India-based Toonz Media Group and Japan’s 1st Place have revealed a strategic partnership aimed at meeting the surging global demand for high-quality anime content, on the sidelines of Hong Kong FilMart.

The alliance comes at a critical time for the anime industry, which faces unprecedented demand across streaming platforms, gaming, and entertainment sectors while simultaneously battling a talent shortage in Japan.

“There is already a significant talent shortage in Japan for anime production,” said Ms. Kumiko, Founder and President of 1st Place. “This strategic partnership with Toonz will help us bridge that gap by expanding our production capacity and ensuring that we can create more anime TV series and movies without compromising on quality.”

The collaboration leverages Toonz’s robust production infrastructure and 25 years of animation experience alongside 1st Place’s expertise in anime storytelling, music production, and 3D CG creation.

Both companies see the union as an opportunity to attract projects from major global entertainment companies while maintaining the artistic integrity anime is known for. “At Toonz, we continuously seek new creative frontiers,” said P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group. “This collaboration with 1st Place will not only bring world-class anime projects to life but also help us expand our footprint in this thriving industry.”

For Toonz, whose credits include collaborations with Marvel on “Wolverine and the X-Men” and with Lionsgate on “Speed Racer: The Next Generation,” the partnership strengthens India’s emerging presence in the anime sector.

Meanwhile, 1st Place brings 20 years of experience developing original IPs and has been involved in creating theme songs and soundtracks for popular anime series including “Clannad After Story” and “Angel Beats!” The Tokyo-based company also manages virtual artists and produces comics, novels, and other media franchises.

The partnership aims to create a sustainable anime production ecosystem delivering content for worldwide audiences while addressing the industry’s capacity challenges.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​