Twin Engine Pairs With Bandai on ¥4B Push for Original Anime IPs

Japanese anime planning powerhouse Twin Engine has locked arms with toy-and-merch giant Bandai Co., Ltd. in a strategic partnership aimed at minting entirely new intellectual property—starting on the manga page and running through animation, licensing, and retail. The companies say they will jointly greenlight at least one original project and earmark a combined initial investment of up to ¥4 billion (roughly US$25 million) to fund development.

Under the split of labor, Twin Engine will shepherd planning, production, advertising, and distribution on the animation side, drawing on a group network that already houses 18 studios and creative units. Bandai will own product planning, marketing, licensing, and the broader job of stretching each property across toys, capsule machines, cards, apparel, and everyday goods—the same muscle that turns hit characters into living-room fixtures.

The move is a clear bet on controlling IP from day one rather than bidding for finished hits. Twin Engine’s résumé already includes titles such as Vinland Saga, Witch Hat Atelier, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, and Cosmic Princess Kaguya!; folding Bandai into the earliest planning stages is meant to keep story, screen, and shelf in the same conversation.

Concrete titles, creative teams, and release windows are still under wraps. Twin Engine’s official statement promises more details “soon,” so expect the first named franchise—and the first production board—to surface before the year is out.

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