Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. (but generally referred to as Tatsunoko Pro.note ) is one of the notable and oldest Japanese animation studios back during the Golden Age of Anime. Founded in October 19, 1962 by one of the animation pioneers Tatsuo Yoshida along with his brothers Kenji and Toyoharu (aka Ippei Kuri), the studio began to produce anime occupying various genres. The name Tatsunoko even has a double meaning, with tatsu no ko meaning Tatsu's Child (as in Tatsuo's child) and tatsunoko meaning sea-dragon (which is generally referred to a seahorse), hence the logo.
Over the years, Tatsunoko Pro. has produced many anime, their most historically famous and influential works were generally produced between 1965 and 1985, and slowed down during the late 80's and into the 90's, in which they focused more on remakes and co-worked with other studios and animated shows for other companies. The studio had a very close relationship with Fuji TV for years, with that channel/network airing many of their anime hits, notably Speed Racer and Time Bokan. Around 2005, Takara bought 40% of the company and became a full subsidiary when Takara merged with TOMY. They have also worked on a few western cartoons, and even earned a Shout-Out in Mad Men, with the studio being contracted to make an anime version of the In-Universe comic strip "Scout's Honor."
Tatsunoko Pro. is notable for starting the career of Yoshitaka Amano, who did the character design of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Tekkaman the Space Knight, Neo Human Casshern (original version), Hurricane Polymar, and nearly all of the Time Bokan series. Other notables such as Mamoru Oshii and Kunihiko Yuyama (director of Pokémon) cut their teeth working on Tatsunoko shows, as did prolific screenwriter Shigeru Yanagawa, who worked in Tatsunoko's planning department during the '70s and would go on to contribute scripts to Sailor Moon and Ranma ½ to name just a few. Many of their employees have gone on to found other Japanese animation studios.
- A-Line (Kazunori Hashimoto)
- Animation 21 (Hiroshi Sasagawa, Koji Sugii, Yoshikazu Tochihira, Seitaro Hara)
- Artmic (Toshimitsu Suzuki)
- Ashi Productions (Toshihiko Sato, Hiroshi Katō)
- Actas (Hiroshi Katō)
- AZETA Pictures (Masanori Kobayashi)
- Design Office MECHAMAN (Kouki Nakamura, Kunio Okawara)
- Dragon Production (Masatsugu Nagai)
- Green Box (Mitsuo Sato)
- J.C. Staff (Tomoyuki Miyata)
- Kino Production (Toshio Kinoshita)
- Marix (Minoru Mukai)
- P. A. Works (Kenji Horikawa)
- Production AI (Torao Arai)
- Production I.G (Mitsuhisa Ishikawa)
- Bee Train (Koichi Mashimo, Kenji Horikawa)
- Radix (Motoki Ueda)
- Studio Easter (Junichi Higashi)
- Studio Korumi (Yasumi Ishida)
- Studio Pierrot (Yuji Nanokawa, Nagayuko Toriumi, Masami Anno)
- Studio Signpost (Yoshikazu Tochihira)
- Studio Targe (Toji Tsuchiya)
- Studio Unicorn (Yoshikazu Tochihara)
- TNK (Nagaki Kato)
They are also known for making many of the dubbed anime which were thought as standard western kids' cartoons back then in the US - Speed Racer, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Samurai Pizza Cats, Gatchaman, The Littl' Bits, Superbook (the original hand-drawn series, not the CGI remake), and probably even more.
In 20 they animated the Hutch the Honeybee' movie named Konchuu Monogatari Mitsubachi Hutch: Yuuki no Melody. In 2009 they released a Live-Action Adaptation of Yatterman helmed by cult director Takashi Miike. They have also faced renewed appreciation in the west due to the appearance of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'' on the Wii, first only to Japan, and then, with the Updated Re-release appearing everywhere.
In 2013, they signed a deal
with Sentai Filmworks to have eleven of their shows released in the USA.
The Canipa Effect has produced an Anime Studio Spotlight about Tatsunoko Production. Watch it here
Go visit their Japanese or English sites for full listing of their works. A near complete list of their credits can be seen on Anime News Network.
Selected credits include:
Main
- Metal Fight Beyblade (with SynergySP)
- Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G (with SynergySP)
- The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird (with Sunrise)
- [C] – Control
- Dash Kappei
- Fate/stay night (Intro animations for the PC port and Realta Nua)
- Flying House
- Future Police Urashiman
- Galactic Patrol Lensman (with Madhouse)
- Generator Gawl
- Genesis Climber MOSPEADA (with Artmic)
- Gold Lightan, The Gold Warrior
- Honeybee Hutch
- Honoo no Alpen Rose
- Hurricane Polymar
- Hungry Days (Season 1)
- Irresponsible Captain Tylor
- Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood (Producer; Animation Production by Bakken Record)
- Karas
- Kerokko Demetan
- Lady Lovely Locks
- Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Northern War
- The Legend of Snow White
- The Littl' Bits
- Megazone 23 (with AIC)
- Mokku of the Oak Tree
- Muromi-san
- Neo Human Casshern
- Casshan: Robot Hunter (with Artmic and Tokyo Kids)
- Casshern Sins (with Madhouse)
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (with Studio Gainax and Production I.G; Tatsunoko holds no rights to the series and it is not listed on their website)
- Outlanders (with AIC)
- Pretty Series
- Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream (with Dong Woo Animation for Dear My Future and Rainbow Live)
- PriPara (with Dong Woo Animation)
- King of Prism
- Kiratto Pri☆Chan (with Dong Woo Animation)
- Waccha PriMagi! (with Dong Woo Animation)
- The Price of Smiles
- Princess Resurrection (2010 OVA's only, the TV series was produced Madhouse)
- Red Photon Zillion
- Robotech II: The Sentinels
- Samurai Pizza Cats
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
- Sket Dance
- The SoulTaker
- Nurse Witch Komugi (with Kyoto Animation and TMS Entertainment)
- Speed Racer
- Superbook
- Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross
- Super Dimension Fortress Macross (with Studio Nue and Artland)
- Macross: Do You Remember Love? (with Studio Nue, Artland, and Topcraft)
- Tekkaman
- Time Bokan
- Transformers: Go!
- Wake Up, Girls!
- Yozakura Quartet (the first season however was animated by Nomad)
Support
- A Channel (In-Between Animation)
- Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Animation Cooperation for TMS, uncredited, staff behind the episode will later go on to find Actas)List
- Aikatsu! (In-Between Animation)
- AKB0048 (2nd Key Animation)
- Animaniacs (Animation Cooperation for TMS, uncredited, staff behind the episode will later go on to find Actas)List
- The Animatrix (In-Between Animation, Beyond)
- Another (In-Between Animation)
- Attack on Titan (In-Between Animation)
- Batman: Gotham Knight (In-Between Animation, "Working Through The Pain")
- The Big O (Production Assistance)
- Black Butler (In-Between Animation)
- Blade of the Immortal (Digital Paint)
- Blaz Blue Chrono Phantasma (inbetween animation)
- Blood+ (In-Between Animation)
- Blue Exorcist (2nd Key Animation)
- Bodacious Space Pirates (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
- Chrono Crusade (Key & In-Between Animation; Digital Paint; Production Cooperation)
- Code:Breaker (In-Between Animation)
- Code Geass (In-Between Animation)
- Cromartie High School (In-Between Animation)
- Dirty Pair (Animation, OVAs)
- Eureka Seven (Key Animation)
- Eureka Seven AO (In-Between Animation)
- éX-Driver: The Movie (Digital Paint)
- Eyeshield 21 (Animation, series)
- Fairy Tail (In-Between Animation)
- Ghost Hunt (In-Between Animation)
- Guilty Crown (Photography Cooperation)
- Halo Legends (In-Between Animation, "The Babysitter")
- Hard Corps: Uprising (Animation Support for Studio 4°C)
- Heat Guy J (In-Between Animation)
- The Idolmaster (In-Between Animation)
- Idolmaster: Xenoglossia (In-Between Animation)
- Inuyasha (Animation)
- Japan Animator Expo (In-Between Animation)List
- Jeanne d'Arc (In-Between Animation Support)
- Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2nd Key Animation)
- Kure-nai (Key Animation)
- Kurozuka (CGI)
- Lupin III: Green vs. Red (In-Between Animation; Production Cooperation)
- Mars Daybreak (Production Cooperation)
- Michiko & Hatchin (In-Between Animation)
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (In-Between Animation)
- Mutafukaz (In-Between Animation)
- Noein (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
- Oreimo (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Animation Cooperation)
- Psycho-Pass (In-Between Animation)
- Robin Hood (TV series and movie for Italy's Mondo TV)
- Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (Planning)note
- Rurouni Kenshin (Final Line)
- Serial Experiments Lain (Music Production)
- Softenni (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
- Soul Eater (In-Between Animation)
- Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (In-Between Animation)
- Squid Girl (2nd Key Animation, second season)
- Star Driver (In-Between Animation)
- Steamboy (In-Between Animation; Digital Paint)
- Summer Wars (Photography)
- Sword Art Online (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
- Tales of Symphonia (Map Graphics Support)
- Tari Tari (2nd Key Animation)
- Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee (In-Between Animation; Production Cooperation)
- Tiger & Bunny (CGI; In-Between Animation)
- Transformers
- Beast Wars Neo (Finish Animation)
- The Transformers: Combiner Wars (Animation, for Hasbro and Machinima)
- The Transformers: Titans Return (Animation)
- The Transformers: Power of the Primes (Animation)
- Un-Go (In-Between Animation)
