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Anime studios are what breathe life into anime fans' favorite shows; through their hard work and dedication, fans of shows like Demon Slayer and Attack On Titan can enjoy vibrant and spectacular animated sequences of fight scenes and pivotal moments. Studios like Wit and Ufotable stand as the foundation for fan-favorite anime to be remembered and loved worldwide.
However, sometimes great studios responsible for fantastic anime falter and disappear from the mainstream, and then all together. Whether it's financial trouble, burnout, or retirement, there have been many great anime Studios to fade from the public view and go out of business. Here are some of the best anime studios that are no longer around.
7 Mushi Productions
Mushi Production, also known as Mushi Pro, was an anime studio founded in 1961 by Osamu Tezuka. Osamu Tezuka is dubbed the “Father of Manga”, having created highly acclaimed and beloved series such as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion.
Mushi Production is perhaps the most influential anime studio that paved the way for what anime is today with series like Astro Boy, Dororo, Gum Gum Punch, and Ashita no Joe. Mushi Productions is highly regarded as the reason for anime’s current amount of success; unfortunately, the company went defunct in 1973 but was revived in 1977 without Tezuka, who had left the company much earlier.
6 Topcraft
Topcraft was founded in 1971 by the former producer of Toei Animation, Toru Hara. Topcraft is perhaps most known for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, one of the most prominent anime films of its time when it was released in 1984 and has since retained a pristine reputation or being a work of art. However, Topcraft is responsible for a magnitude of other series that spread throughout Japan and the multiple areas in the west.
Series such as The Jackson 5ive, The Return of The King, and The Hobbit; Topcraft’s work can even be found in episodes of Lupin the III. Unfortunately, the studio went Defunct in 1985 and was essentially split in half by employees. Notably, one employee by the name of Hayao Miyazaki went on to form another studio called “Studio Ghibli” with Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata.
5 Radix Ace Entertainment
Founded in 1995, Radix Ace Ent. (Originally Zero-G Room) was responsible for most of the western success anime has today; it is known for cult classics such as Silent Mobius, Android Kikaider, and the Misaki Chronicles.
Radix went defunct in 2006 for unknown reasons, after which most of the company’s employees transferred to the anime studio “Seven to continue working while the rest of the company merged with Mobaanimation to become Radix Mobanimation in 2007. Seven went on to create different types of OVA’s and animation projects, one of which being Kings Game.
4 Manglobe
Manglobe is a prominent anime studio responsible for bringing to life some of the most beloved and successful anime series to date. Manglobe was founded in 2002 by Shinichirō Kobayashi and Takashi Kochiyama and went on to create beautiful series such as Ergo Proxy, Samurai Champloo, The World God Only Knows, and Gangsta. Unfortunately, the company amassed massive debt and filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Manglobe was succeeded by the anime studio Geno Studio, which is a subsidiary of Twin Engine studios.
3 Hal Film Maker
Hal Film Maker was founded in 1993 by former Toei animation employees; the studio produced several series that had tremendous success in the west. Anime such as Boys Be…, Princess TuTu, Macross 7, Angel Sanctuary, and Oban Star-Racers. Hal Film Maker went defunct and was merged along with Yumeta Company by TYO inc in 2009, and its name was changed to TYO animations.
Under this new name, the studio produced Sengoku Musou and Terraformars: Revenge. The company was further dissolved in 2017, and the name fully reverted to that of the Yometa company.
2 Group Tac
Founded in 1968, Group Tac has one of the most impressive portfolios in the industry, being responsible for creating some of the most memorable anime series in both Japan and western countries. The company was founded by several members of the Mishi Pro studio after several high-ranking members parted ways.
Atsumi Tashiro headed the company until his death in July 2010. Group Tac worked in multiple fields such as Movies, Video games' original content; some of the series Group Tac has been a part of is Street Fighter 2, Those who hunt elves, Grappler Baki, Blame!. Black Blood Brothers, and Viewtiful Joe. Group Tac went defunct in 2010 after filing bankruptcy.
1 Production IMS
Production IMS was founded by former AIC (Anime International Company) members in 2013. Production IMS was not only an anime studio but a production company that provided original content. Series such as Date a Live, The testament of Sister new Devil, and Hundred were well-received series that signaled a lengthy lifespan for the new company.
Unfortunately, IMS suffered detrimental financial problems and controversy surrounding the non-payment of Animators started by animator Teru Miyazaki. In 2018 the company would file bankruptcy amidst the controversy and go defunct.