Kinema Citrus
A Japanese animation studio recognized for visually detailed television anime, films, and original video productions.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Kinema Citrus Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio based in Suginami, Tokyo. Established on March 3, 2008, the studio was formed by personnel with backgrounds at Production I.G and Bones, two influential Japanese animation companies. Its work spans television series, theatrical and other film projects, original video animation, and related anime production activities. Rather than functioning primarily as a consumer-facing product brand, Kinema Citrus is best understood as a creative and production studio whose brand is associated with the anime projects it produces or co-produces. The studio became visible relatively early through work on Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, a 2009 television series co-produced with Bones. The project placed Kinema Citrus in a high-profile production context and demonstrated its participation in ambitious contemporary television animation. It subsequently worked on .hack//Quantum, a three-episode original video animation project, expanding its profile beyond standard television series. Kinema Citrus’s 2014 output included Black Bullet and Barakamon. These projects illustrated the breadth of its production portfolio: Black Bullet was an action-oriented science-fiction series, while Barakamon was a character-focused comedy and slice-of-life title. In 2017, the studio produced Made in Abyss, a fantasy adventure series distinguished by its elaborate environments, contrasting visual tone, and strongly serialized storytelling. The title became one of the studio’s most internationally recognizable works and was followed by additional adaptations and related productions associated with the franchise. In 2019, Kinema Citrus was involved in The Rising of the Shield Hero, another major television anime adaptation with a substantial international audience. The series reinforced the studio’s association with large-scale fantasy and adventure projects, while also demonstrating its role in projects supported by prominent publishing and media partners. Kinema Citrus’s corporate structure changed in December 2019 when Kadokawa and Bushiroad each acquired a 31.8 percent stake. The investment followed a partnership announced earlier that year among the three companies for the development of anime projects. The transaction connected Kinema Citrus more closely with two major Japanese entertainment groups while leaving it identified as a distinct animation studio. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate controlling parent company or a stock-market listing. The studio’s positioning centers on anime production quality, adaptation work, and collaboration with rights holders, publishers, broadcasters, and other media companies. Its publicly associated works suggest particular strength in fantasy, adventure, speculative fiction, and character-driven storytelling, although its credits also cover a wider range of genres. Because animation studios often participate in projects through different production roles, individual titles may involve co-production, subcontracting, or other forms of collaboration rather than being solely created by one company. Kinema Citrus therefore represents both an identifiable creative brand and a production partner within Japan’s broader anime industry.
History
Kinema Citrus was established on March 3, 2008, in Tokyo by professionals formerly associated with Production I.G and Bones. The studio entered the Japanese animation industry as an independent production company, working across television animation, original video animation, and other forms of anime production. Its base in Suginami places it within one of Tokyo’s important clusters for animation production and related creative businesses. One of its early notable projects was Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, a 2009 television series produced in cooperation with Bones. The series gave the relatively young studio a significant credit on a high-profile production. Kinema Citrus later produced .hack//Quantum, a three-episode original video animation series, demonstrating an ability to work outside the conventional television format. The studio expanded its television portfolio in 2014 with Black Bullet and Barakamon. These works differed considerably in genre and tone: Black Bullet was a science-fiction action title, while Barakamon focused on comedy, everyday relationships, and character development. Their inclusion in the studio’s credit history reflects a production profile broader than a single recognizable style or demographic. Kinema Citrus reached a wider international audience through Made in Abyss, released as a television anime in 2017. The fantasy adventure series was noted for its detailed setting, strong visual contrasts, and serialized narrative. It became a central title in the studio’s public identity and contributed to its recognition among anime viewers outside Japan. The studio later worked on The Rising of the Shield Hero, which premiered in 2019 and further connected Kinema Citrus with large-scale fantasy adaptation projects distributed to international audiences. The year 2019 also brought an important corporate development. In December, Kinema Citrus announced that Kadokawa and Bushiroad had each acquired a 31.8 percent stake. The transaction followed a partnership announced earlier in the year among Kinema Citrus, Kadokawa, and Bushiroad concerning the creation of anime projects. The investment strengthened the studio’s links with companies active in publishing, character intellectual property, broadcasting, games, events, and other entertainment businesses. Available reference material does not identify Kinema Citrus as a subsidiary of either investor or provide evidence of a public listing. The studio’s business is project-based and collaborative. Its role can vary by title, and a production credit does not necessarily mean that every creative or industrial function is performed internally. Like other Japanese animation studios, Kinema Citrus operates within a network involving production committees, publishers, broadcasters, distributors, freelance creators, and specialist subcontractors. Its publicly documented work nevertheless establishes a consistent identity as a studio involved in ambitious television and video animation, especially projects requiring detailed world-building, adaptation management, and sustained visual production.
- 2019
The Rising of the Shield Hero
[1]Kinema Citrus works on the television anime adaptation The Rising of the Shield Hero.
- 2019
Kadokawa and Bushiroad take minority stakes
[1]Kadokawa and Bushiroad each acquire a 31.8 percent stake in Kinema Citrus following a project-development partnership.
- 2017
Made in Abyss
[1]Made in Abyss becomes a prominent Kinema Citrus production and a major contributor to the studio’s international recognition.
- 2014
Black Bullet and Barakamon
[1]The studio’s television credits include the science-fiction action series Black Bullet and the slice-of-life comedy Barakamon.
- 2010
.hack//Quantum
[1]Kinema Citrus produces the three-episode original video animation project .hack//Quantum.
- 2009
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
[1]The studio works with Bones on the television anime Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.
- 2008
Kinema Citrus is founded
[1]Kinema Citrus is established on March 3 in Tokyo by former Production I.G and Bones personnel.
Products and positioning
A Japanese anime production studio positioned around high-quality visual production, adaptation work, and distinctive fantasy, adventure, speculative-fiction, and character-driven projects.
Television anime · 2009
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
A 2009 television anime produced in cooperation with Bones. The project was among Kinema Citrus’s early high-profile credits and established its participation in ambitious, contemporary television animation.
Original video animation · 2010
.hack//Quantum
A three-episode original video animation project in the .hack franchise. It represents Kinema Citrus’s work in the OVA format and its involvement with established Japanese media properties.
Television anime · 2014
Black Bullet
A 2014 science-fiction action television anime and one of the studio’s notable mid-2010s productions. The title broadened Kinema Citrus’s television portfolio into dystopian and speculative fiction.
Television anime · 2014
Barakamon
A 2014 character-focused comedy and slice-of-life television anime. Its relaxed tone and emphasis on interpersonal development contrasted with the studio’s action and speculative-fiction projects.
Television anime and franchise productions · 2017
Made in Abyss
A fantasy adventure anime first released as a television series in 2017. The project is associated with detailed environments, an expansive fictional setting, and a strongly serialized narrative, and it became one of Kinema Citrus’s best-known works internationally.
Television anime · 2019
The Rising of the Shield Hero
A 2019 fantasy television anime adaptation that helped extend Kinema Citrus’s profile among international viewers. It is part of the studio’s visible body of work in large-scale fantasy and adventure adaptations.
Brand decisions
2019
Minority investment by Kadokawa and BushiroadM&ABackground
Kinema Citrus, Kadokawa, and Bushiroad had announced a partnership earlier in 2019 to develop anime projects. The investment was presented in connection with that collaboration.
Action taken
In December 2019, Kadokawa and Bushiroad each acquired a 31.8 percent stake in Kinema Citrus.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened Kinema Citrus’s corporate relationship with two major Japanese entertainment groups. The available reference does not establish a full acquisition or a change to the studio’s public identity as a distinct company.
Sources3 sources
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