunrise) |
| Founded | September 1972 (as Sunrise) April 1, 2022 (as Bandai Namco Filmworks) |
| Headquarters | , Japan |
Key people | Makoto Asanuma (president and CEO) Satoshi Kawano (executive vice-president) Yoshitaka Tao (managing director) |
Number of employees | 586 (as of April 2023)[1] |
| Parent | Bandai Namco Holdings |
| Divisions | Sunrise Bandai Visual Emotion Bandai Channel |
| Subsidiaries | Bandai Namco Music Live Bandai Namco Pictures Actas Sotsu Evolving GUNDAM Eight Bit |
| Website | bnfw.co.jp (BN Filmworks) sunrise-inc.co.jp (Sunrise) |
| Footnotes / references [2][3] | |
Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. (Japanese: 株式会社バンダイナムコフィルムワークス, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Bandai Namuko Firumuwākusu), previously and still famously known as Sunrise Inc., is a Japanese company owned by Bandai Namco Holdings with its business focused on production, planning and management for anime.
History
According to an interview with Sunrise members, the studio was founded by former members of Mushi Production in 1972 as Sunrise Studio, Limited (有限会社サンライズスタジオ, Yugen-kaisha Sanraizu Sutajio). Rather than having anime production revolve around a single creator (like Mushi, headed by Osamu Tezuka), Sunrise decided that production should focus on the producers. The market for mainstream anime (such as manga adaptations, sports shows, and adaptations of popular children's stories) was already dominated by existing companies, so Sunrise decided to focus on robot (mecha) anime, known to be more difficult to animate but which could be used to sell toys.[4]
Sunrise has been involved in many popular and acclaimed anime television series, including Mobile Suit Gundam (and its spin-offs and sequels since 1979), the Magic God Hero Legend Wataru series (1988–1997), the Brave (1990–1997) and Eldran series (1991–1993), both of which were co-produced with Takara Tomy, and the Crest of the Stars series (1999–2001). They produced the apocalyptic Space Runaway Ideon in 1980.
The company have co-produced a number of series with Toei Company, including Majokko Tickle (from episode 16), the Robot Romance Trilogy (Chōdenji Robo Combattler V (1976), Chōdenji Machine Voltes V (1977), Tōshō Daimos (1978)), Daltanious, and Cyborg 009 (a 1979 co-production with Toei Animation). Sunrise is well known for their mecha anime series (including Gundam), such as Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 (1978), Fang of the Sun Dougram (1981), the Armored Trooper Votoms and Aura Battler Dunbine series (1983), Blue Comet SPT Layzner (1985), Patlabor (1989), The Vision of Escaflowne (1996), The Big O (1999/2003), Overman King Gainer (2002), Zegapain (2007), Code Geass (2006/2008), Tiger & Bunny (2011), and Valvrave the Liberator (2013), and worked with Tsuburaya Productions to animate The Ultraman (1979).
In February 1994, Sunrise Inc. became part of the Bandai Group.[5]
On April 1, 2022, Bandai Namco Holdings adopted a new logo that had been initially revealed in October 2021, and with it, a major organization shuffle occurred, resulting in Sunrise subsuming the visual arts division of Bandai Namco Arts, which was dissolved that same day. Following this, the company has adopted the same logo as its parent, and adopted the name of Bandai Namco Filmworks.[6] Its music division, Sunrise Music, has similarly subsumed Bandai Namco Arts' music operations, including Lantis, and changed its name to Bandai Namco Music Live.[7] The Sunrise name has been kept as one of the major brands of the company as of August 2023.[8]
On March 1, 2024, Bandai Namco Filmworks announced the acquisition of anime studio Eight Bit, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.[9][10]
Sunrise
The company's primary division, Sunrise (サンライズ, Sanraizu), is an animation studio founded in September 1972 and is based in Ogikubo, Tokyo.[11] Its former names were also Soeisha, Sunrise Studio and Nippon Sunrise.[12]
The studio is renowned for critically praised and popular original anime series such as Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, Space Runaway Ideon, Armored Trooper Votoms, Magic God Hero Legend Wataru, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, Future GPX Cyber Formula, Crush Gear Turbo, The Vision of Escaflowne, Love Live!, Witch Hunter Robin, My-HiME, My-Otome, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Tiger & Bunny, and Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon, as well as its numerous adaptations of acclaimed light novels including Crest of the Stars, Dirty Pair, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and Accel World, and manga such as City Hunter, Inuyasha, Yashahime, Outlaw Star, Angel Links, Yakitate!! Japan, Planetes, Sgt. Frog, Gin Tama, and Kekkaishi. Their productions usually feature fluid animation and action sequences and many fans refer to the quality of their work as "Sunrise Smooth".
Most of their work are original titles created in-house by their creative staff under a collective pseudonym, Hajime Yatate. They also operated a defunct video-game studio, Sunrise Interactive. Sunrise launched a light-novel publisher, Yatate Bunko Imprint, on September 30, 2016, to publish original titles and supplement their existing franchises with new materials.[13] Anime created by Sunrise which have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix are Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979 and the first half of 1980, Space Runaway Ideon in the second half of 1980, Crusher Joe (a co-production with Studio Nue) in 1983, Dirty Pair in 1985, Future GPX Cyber Formula in 1991, Gundam SEED in 2002, Gundam SEED Destiny in 2004 and 2005, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion in 2006 and 2007 and Code Geass R2 in 2008, making Sunrise the studio which won the largest number of Animage Awards.
Studios
- Studio 1 was created when Sunrise was founded in 1972. Notable works include Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Runaway Ideon, Armored Trooper Votoms, Patlabor, and Inuyasha. It was also the studio responsible for various later Gundam installments: G, Wing, X, Turn A, Unicorn, Reconguista in G, Thunderbolt, Narrative, and Hathaway.
- Studio 2 was created around 1974–75, and some key members left to form Bones in 1998. Notable works include Aura Battler Dunbine and some installments of Gundam: including Zeta, ZZ, Victory, Char's Counterattack and F91. It also worked on The Vision of Escaflowne and Cowboy Bebop, co-producing a film adaptation of each with Bones.
- Studio 3 was created in 1975. Early works included Blue Comet SPT Layzner and City Hunter. It was responsible for many Gundam installments, including 0083, 08th MS Team, and TV series of the franchise: 00, AGE, Build Fighters, Build Fighters Try, Iron-Blooded Orphans and The Witch from Mercury.
- Studio 4 was created in 1979, and notable works include The Ultraman anime. The studio became inactive in 1987. The current Studio 4 began as support for Studio 2, and was known as Studio Iogi (井荻スタジオ) (named after the pseudonym of longtime Sunrise director Yoshiyuki Tomino). The studio's first major work was 1985's Dirty Pair, and other notable works include Planetes, s-CRY-ed and Code Geass.
- Studio 5 was also created in 1979. One of its producers was Mikihiro Iwata, a founder of A-1 Pictures. Notable works include Crest of the Stars, the InuYasha movies, Daily Lives of High School Boys, Aikatsu!, Good Luck Girl!, Gin Tama, Mobile Suit SD Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket.
- Studio 6 was created in 1983. Notable works include The Big O, Sgt. Frog, and Tiger & Bunny. they also provided animation to Batman: The Animated Series. Some members left to form Bridge in 2007.
- Studio 7 was created in 1985. Its first work, uncredited, was on the American cartoon series Centurions: Power Xtreme, and it is noted for Sacred Seven, s-CRY-ed and the Yūsha series. Some members left to form Manglobe in 2002.
- Established around 1995, Studio 8 is notable for My-HiME, Buddy Complex, Idolmaster: Xenoglossia, The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Accel World and Love Live!.
- Studio 7's sister studio, Studio 9 was established in 1996. Notable works include Gasaraki, Infinite Ryvius, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny, Argento Soma and Battle Spirits.
- Studio 5's sister studio, Studio 10 was established around 1996. Notable works include Outlaw Star, Dinosaur King and Phi Brain: Puzzle of God.
- Studio 8's sister studio, Studio 11 was established in 2009 and worked on Kurokami and the SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors series.
- Sunrise's CG production studio, D.I.D. helps creating CG for many of the company's shows (notably Tiger & Bunny, Zegapain, Cross Ange, Valvrave the Liberator, Gundam MS Igloo and Gundam The Origin). They also produce CG work for other animation studios, including Xebec's Space Battleship Yamato 2199.
- Formerly known as Ogikubo Studio (荻窪スタジオ) or Sunrise Emotion, Nerima Studio is best known for the Freedom Project, Valvrave the Liberator, the King of Thorn anime film and Cross Ange.
- Sunrise Origin Studio (サンライズオリジンスタジオ) is Sunrise's in-between animation studio that does in-between animation for other studios' anime titles such as My Hero Academia to The Boy and the Beast.
- White Base is a new studio that recently opened in November 2021 and is named after the famous battleship from the original Gundam.[14]
Former
- Sunrise Beyond Inc. was a subsidiary of Sunrise established after the majority purchase and closure of Xebec. Some of their works include Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise and King's Raid: Successors of the Will. In January 2024, it was announced that the studio will be dissolved and have it merged with Sunrise.[15]
TV animation
1970s
| No. | Title | Year(s) | Broadcast network(s) | Studios | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hazedon | October 1972–March 1973 | Fuji TV | Studio 1 | First work as Soeisha (studio name from 1972 to 1976[5]). |
| 2 | Zero Tester | October 1973–December 1974 | Fuji TV | Studio 1 | The studio's first mecha production before iconic Mobile Suit Gundam, for which it would become famous. |
| 3 | Brave Raideen | April 1975–March 1976 | TV Asahi | Studio 1 | In association with Tohokushinsha and Asahi Advertising. |
| 4 | La Seine no Hoshi | April 1975–December 1975 | Fuji TV | Studio 2 | In association with Unimax and MK Company. |
| 5 | Kum-Kum | October 1975–March 1976 | TBS | Studio 1 | In association with ITC Japan. |
| 6 | Chōdenji Robo Combattler V | April 1976–May 1977 | TV Asahi | Studio 1 | In association with Toei Doga and Tohokushinsha. |
| 7 | Dinosaur Expedition Born Free | October 1976–March 1977 | TV Asahi | Studio 1 | In association with Tsuburaya Productions. First work as Nippon Sunrise (studio name from 1976 to 1987[5]). |
| 8 | Robot Child Beeton | October 1976–September 1977 | TBS | Studio 3 | |
| 9 | Chōdenji Machine Voltes V | June 1977–March 1978 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | In association with Toei Doga and Tohokushinsha. |
| 10 | Invincible Super Man Zambot 3 | October 1977–March 1978 | TV Asahi | Studio 3 | |
| 11 | Majokko Tickle | March 1978–January 1979 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | In association with Toei Doga, Neomedia and Kaze Productions. |
| 12 | Tōshō Daimos | April 1978–January 1979 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | In association with Toei Doga and Tohokushinsha. |
| 13 | Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 | June 1978–March 1979 | TV Asahi | Studio 1 | |
| 14 | Cyborg 009 | March 1979–March 1980 | TV Asahi | Studio 3 | In association with Toei Doga. |
| 15 | Mirai Robo Daltanious | March 1979-March 1980 | TV Tokyo | Studio 2 | In association with Toei Doga. |
| 16 | The Ultraman | April 1979–March 1980 | TBS | Studio 4 | In association with Tsuburaya Productions. |
| 17 | Mobile Suit Gundam | April 1979–January 1980 | TV Asahi | Studio 1 | |
| 18 | Scientific Adventure Team Tansar 5 | July 1979–March 1980 | TV Tokyo | Studio 5 | In association with Tokyu Agency. |
1980s
| No. | Title | Year(s) | Broadcast network(s) | Studios | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Invincible Robo Trider G7 | February 1980–January 1981 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 20 | Space Runaway Ideon | May 1980–January 1981 | TV Tokyo | Studio 1 | |
| 21 | Strongest Robo Daiohja | January 1981–January 1982 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 22 | Fang of the Sun Dougram | October 1981–March 1983 | TV Tokyo | Studio 1 | |
| 23 | Combat Mecha Xabungle | February 1982–January 1983 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 24 | Aura Battler Dunbine | February 1983–January 1984 | |||
| 25 | Armored Trooper Votoms | April 1983–March 1984 | TV Tokyo | Studio 1 | |
| 26 | Round Vernian Vifam | October 1983–September 1984 | TBS | Studio 3 | |
| 27 | Heavy Metal L-Gaim | February 1984–February 1985 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 28 | Giant Gorg | April 1984–September 1984 | TV Tokyo | Studio 4 | |
| 29 | Panzer World Galient | October 1984–March 1985 | Nippon TV | Studio 1 | |
| 30 | Choriki Robo Galatt | October 1984–April 1985 | TV Asahi | Studio 3 | |
| 31 | Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam | March 1985–February 1986 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 32 | Dirty Pair | July 1985–December 1985 | Nippon TV | Studio 4 | |
| 33 | Blue Comet SPT Layzner | October 1985–June 1986 | Nippon TV | Studio 3 | |
| 34 | Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ | March 1986–January 1987 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 35 | Metal Armor Dragonar | February 1987–January 1988 | Studio 7 | ||
| 36 | City Hunter | April 1987–March 1988 | Nippon TV | Studio 3 | |
| 37 | Mister Ajikko | October 1987–September 1989 | TV Tokyo | Studio 7 | First work as Sunrise (studio name from 1987 to 2022[5]). |
| 38 | Mashin Hero Wataru | April 1988–March 1989 | Nippon TV | ||
| 39 | Ronin Warriors | April 1988–March 1989 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 40 | City Hunter 2 | April 1988–July 1989 | Nippon TV | Studio 3 | |
| 41 | Jushin Liger | March 1989–January 1990 | TV Asahi | Studio 2 | |
| 42 | Madō King Granzort | April 1989–March 1990 | Nippon TV | Studio 7 | |
| 43 | Mobile Police Patlabor | October 1989–September 1990 | Studio 1 | In association with Bandai and Tohokushinsha. | |
| 44 | City Hunter 3 | October 1989–January 1990 | Studio 3 |