Crunchyroll has teamed up with longtime anime entertainment company, Aniplex, on a joint anime production venture called Hayate Inc., which will focus on planning, developing and producing anime content for the streamer.
The new establishment will be lead by Aniplex’s Masanori Miyake and Leo Watanabe. Miyake will serve as chairman and CEO while Watanabe will serve as Hayate’s president and COO. The staff will consist of employees from both Crunchyroll and Aniplex.
Per Crunchyroll, “Hayate will produce premium content for anime fans worldwide using Aniplex’s production know-how cultivated over the years through its partnerships with a wide range of creators and studios as well as Crunchyroll’s development, marketing and distribution capabilities built upon its strong ties to the anime community and passionate fandom.”
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of the Tokyo-based Sony Group. Aniplex is known for producing several hit shows, including the “Demon Slayer” franchise, “Black Butler” and more. Crunchyroll and Aniplex’s A-1 Pictures’ most recent successful collaboration was Season 2 of the popular anime series “Solo Leveling,” which is currently airing on Crunchyroll.