Studio Pierrot Co., Ltd. (株式会社スタジオぴえろ), known as Pierrot Co., Ltd. (株式会社ぴえろ) between 2002 and 2025,[3] is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by Yuji Nunokawa, Hisayuki Toriumi, Mitsuo Kaminashi and Masami Annou, previously animators for Tatsunoko Production and Mushi Production.Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo.[4] Pierrot is renowned for several worldwide popular anime series, such as Naruto, Bleach, Tokyo Ghoul, Creamy Mami, YuYu Hakusho, Urusei Yatsura, Fushigi Yûgi, and many others. Aside from animation production, the company also handles character licensing.
Yu Yu Hakusho and Saiyuki, two of the company's anime series, won the Animage Anime Grand Prix Award in 1994 and 1995, and 2000, respectively.
History
The studio was founded in 1979 by Yuji Nunokawa, Hisayuki Toriumi, Mitsuo Kaminashi, and Masami Annou.Prior to the studio's founding, all four animators previously worked at Tatsunoko Production and Mushi Production. Nunokawa was the studio's first president and CEO, a position which he held until 2012. That year, Nunokawa retired and was elected as chairman of the board; and Michiyuki Honma, the senior managing director, succeeded him as president. Nunokawa remained with the company as chairman until his death in 2022, and two years later in July 2024, Honma retired from his position as CEO in which he was also elected to chairman. Pierrot's director of sales, Kazumichi Ueda, succeeded Honma as CEO and president. The company took on a dual representative structure and Keiro Itsumi, the company's senior managing director, was promoted as a second president to the company (with Ueda).[5]
On April 18, 2025, the company entered into a capital and business partnership with Asahi Production.[6]
7.Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy. ''The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917. Revised and Expanded Edition''. — Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, 2006. — P. 450. — ISBN 978-1-933330-10-5^
