GoHands is a wholly owned subsidiary of U-NEXT HOLDINGS, which acquired all shares of the studio from founder Ringo Kishimoto. The studio is listed as part of the team behind the anime adaptation of The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System, which is streaming with a second part confirmed.
On May 25, U-NEXT HOLDINGS announced a share transfer agreement to acquire all shares of GoHands from founder Ringo Kishimoto. The deal closed on June 1, making the animation studio, whose credits include Seitokai Yakuindomo and Momentary Lily, a wholly owned subsidiary of the streaming and publishing company. U-NEXT HOLDINGS said the acquisition is meant to combine GoHands' production capabilities with its U-NEXT platform, creating an integrated system from original IP through animation production to distribution. The company listed three expected synergies: cost optimization by using GoHands' facilities for localization work that currently relies on outside studios; productivity and quality improvements by applying U-NEXT digital technology to production management; and direct animation adaptation of in-house publishing IPs.
Two days after the first report, Animenomics placed the acquisition in a wider market context. The newsletter reported that the Iran-US war drove Japanese naphtha prices to a four-year high, raising manga printing costs, and that U-NEXT's purchase of GoHands signals a push toward in-house production to control licensing costs.
By late September, GoHands was named as part of the team behind the anime adaptation of The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System, based on the Kodansha Young Magazine series with more than 5 million copies in circulation. A preview for Episode 13 was released ahead of its September 24 premiere, and the same week the production confirmed that Part 2 will continue in Fall 2026 with a key visual, a main promotional video, theme songs, and four additional cast members. Part 2 picks up after lead pair Elymas and Ruche and will stream on Crunchyroll. Kodansha is the publisher of the source material.
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Sep 24
The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System has released a preview for Episode 13, which premieres on September 24. The same week, the production confirmed that Part 2 will continue in Fall 2026, with a key visual, a main promotional video, theme songs, and four additional cast members. The anime is based on the Kodansha Young Magazine series, and the work has more than 5 million copies in circulation. Part 2 picks up after Elymas and Ruche, the lead pair, and it will stream on Crunchyroll. The team behind the adaptation includes Studio GoHands, with Kodansha as the publisher of the source material. The preview arrives one day before the Episode 13 broadcast, and the Part 2 announcements land while the first part is still airing.
May 27
The Animenomics newsletter reports that the Iran-US war has driven naphtha prices in Japan to a four-year high, raising costs for manga printing. Separately, streaming service U-NEXT is acquiring anime studio GoHands from founder Ringo Kishimoto, and Itochu has invested in a San Francisco character licensing agency.
May 25
U-NEXT HOLDINGS announced on May 25 that it has signed a share transfer agreement to acquire all shares of GoHands Co., Ltd., the animation studio behind series such as "Seitokai Yakuindomo" and "Momentary Lily." The acquisition is scheduled to close on June 1, making GoHands a wholly owned subsidiary of the streaming and publishing conglomerate. In a press release, U-NEXT HOLDINGS stated that the move is intended to combine GoHands' animation production capabilities with the company's video distribution platform U-NEXT, building an integrated system from original IP creation through animation production to distribution. The company cited three expected synergies: cost optimization by using GoHands' facilities and know-how for localization work that currently relies on external studios and staff; productivity and quality improvements by applying U-NEXT's digital technology to production management and data collaboration; and direct animation adaptation of in-house publishing IPs, including original books and comics. The acquisition reflects a broader strategy to strengthen revenue through IP-related businesses and compete in the global market for Japanese animation.