TMS Entertainment

TMS Entertainment is a Japanese animation company headquartered in Nakano, Tokyo. Its corporate history combines the legacy of Kyokuichi, a company founded in 1946, with that of Tokyo Movie and Tokyo Movie Shinsha, the animation organizations that established many of the studio’s best-known creative traditions. The company is now the animation business of the Sega Group and operates through production, planning, program sales, character licensing, and other intellectual-property activities. The animation side of the business began with Tokyo Movie, founded in 1964 by Yutaka Fujioka with investment from Tokyo Broadcasting System. After an initially difficult start, Tokyo Movie developed a production relationship with A Production and assembled creators who had worked at Toei Animation and other studios. This arrangement helped produce a succession of commercially important television series, including Obake no Q-Tarō, Star of the Giants, Attack No. 1, Tensai Bakabon, Lupin the Third Part I, Aim for the Ace!, and Gamba no Bouken. Tokyo Movie became independent from Kokusai Hōei in 1971, while its sales organization was separated in 1976 to form Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Tokyo Movie Shinsha became one of Japan’s major animation studios during the 1970s and 1980s. Its work covered television series, feature films, adaptations, and international co-productions. The company established Telecom Animation Film in 1975 to train artists in full animation and to support ambitions for internationally oriented feature production. Telecom later worked on projects for Japanese and overseas partners, while TMS itself participated in productions connected with companies such as DiC, Disney Television Animation, Warner Bros. Animation, and Filmation. International projects included Ulysses 31, Sherlock Hound, Mighty Orbots, Bionic Six, and Sweet Sea. A major but difficult undertaking was Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. The project brought together Japanese and American artists and producers and took several years to complete. Although the film demonstrated the company’s international ambitions and attracted interest from prominent animators, its long development and high production cost made it a commercial disappointment. The experience formed an important part of TMS’s transition away from large, independently driven feature-film ambitions toward a broader combination of television production, commissioned work, licensing, and established franchise films. The corporate successor to the Kyokuichi business changed its focus toward entertainment after its acquisition by the Watchman Group in 1989. In 1995, Kyokuichi and Tokyo Movie Shinsha combined their corporate histories under the TMS name. TMS later became part of Sega and, following the formation of Sega Sammy Holdings, operated within that wider group. The company maintains multiple production studios and wholly owned or affiliated animation businesses, including Telecom Animation Film. Its contemporary portfolio continues to center on long-running Japanese properties such as Lupin the Third, Detective Conan, and Anpanman, alongside new series, films, distribution, and rights management. TMS is therefore both a production studio and a rights-oriented entertainment company whose value rests on durable characters, international licensing, and production capabilities accumulated over decades.

TMS Entertainment’s roots extend to Kyokuichi, founded in Nagoya in 1946 as Asahi Glove Manufacturing. The company changed names during its textile and fur-business period, became publicly listed on the Nagoya Stock Exchange, and later entered a major transition after acquisition by the Watchman Group in 1989. That acquisition redirected the business toward entertainment. The studio’s creative lineage began separately in 1964, when Yutaka Fujioka founded Tokyo Movie with backing from Tokyo Broadcasting System. Its first production, Big X, exposed the difficulties of building an animation operation from a puppet-theater background. Tokyo Movie responded by creating a production alliance with A Production, represented by Daikichirō Kusube, and recruited experienced artists and directors from the Japanese animation industry. The resulting system generated influential television successes, including Obake no Q-Tarō, Star of the Giants, Attack No. 1, Tensai Bakabon, Lupin the Third Part I, Aim for the Ace!, and Gamba no Bouken. Tokyo Movie separated its sales function in 1976, creating Tokyo Movie Shinsha, while the original production organization continued under related corporate arrangements. In 1975, Tokyo Movie established Telecom Animation Film to develop artists capable of full animation. This supported Fujioka’s ambition to produce internationally competitive animated features and led to extensive contact with European and American producers. TMS and its related companies worked on international projects and subcontracted animation for overseas companies, including DiC, Disney, Warner Bros., and Filmation. Examples of this international period include Ulysses 31, Sherlock Hound, Mighty Orbots, and Bionic Six. The most ambitious project was Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, developed through a Japan–United States production effort. The film involved changing directors, producers, writers, and artistic teams, and its development lasted many years. It was completed and released in Japan in 1989, followed by a United States release in 1992. The film received mixed critical and commercial results, and its costs were not recovered, making it a cautionary episode in the company’s international feature strategy. In 1988, TMS dissolved and absorbed its own Tokyo Movie production division. The Kyokuichi and Tokyo Movie Shinsha histories were subsequently brought together, and the business adopted the TMS Entertainment identity in the 1990s. It later became part of Sega and the Sega Sammy Group. TMS’s modern structure includes several internal production studios and related animation companies, with work organized through producers and production staff while many animators are engaged on a project basis. Today, TMS combines animation production with program sales and character licensing. Its best-known properties include Lupin the Third, Detective Conan, and Anpanman, while its historical production record also includes a broad range of television adaptations, films, and overseas collaborations. The company’s continuing role is that of a studio, rights manager, and franchise operator within Sega’s entertainment businesses.

• 1995

  TMS Entertainment identity adopted

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  The Kyokuichi and Tokyo Movie Shinsha corporate histories were brought together under the TMS Entertainment name.

• 1989

  Little Nemo released in Japan

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland reached Japanese theaters after a protracted international production.

• 1981

  International co-production expansion

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  TMS entered major international projects including Ulysses 31 and Sherlock Hound.

• 1976

  Tokyo Movie Shinsha formed

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Tokyo Movie’s sales division was separated into Tokyo Movie Shinsha, the name under which the studio became internationally recognized.

• 1975

  Telecom Animation Film founded

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Tokyo Movie created Telecom Animation Film to train animators and develop full-animation capabilities.

• 1971

  Tokyo Movie becomes independent

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  After a series of successful productions, Tokyo Movie became independent from Kokusai Hōei.

• 1964

  Tokyo Movie established

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Yutaka Fujioka founded Tokyo Movie with investment from Tokyo Broadcasting System.

• 1946

  Kyokuichi predecessor founded

  [1]TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Asahi Glove Manufacturing was established in Nagoya, beginning the corporate lineage later incorporated into TMS Entertainment.

A long-established Japanese animation studio positioned around durable franchise intellectual property, experienced production management, international collaboration, and licensing-led exploitation of anime characters and programs.

• Animated franchise · 1971

  Lupin the Third

  One of TMS’s defining properties, Lupin the Third is a long-running action-adventure franchise about master thief Arsène Lupin III and his associates and rivals. TMS’s lineage includes the first television series and later series, specials, and films. The property supports recurring television production, theatrical releases, international distribution, and character licensing.

• Animated television and film franchise · 1996

  Detective Conan

  Detective Conan is a major mystery franchise adapted from Gosho Aoyama’s manga. TMS produces and manages animation connected with the television series and its feature-film extensions. Its long-running release pattern makes it one of the company’s most important continuing Japanese and international properties.

• Children’s animation franchise · 1988

  Anpanman

  Anpanman is a children’s animation property built around the superhero character created by Takashi Yanase. TMS has been associated with the television and film animation line, which also supports extensive character merchandising and licensing. The franchise is particularly prominent in the Japanese children’s market.

• Animated television series · 2006

  D.Gray-man

  D.Gray-man is a supernatural action series adapted from Katsura Hoshino’s manga. Its animation is part of TMS’s broader catalog of television adaptations and demonstrates the company’s work beyond its oldest family and action franchises.

• Animated feature film · 1989

  Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland

  This feature was TMS’s most ambitious Japan–United States production project. It involved international creative teams and a long development period, eventually reaching Japanese theaters in 1989 and the United States in 1992. Although artistically notable, its extensive production history and high costs made it commercially unsuccessful.

• 1980

  Pursue international animation productionStrategy

  Background

  TMS aimed to expand beyond the Japanese television market and develop international relationships and production expertise.

  Action taken

  The company entered overseas subcontracting and co-production arrangements, including work connected with DiC and European broadcasters.

  Aftermath

  The strategy produced projects such as Ulysses 31 and Sherlock Hound and strengthened TMS’s international production reputation.

  Source

• 1976

  Separate sales from productionStrategy

  Background

  Tokyo Movie needed a distinct organization for commercial sales and distribution as its animation activities expanded.

  Action taken

  The sales division was spun off as Tokyo Movie Shinsha, while production continued through related Tokyo Movie structures.

  Aftermath

  Tokyo Movie Shinsha became the principal historical name associated with the studio’s later domestic and international work.

  Source

• 1975

  Create Telecom Animation Film for full-animation trainingStrategy

  Background

  Tokyo Movie sought capabilities beyond Japan’s prevailing limited-animation production model and wanted a foundation for internationally competitive feature work.

  Action taken

  It established Telecom Animation Film as a training and production organization focused on full animation.

  Aftermath

  Telecom became an important part of TMS’s production network and later contributed to Japanese and international projects.

  Source

1. 1TMS Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org
2. 2TMS Entertainment official websitetms-e.co.jp