Toei Animation is expanding its global footprint through hybrid film production, free YouTube streaming of catalog titles, and live-event partnerships, while a senior executive publicly redefines anime as no longer exclusively Japanese.
Toei Animation is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy that spans original film production, archival preservation, free digital distribution, and live-event marketing. At the Annecy Festival, the studio detailed Monkey Quest, its first 2D-3D hybrid feature, with Studio SANZIGEN handling the 3D animation and an international cast including Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, and J.K. Simmons. The film is in post-production and aiming for a 2027 release. Separately, the studio launched the Eterna Animation brand as a platform for original works and emerging talent, with the short film Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki set to debut this year.
Toei is also investing in its back catalog. It began streaming all 49 episodes of the 1996-1997 anime Hell Teacher Nube for free on its YouTube channel, celebrating the series' 30th anniversary after a 2025 revival. The National Film Archive of Japan will host a retrospective of 50 Toei theatrical features on 35mm film prints, spanning more than four decades from The Tale of the White Serpent (1958) to One Piece: The Movie (2000). The studio also streamed five detective-themed episodes from past Precure series on YouTube, tying into a crossover with Detective Conan.
On the franchise side, One Piece remains a central driver. Netflix announced The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio re-adapting the East Blue saga, produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. The Dodgers and Toei Animation will host a second One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium in July 2026, following a successful 2025 event. Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that anime is no longer exclusively Japanese, saying the studio aims to create works rooted in local cultures with creators worldwide.
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Toei announced on July 6 that it will stream all 49 episodes of the 1996-1997 TV anime Hell Teacher Nube for free on its Toei Animation Museum Channel on YouTube, starting July 20 with 8 episodes released weekly. The free streaming celebrates the anime's 30th anniversary. A new anime adaptation aired in summer 2025.
Toei Animation presented its next film project, the 2D-3D hybrid animated film Monkey Quest, at the Annecy Festival. Studio SANZIGEN is handling the 3D animation. The film follows a girl and her brother who free a forgotten protector of Earth. The cast includes Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, and J.K. Simmons. The film is in post-production and aiming for a 2027 release.
Toei Animation's new Eterna Animation brand released a trailer for its short film Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki. The film follows character designer Shinano as discarded creations from her past appear to her. Takeru Shinozuka directs and writes in his commercial debut. The short is set to debut this year.
The National Film Archive of Japan (NFAJ) will host a retrospective of Toei Animation this summer, screening 50 theatrical features on 35mm film prints. The program runs from late July through early September. It offers a rare chance to see the studio's films in their original format at a time when most archival screenings have moved to digital. The NFAJ has not published a full lineup, but a teaser flyer confirms the selection spans more than four decades of Toei's output. Early works include The Tale of the White Serpent (1958), considered Japan's first color animated feature, Magic Boy (1959), and Alakazam the Great (1960). The retrospective also features The Little Norse Prince (1968), Isao Takahata's feature that launched a 50-year creative partnership with Hayao Miyazaki, who worked on scene designs and key animation. Later decades are represented by Galaxy Express 999 (1979) and Adieu Galaxy Express 999 (1981). The program highlights Toei's shift into franchise filmmaking with Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) and Sailor Moon R: The Movie (1993). More recent selections include Digimon Adventure (1999) and One Piece: The Movie (2000).
Netflix announced a slate of new One Piece projects on April 7, headlined by The One Piece, a new anime series from Wit Studio that will re-adapt the East Blue saga from Eiichiro Oda's manga. The series is produced in collaboration with Toei Animation and Fuji Television. Unlike the original 1999 anime, this version is described as a reimagining using contemporary production techniques and updated visuals, suggesting a more compact, seasonal approach. Netflix also previewed LEGO One Piece, a two-part animated special premiering September 29. Produced with The LEGO Group, Shueisha, and Atomic Cartoons, it retells the story of the live-action series' first two seasons in LEGO form. The company confirmed that live-action Season 3, titled One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta, is in production for a 2027 release. Additional franchise expansions include a podcast, and merchandise lines from Moose Toys, NERF, Quiksilver, Funko, Netflix Shop, Penguin Random House, Hot Topic, and Primark.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toei Animation will host another One Piece Night at Dodger Stadium on July 2, 2026, during the team's home game against the San Diego Padres. The event, which follows a successful 2025 collaboration, will include a stadium-wide hat giveaway for the first 40,000 ticketed fans. Pregame activations are planned at Centerfield Plaza, along with a ceremonial first pitch and a postgame drone show featuring characters from the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Lon Rosen, the Dodgers' Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said the collaboration has quickly become a can't-miss event. Lisa Yamatoya, Senior Director and Head of Marketing at Toei Animation Inc., called last year's promotion one of the franchise's biggest in 2025 and said the company looks forward to welcoming a record crowd. The announcement follows Toei Animation's recent reveal of the first One Piece Fest 2026 in Los Angeles, further expanding the franchise's North American presence.
Toei Animation is streaming five detective-themed episodes from past Precure series on YouTube, starting with 'Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!' Episode 9, where Cure Mint plays detective over a missing cake. Each episode is available for two weeks.
Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that the era of anime being made only by Japanese people is over, saying the studio aims to create works rooted in local cultures with creators worldwide. The remark from a foundational studio executive signals a potential shift in the industry's self-definition.
Roronoa Zoro has taken first place in every region in the latest weekly results of the One Piece World Top 100 2nd character popularity poll, overtaking Monkey D. Luffy who led the midterm rankings. The data covers votes from April 27 to May 3, 2026. Final results will be announced at One Piece Day '26 in August 2026.