Tatsunoko Production

[10][11][12] In the past, Tatsunoko had a production system in which almost all processes, from planning to scriptwriting, drawing, cinematography, and editing, were completed in-house.

[6][13][b] Initially, Founder Tatsuo Yoshida tried to establish his studio's own style with realistic drawings that accurately depicted muscles and skeletons.

[7][20] Tatsuo saw that more and more people were buying televisions in the early 1960s and predicted that they would demand higher quality anime program in the future, so he decided to provide it to them.

[6][14][21] In addition, art director Mitsuki Nakamura from Toei Doga and scriptwriter Jinzō Toriumi from Nikkatsu transferred to the company to provide immediate assistance.

[22] This was due to Tatsuo's desire to move pictures like American comic books and create American-style animation, as well as for financial reasons.

[16] The funds from commercial TV stations and sponsors were not enough to cover the production costs, so Tatsunoko decided that the only way to complete the series was to sell it in the United States.

[22] However, due to sloppy work by the Japanese intermediaries, Tatsunoko profited little from its worldwide success and received no tribute beyond a mention in the credits of a later live-action film.

[14] Outside of Japan, independent TV program packager Sandy Frank has acquired the rights to syndicate Gatchaman worldwide except in Asia.

[23] At that time, Hiroshi Sasagawa, who excelled at comedies, and Hisayuki Toriumi, who had a hard, serious style, supported Tatsunoko's heyday in the 1970s as the two signatures.

[3][26] Around that time, Tatsunoko's production site was on the verge of collapse due to busyness and lack of funds, and there was a steady flow of personnel out of the company, particularly members from the pioneering period.

Macross was a project by Studio Nue that was adopted by Bigwest, an advertising agency, which secured broadcast slots for sponsor companies and commercial TV stations.

[29] In Japan, Tatsunoko sued Bigwest and Studio Nue over copyright and won, but conversely lost a lawsuit filed by them over character and mecha design.

As a result of the trial, it was decided that Tatsunoko Productions would retain ownership of the film of the work, but that the designs would be shared by Bigwest and Studio Nue.

Meanwhile, overseas, Harmony Gold USA, which had obtained the license, adapted and broadcast several Tatsunoko works as a single epic Robotech series depicting different eras and generations in the same world.

[31] This will allow the Macross series to be developed globally and confirms that Bigwest does not object to the release of a live-action Robotech movie in Japan.

[31] In addition, an exclusive worldwide license outside of Japan to use Macross characters and mecha in the Robotech series approved by Tatsunoko for Harmony Gold through 2021 has been ratified.

Since the 1990s, Tatsunoko has brought back former key staff members, including Hiroshi Sasagawa, who had left the company, and has been producing mainly remakes of older works.

[39] At Anime Expo 2013, Sentai Filmworks announced a deal to license and release some of Tatsunoko's titles, including Gatchaman and Casshan.

[40] In 2014, Nippon Television acquired 54.3% of the outstanding shares held by Takara Tomy and made Tatsunoko Production a subsidiary.

Tatsunoko, as credited in Space Ace, its first production