TBS' Sand B Company Acquires Xenotoon CG Anime Studio
Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings' anime planning and development company Sand B has acquired a 51% controlling stake in 3D CG anime studio Xenotoon, making it a subsidiary. The acquisition was announced alongside a visual drawn by director Gensho Yasuda. TBS and Sand B plan to merge Xenotoon with TBS' existing anime studio Seven Arcs sometime in mid-2027. Xenotoon was founded in December 2019 and is led by CEO and producer Koichi Kawase. The studio is best known for its work with Yasuda, who directed the full-length animated film Make a Girl, which debuted in January 2025. Xenotoon and Yasuda also produced the Moana to Densetsu no Umi 2 3D short anime. In July 2025, Xenotoon, Web3 anime brand Azuki, and Comisma announced a new U.S.-based joint anime studio named Studio Azuki. TBS acquired Seven Arcs in December 2017; Seven Arcs is known for the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha franchise and is currently producing the latest entry, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance, premiering July 4. TBS established Sand B in May 2025 with a 30 billion yen investment to plan, develop, and produce animation, aiming for global expansion.