Sola Digital Arts
Japanese animation studio specializing in computer-generated imagery and digital visual production.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Sola Digital Arts is a Japanese animation studio established in 2009 by Joseph Chou, a former producer associated with ADV Films. Chou serves as the studio's chief executive officer. The company is principally known for computer-generated imagery, digital animation, and visual production for feature films, television, original video and online animation, games, and interactive entertainment. The studio's work has frequently involved internationally recognized science-fiction, fantasy, action, and anime properties. Its feature-film credits include Starship Troopers: Invasion, Appleseed Alpha, Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars, and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. It has also contributed to television and streaming projects, including Ultraman and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, both produced in collaboration with Production I.G. Other digital and short-form projects include Evangelion:Another Impact, Samurai & Shogun, Rick and Morty vs. Genocider, Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil), and The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara. Sola Digital Arts has also worked across games and location-based or interactive media. Its listed game-related credits include the opening movie for Tekken 7, special demo content for Shin Godzilla on PlayStation VR, the Argyle Shift virtual-reality attraction, and storyboards for event scenes in Elden Ring. These projects illustrate a production model that extends beyond conventional animated series and films into promotional cinematics, virtual reality, game storytelling, and other forms of computer-generated visual media. In 2017, Sola Digital Arts became an animation division of Sola Entertainment, a newly formed production-management company. The broader Sola Entertainment organization has subsequently been associated with production work on titles such as Tower of God, The God of High School, Shenmue: The Animation, Ninja Kamui, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Rick and Morty: The Anime, and Lazarus. The distinction between Sola Digital Arts as a digital-animation studio and Sola Entertainment as a production-management entity is important: the former is identified primarily with CGI and animation production, while the latter coordinates or participates in a broader range of animated productions. Sola Digital Arts operates in a collaboration-oriented part of the animation industry, working with rights holders, distributors, animation partners, game companies, and production committees. Its portfolio combines original digital projects with adaptations and franchise-based productions. The available reference material does not establish a separate public stock listing, revenue figure, ownership structure beyond its relationship with Sola Entertainment, or a current standalone corporate website. Its continuing association with animation and entertainment projects indicates an active status, although detailed current corporate information is limited.
History
Sola Digital Arts was founded in Japan in 2009 by Joseph Chou, a former ADV Films producer who became the studio's chief executive officer. From its beginning, the company was positioned around computer-generated imagery and digital animation rather than traditional hand-drawn production alone. Its work has covered feature films, television and streaming series, original online projects, promotional animation, game cinematics, virtual-reality experiences, and visual-development material. The studio's early feature credits established a strong connection with science-fiction and action franchises. Starship Troopers: Invasion was released in 2012, followed by Appleseed Alpha in 2014. In 2015, the studio was associated with Evangelion:Another Impact and produced the opening movie for Tekken 7. These projects demonstrated its ability to work across Japanese animation properties, international genre franchises, and game-related cinematic production. Sola Digital Arts continued its involvement in interactive and digital entertainment in 2016, contributing special demo content for Shin Godzilla on PlayStation VR and the Argyle Shift VR attraction. Its feature-film work also continued with Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars in 2017. That year marked an organizational change: Sola Digital Arts became an animation division of the newly formed Sola Entertainment production-management company. This placed the studio within a broader production structure while preserving its identity as a CGI and animation specialist. The studio's later portfolio includes several prominent television, online, and streaming projects. Ultraman, produced with Production I.G, ran from 2019 to 2023. Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, also made with Production I.G, ran from 2020 to 2022. During 2020 and 2021, Sola Digital Arts was associated with a series of shorter or online works, including Samurai & Shogun, Rick and Morty vs. Genocider, Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil), The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara, and Samurai & Shogun Part 2. The studio also contributed to the feature Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War in 2021. Its game-related work expanded in the following period. The studio is credited with storyboards for event scenes within Elden Ring in 2022. This type of contribution reflects the increasingly integrated relationship between animation studios and game development, where cinematic planning, character presentation, and narrative staging can require specialized animation expertise. Sola Digital Arts has operated alongside the wider Sola Entertainment production slate, which includes Tower of God, The God of High School, Shenmue: The Animation, Ninja Kamui, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Rick and Morty: The Anime, and Lazarus. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is listed both among Sola Digital Arts' film-related work and Sola Entertainment's production activities. The available reference does not provide detailed information about the company's ownership, financial performance, employee count, facilities, or independent corporate governance. Accordingly, its documented history is best understood through its credited productions and its organizational relationship with Sola Entertainment.
- 2024
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
[1]The studio's listed film work included The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
- 2022
Elden Ring storyboards
[1]Sola Digital Arts was credited with storyboards for event scenes within Elden Ring.
- 2021
Additional franchise projects
[1]The studio's listed work included Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War, Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil), The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara, and Samurai & Shogun Part 2.
- 2020
Streaming and online animation activity
[1]The studio was associated with Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Samurai & Shogun, and Rick and Morty vs. Genocider.
- 2019
Ultraman
[1]The studio began its listed work on Ultraman, produced with Production I.G.
- 2017
Integration into Sola Entertainment
[1]Sola Digital Arts became an animation division of the newly formed Sola Entertainment production-management company.
- 2016
Virtual-reality projects
[1]Sola Digital Arts contributed special PlayStation VR demo content for Shin Godzilla and the Argyle Shift VR attraction.
- 2015
Expansion into franchise and game-related CGI
[1]The studio was associated with Evangelion:Another Impact and the Tekken 7 opening movie.
- 2014
Appleseed Alpha
[1]Sola Digital Arts was credited on the animated feature Appleseed Alpha.
- 2012
Starship Troopers: Invasion
[1]The studio's listed feature-film work included the CGI science-fiction film Starship Troopers: Invasion.
Products and positioning
A Japanese CGI-focused animation studio serving international franchise, anime, film, television, game, and interactive-media productions.
Animated feature film · 2012
Starship Troopers: Invasion
A CGI science-fiction feature released in 2012 and based on the Starship Troopers property. It is one of the studio's early listed feature-film credits and reflects its focus on digitally produced action and genre animation.
Animated feature film · 2014
Appleseed Alpha
A 2014 animated feature connected with the Appleseed science-fiction franchise. The title forms part of Sola Digital Arts' early portfolio of CGI-driven franchise productions.
Animated television and streaming series · 2019
Ultraman
A digitally animated Ultraman series produced with Production I.G. Sola Digital Arts' listed involvement ran from 2019 to 2023, placing the studio within a major Japanese science-fiction franchise delivered in a contemporary streaming-oriented format.
Animated streaming series · 2020
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045
A computer-generated continuation of the Ghost in the Shell television tradition, produced with Production I.G. The series was released across 2020 to 2022 and is among Sola Digital Arts' most prominent internationally recognized animation credits.
Animated feature film · 2024
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
An animated feature set in the world of The Lord of the Rings and listed among Sola Digital Arts' film work in 2024. It represents the studio's participation in a large international fantasy franchise.
Original online animation · 2020
Samurai & Shogun
A short-form or online animated project listed among the studio's 2020 works. It was followed by Samurai & Shogun Part 2 in 2021, indicating a continuing project line.
Game cinematic · 2015
Tekken 7 opening movie
A promotional and narrative opening movie created for the fighting game Tekken 7. The credit illustrates Sola Digital Arts' work outside standalone animation releases, particularly in cinematic game presentation.
Game visual development · 2022
Elden Ring event-scene storyboards
Storyboard work for event scenes within Elden Ring, listed for 2022. This contribution demonstrates the studio's involvement in planning and visual development for interactive narrative sequences.
Brand decisions
2017
Organizational integration into Sola EntertainmentStrategyBackground
Sola Entertainment was newly formed as a production-management company, and Sola Digital Arts was identified as its animation division.
Action taken
Sola Digital Arts became an animation division within the Sola Entertainment structure.
Aftermath
The studio continued to be associated with CGI animation, while Sola Entertainment developed a broader production slate that included television, streaming, and feature projects.
Sources1 sources
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