The web3 company Azuki has announced the founding of a US-based anime studio together with manga company COMISMA and the “decentralized animation studio” XENOTOON.
This studio will “develop, produce, and globally distribute original IPs and anime adaptations through unique production models shaped by the creative DNA of Azuki and its partners.”
A quote from Azuki head of content Feb Tea proclaims that the collaboration “can redefine how anime is developed, financed, and experienced around the world, with new original anime titles, stories and creators for years to come.”
Another bold statement from the press release says that Studio Azuki will combine “international momentum with Japan’s anime culture to pioneer new production models, elevate storytelling quality, enable fan collaboration, and introduce social-first formats that define the future of global anime.”
It was also announced that Studio Azuki had entered a strategic partnership with media Westbrook, which counts Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith among its founders. The press release cites Westbrook’s “deep Hollywood network and expertise in global entertainment” and says that the team-up “aims to bring next-generation anime content to audiences worldwide.”
When it comes to anime, the most prominent Azuki-associated product may be the Enter The Garden anthology, which has One Piece Film Red/Code Geass director Goro Taniguchi as creative producer. The credits for the first Enter The Garden episode list Dentsu, Qzil.la, and Imagica Infos under animation production; Qzil.la is owned by COMISMA, which also recently announced its acquisition of Imagica Infos’ “feature-length animation studio production division.”
Other initiatives that Azuki is also involved with include the anime database Anime.com and the cryptocurrency-related Animecoin Foundation.
Source: Press release
