As reported by Nikkei, Toho has announced their intention to acquire anime studio Science SARU (株式会社サイエンスSARU). This move will see Toho purchase all shares of Science SARU, making them a Toho subsidiary in the process. The stated goal of the buyout is to strengthen Toho’s animation business. For the purpose stated on record, this was cited as improving the quality of animation from Toho and also their growth in this sector.
Gamebiz notes the actual stock acquisition is set to happen on June 19th, 2024. While the purchase of Science SARU is unlikely to bring many IPs with them, as the company was largely contracted out by other companies, this will enhance Toho’s ability to produce anime. It’s unknown how they will function with Toho Animation, Toho’s anime department which was created in 2013.
On their website, Science SARU had the following to say on the acquisition (loosely translated):
“We share [with Toho] a strong mutual vision for future business development. By joining the Toho Group, we aim to further grow our animation production business. We’ll continue to strive to improve the corporate value of our client companies. In addition, we intend to work even harder in the future.”
About Science SARU
Established in 2013 by producer Eunyoung Choi and director Masaaki Yuasa, Science SARU has produced several feature films and animated series. Their work has run the gamut, including doing small animation projects around the Star Wars license, the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off series, Crayon Shin-chan movies, Ghost in the Shell license and more. Famous output includes Devilman Crybaby (2018) for Netflix, Japan Sinks: 2020 (2020), Yo-kai Watch: The Movie (2014) and Inu-Oh (2022). Their work has won numerous accolades over the years, including from the Japan Academy Film Prize Association and the Golden Globe Awards.
As a side note, although they prefer to spell the latter part out in Romaji, their company name literally translates out to “Science Monkey”. This is why their logo features a cartoonish primate on it.
