Japan's Antitrust Watchdog Targets Anime Handshake Deals

Published: 2026-06-25T05:16:43.775Z

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has published formal guidelines demanding written contracts and sustainability payments for anime studios, a move that could reshape production committee dynamics even as

Japan's antitrust watchdog wants anime contracts on paper. Japan's Fair Trade Commission just published formal guidelines for anime production contracts, targeting the handshake-and-hope culture that's long defined studio-committee deals. While most studios s Source: https://news.animenomics.com/p/antitrust-regulator-sets-anime-contract-guidelines
Passion Paris, ADN animate 'Hero Killer' without Japan. Passion Paris and ADN are co-producing an animated series of the webtoon Hero Killer, directed by David Pagaille. Announced at Annecy. That's a European studio and streamer grabbing a Korean IP with g Source: https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/06/hit-webtoon-hero-killer-gets-animated-with-passion-paris-adn/
By the Numbers: anime and donghua at the global box office Ne Zha 2 ranks #1 among the world's highest-grossing animated films at RMB 16.4 billion (the only anime or donghua title in the global animated top 10). Figures are cumulative worldwide gross in RMB. Source: https://piaofang.maoyan.com/i/globalBox/realtimeRank/anime

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