Anime interest is at an all-time high while studios struggle to release new shows each season Despite the global success of anime, animation studios are at their breaking point. The most recent victim of the unending crunch is Studio Kai, which announced insolvency to the tune of ¥565 million (around $3.54 million) earlier this week. This came as a shock for fans who had just watched major Studio Kai anime like as A Star Brighter Than the Sun and Sentenced to Be a Hero. The latter is already being hailed as one of the best breakout series of 2026, but any plans for season 2 are now up in the air. The studio is also relatively new, opening its doors officially in June 2019. It mostly gained prominence through its work on the second season of Umamusume: Pretty Derby after taking up the reins from PA Works. After delivering Sentenced to Be a Hero in January, Studio Kai has produced three additional projects that all released in the span of mere days this month: The Ramparts of Ice, Snowball Earth, and Mistress Kanan Is Devilishly Easy. How are any of these shows supposed to succeed when they’re not only competing with each other for attention but the already stacked list of Spring ani
Apr 15, 2026 → Apr 15, 2026
Anime interest is at an all-time high while studios struggle to release new shows each season Despite the global success of anime, animation studios are at their breaking point. The most recent victim of the unending crunch is Studio Kai,…
Read original at Polygon →1 updates from 1 source.
Anime interest is at an all-time high while studios struggle to release new shows each season Despite the global success of anime, animation studios are at their breaking point. The most recent victim of the unending…
Read original at Polygon →What this story stands on. Tier 0 is a primary record or the subject's own words; higher tiers must be attributed, never stated as bare fact.
Anime interest is at an all-time high while studios struggle to release new shows each season Despite the global success of anime, animation studios are at their breaking point. The most recent victim of the unending crunch is Studio Kai,…
View source →Tier key: T0 = Primary source · T1 = Wire · T2 = Outlet report · T3 = Commentary
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