Chainsaw Man director Ryuu Nakayama is now Chief Creative Officer of Studio Mayflower, a “tech-based animation studio” which wants to “advance anime with the power of technology.”
Studio Mayflower, which describes itself as a “tech-based animation studio,” announced the appointment on August 27 JST. It said in its press release that the move will “strengthen its management structure.”
“Studio Mayflower’s medium-to long-term strategy is to create IP through a content production process that utilizes the latest technology. In this environment, content quality control is critical, which is where Mr. Nakayama’s expertise comes in,” said the studio, which was acquired by AnotherBall in May. “Mr. Nakayama’s wealth of experience and outstanding creative abilities are perfectly aligned with the direction of Studio Mayflower, making him the best choice for the position.”
Nakayama, who founded the studio Andraft in 2023, said, “I have been involved in the animation production industry ever since I was a university student, and over my 10 years of experience I’ve witnessed a variety of challenges. As a result, I have come to the conclusion that a different and more drastic approach is needed to solve these problems, and I share AnotherBall’s clear vision of global reach and Mayflower’s innovative mindset.”
He added that he was “looking forward to working with” AnotherBall CEO Shunsuke “Captain” Oyu, the founder of VTuber agency PRISM Project, and Studio Mayflower CEO Taisei Tateno to “create a new form of entertainment.”
Studio Mayflower says that it “has been actively promoting efforts to streamline the production process while maintaining high quality standards” in response to “soaring production costs and a shortage of animators due to increasing demand for high-quality visual content.” Among the advertised positions on its website is “Machine Learning Engineer,” and one of its roles is to “plan and develop” machine learning tools and scripts that will be used in anime production.
The studio assisted with the key animation of the Spring 2024 anime Oblivion Battery‘s 11th episode (Andraft also happened to be involved with that episode’s key animation).
The Singapore-based AnotherBall was founded in 2022 and has been described as a “Provider of blockchain and cryptocurrency development services,” a “digital entertainment company,” a “dynamic and fast-paced entertainment startup,” and a “blockchain-based entertainment company.” It has also called itself a “venture company” and an “otaku company.” Its projects include a live-streaming app called AniLive and the online platform IZUMO.
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Source: Press release (via Anime News Network)