Toei Animation is a 70-year-old studio operating across franchises, original IP, and international co-productions, with a new in-house brand for original shorts and a hybrid 2D-3D feature in post-production.
Toei Animation turned 70 on July 31, 2026, and marked the milestone with a retrospective video, a dedicated website, and a message from president Katsuhiro Takagi framing the anniversary as a step toward the studio's 100th. The anniversary also anchors a broader push into original works. The studio established Eterna Animation in 2025 as an in-house production brand for original IP, and its first project, the short film Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki, premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival. Director Takeru Shinozuka, a veteran animator, makes his commercial directorial debut with the film, which follows a character designer confronting her discarded creations.
The studio is also expanding its theatrical and streaming presence. The National Film Archive of Japan will host a summer retrospective of 50 Toei theatrical features on 35mm prints, spanning from The Tale of the White Serpent (1958) to One Piece: The Movie (2000). On the streaming side, Toei has been releasing classic episodes and films for free on YouTube and TVer, including all 49 episodes of Hell Teacher Nube and detective-themed Precure episodes. The studio is also deepening its franchise partnerships: One Piece Night returns to Dodger Stadium for a second year, and Netflix's One Piece slate includes a Wit Studio reboot produced in collaboration with Toei and Fuji Television.
At Annecy, Toei presented Monkey Quest, its first hybrid 2D-3D feature, with Studio SANZIGEN handling 3D animation and a cast including Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, and J.K. Simmons. The film is in post-production for a 2027 release. 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 Animation turned 70 on July 31 and released a special video celebrating its history, decade by decade. The studio also opened a 70th anniversary website with a production history and a message from president Katsuhiro Takagi, who thanked fans and staff and framed the milestone as a step toward the studio's 100th anniversary.
TOKYO MX will broadcast 'Eiga Yes! Pretty Cure 5: Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken!' on August 9 at 19:00. The 2007 film introduced the Miracle Light support item and the dark warrior team Dark Pretty Cure 5, whose members were voiced by actors later cast in other Pretty Cure series.
TVer began a limited free streaming run of three Precure films on August 2: Hugtto! Precure, Star Twinkle PreCure, and Healin' Good PreCure. The end date is not yet announced. The lineup includes the 15th anniversary crossover film featuring 55 Precure characters with original voice casts.
Toei Animation established Eterna Animation in 2025 as an in-house production brand for original IP development. Its first production, the short film Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki, premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. Director Takeru Shinozuka, a veteran animator, makes his directorial debut with the film.
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Shueisha, and Toei Animation announced on Sunday that the One Piece Day '26 event will stream worldwide on YouTube, with X and LINE added as free livestream platforms this year. The two-day event takes place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on August 22-23. The August 22 stream runs from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. JST, and the August 23 stream runs from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. JST. The livestream will be archived for a limited time. The event includes the final results of the second WORLD TOP 100 character popularity poll, with rankings 100 through 31 announced on August 22 and the top 30 on August 23. A prediction campaign called WORLD TOP 100 The King of Guesses launched August 3 on the ONE PIECE BASE app, letting fans predict the final top 30 characters for digital rewards and a chance at prizes. The August 23 program features three One Piece News segments, a One Piece Card Game special panel, the finals of the 8th One Piece Knowledge King competition, an Elbaf Arc voice cast panel, and a live concert with Hiroshi Kitadani, Maki Otsuki, Aina The End, and 36km/h.
The second online lottery for 'The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe' opened July 17, 2026, with a summer beach theme. Character designer Yokatabe Tōko drew new illustrations of Kitaro's father and Mizuki relaxing on the beach. Prizes include foil-stamped acrylic art boards, acrylic stands, keychains, clear file sets, and hologram badges. The lottery runs through August 16, 2026, at 880 yen per play.
The 1987 Dragon Ball theatrical film Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle will air on TOKYO MX on July 19, 2026 at 20:00. It is the second broadcast in a series following last year's airing of the first Dragon Ball film. The film features Goku and Krillin rescuing a sleeping princess from demons.
Toei Animation's Eterna Animation brand short film FOXING: Kitsuné-tsuki will screen at three festivals, including a competition slot at Fantasia IFF for the Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation. The film follows character designer Shinano as she encounters her discarded creations. Takeru Shinozuka makes his commercial directorial debut, writing and designing the characters. The short also screens at Indy Shorts Film Festival and RIFFA. Eterna Animation launched this year for Toei's 70th anniversary, focusing on original works.
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.