David Production

David Production, Inc.
Native name
株式会社デイヴィッドプロダクション
Kabushiki-gaisha Deividdo Purodakushon
Company typeKabushiki gaisha
IndustryJapanese animation
FoundedSeptember 2007
FounderKōji Kajita
Taito Okiura
Headquarters
Nishitōkyō, Tokyo
,
Japan
Key people
Shūichirō Tanaka (CEO)
Number of employees
93 (January 2021)
ParentFuji Television
Websitedavidproduction.jp

David Production, Inc. (Japanese: 株式会社デイヴィッドプロダクション, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Deividdo Purodakushon) is a Japanese animation studio founded in September 2007 by former Gonzo producers Kōji Kajita and Taito Okiura, and is based in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo. Notable works from the studio include JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Cells at Work!, the 2018 adaptation of Captain Tsubasa, Fire Force, and the 2022 adaptation of Urusei Yatsura.

Establishment

The company was founded by former Gonzo president and producer Kōji Kajita and fellow producer Taito Okiura in September 2007 upon having left Gonzo. The company's first work was as an animation subcontractor, but in 2009 David Production undertook their first full animation production as a primary contractor with Ristorante Paradiso.[1][2][3]

Fuji TV acquired the studio on August 1, 2014.[4][5]

The company's name is a reference to the Biblical story of David and Goliath, a story chosen to represent "[the creation of] good animation with great storytelling and characters" despite being smaller than other well-known studios. It is also short for "Design Audio & Visual Illusion Dynamics", which signifies the studio's impactful animations.[6]

Productions

Anime television series

Year Title Director(s) Eps. Note(s)
2009 Ristorante Paradiso Mitsuko Kase 11 Adaptation of the manga series by Natsume Ono.
2009–2010 Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra Toshiya Shinohara 27 Adaptation of the light novel series by Ishio Yamagata.
2011 Level E Toshiyuki Kato 13 Adaptation of the manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi.
Co-production with Pierrot.
2011 Ben-To Shin Itagaki 12 Adaptation of the light novel series by Asaura.
2012 Inu × Boku SS Naokatsu Tsuda 12
+OVA 		Adaptation of the manga series by Cocoa Fujiwara.
2012–2013 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The Animation Naokatsu Tsuda
Kenichi Suzuki[a] 		26 Adaptation of the first two parts of the manga series by Hirohiko Araki.
2013 Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation Masahiro Mukai 12
+OVA 		Based on a video game series by Idea Factory and Compile Heart.
2014–2015 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Naokatsu Tsuda
Kenichi Suzuki[a] 		48 Adaptation of the third part of the manga series by Hirohiko Araki.
2016 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Naokatsu Tsuda
Toshiyuki Kato[a] 		39 Adaptation of the fourth part of the manga series by Hirohiko Araki.
2016–2018 Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On Mitsuru Hongo 75 Based on a video game series by Capcom.
2017 Sagrada Reset Shinya Kawatsura 24 Adaptation of the light novel series by Yutaka Kōno.
2018–2019 Captain Tsubasa Toshiyuki Kato
Hirofumi Ogura[a] 		52 Adaptation of the manga series by Yōichi Takahashi.
2018 Cells at Work! Kenichi Suzuki 13 Adaptation of the manga series by Akane Shimizu.[7]
2018–2019 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Naokatsu Tsuda[b]
Yasuhiro Kimura
Hideya Takahashi 		39 Adaptation of the fifth part of the manga series by Hirohiko Araki.
2019–2026 Fire Force Yuki Yase (season 1)
Tatsuma Minamikawa (season 2) 		48 Adaptation of the manga series by Atsushi Ōkubo.[8][9]
2019 Ensemble Stars! Mazakazu Hishida
Yasufumi Soejima[a] 		24 Based on a smartphone game by Happy Elements.[10]
2020 Strike Witches: Road to Berlin Kazuhiro Takamura
Hideya Takahashi[a] 		12 Third season of Strike Witches.[11]
2021 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team Yasuhiro Kimura 12 Adaptation of the light novel series by Yukako Kabei.[12]
Cells at Work!! Hirofumi Ogura 8 Second season of Cells at Work!.[13]
2022–2024 Urusei Yatsura Yasuhiro Kimura
Hideya Takahashi
Takahiro Kamei[a] 		46 Second adaptation of the manga series by Rumiko Takahashi; with the first being in 1981.[14]
2023–2024 Undead Unluck Yuki Yase 24 Adaptation of the manga series by Yoshifumi Tozuka. Co-produced with TMS Entertainment.[15]

Anime films

Year Title Director(s) Dur. Note(s)
2016 Planetarian: Storyteller of the Stars Naokatsu Tsuda 117m Based on a visual novel by Key.
2020 "Hataraku Saibō!!" Saikyō no Teki, Futatabi. Karada no Naka wa "Chō" Ōsawagi! Hirofumi Ogura 112m Adaptation of the manga series by Akane Shimizu.
2021 The House of the Lost on the Cape Shin'ya Kawatsura 100m Adaptation of the novel by Sachiko Kashiwaba.
2022 Ensemble Stars!! Road to Show!! Asami Nakatani
Masakazu Hishida 		72m Based on a smartphone game by Happy Elements.

Original video animations (OVAs)

Year Title Director(s) Eps. Note(s)
2009 Dogs: Stray Dogs Howling in the Dark Tatsuya Abe 4 Adaptation of the manga series by Shirow Miwa.
2012 Lost Forest Yasufumi Soejima 1 Music video by MOKA.
2017–2019 Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Toshiyuki Kato
Yasufumi Soejima 		4 Adaptation of the one-shot manga by Hirohiko Araki.

Original net animations (ONAs)

Year Title Director(s) Eps. Note(s)
2016 Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet Naokatsu Tsuda 5 Based on a visual novel by Key.
2021–2022 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean Kenichi Suzuki[b]
Toshiyuki Kato 		38 Netflix; Adaptation of the sixth part of the manga series by Hirohiko Araki.
2022 Spriggan Hiroshi Kobayashi 6 Netflix; Adaptation of the manga series by Hiroshi Takashige and Ryōji Minagawa.

See also

  • Okuruto Noboru—An animation studio founded in 2017 by line producer Wani Koguchi and other former production staff members.
  • Shaft—Producers Reo Honjouya and Kousuke Matsunaga, as well as CG director Shinya Takano, were part of Shaft prior to their joining of David Production around 2018.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Credited as Series Director (シリーズディレクター, Shirīzu Direkutā).
  2. ^ a b Credited as Chief Director (総監督, Sō Kantoku).

References

  1. ^ "Ristorante Paradiso Slice-of-Life Anime's Promos Posted". Anime News Network. March 25, 2009. Archived from the original on June 14, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  2. ^ リストランテ・パラディーゾ：老眼鏡紳士ズラリ「枯れ専」注目作 フジ「ＮＯＩＳＥ」でアニメ化 (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun. February 20, 2009. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  3. ^ 優木まおみ：「紳士萌え～！」"枯れ専"ぶり語る アニメ「リストランテ・パラディーゾ」試写 (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun. March 30, 2009. Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  4. ^ アニメ制作会社「株式会社デイヴィッドプロダクション」の子会社化に関して (in Japanese). Fuji TV. August 8, 2014. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  5. ^ "Fuji TV Makes Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's David Production Its Subsidiary". Anime News Network. August 19, 2014. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  6. ^ "David Production Official Website - Company Info". David Production. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  7. ^ "Cells at Work! Manga Gets TV Anime in July". Anime News Network. January 18, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  8. ^ "Fire Force TV Anime Reveals Main Staff". Anime News Network. December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "Fire Force Anime's 2nd Season Unveils Video, New Cast & Staff, Opening Song, July Debut (Updated)". Anime News Network. May 21, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  10. ^ "Ensemble Stars! TV Anime Unveils Directors, Designers, July 7 Premiere, Character Visuals". Anime News Network. April 7, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  11. ^ "New Strike Witches: Road to Berlin TV Anime Revealed for 2020". Anime News Network. July 8, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "2.43: Seiin Kōkō Danshi Volley-bu TV Anime Premieres in January 2021 on Noitamina". Anime News Network. June 18, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  13. ^ "Cells at Work! Anime's 2nd Season Premieres in January 2021 With Part of Anime Screening 1st in Theaters in September". Anime News Network. March 21, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  14. ^ "New Urusei Yatsura Anime's Teaser Unveils Cast, david production's Staff, 1-Year Length". Anime News Network. December 31, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  15. ^ "Undead Unluck Anime Reveals Promo Video, More Cast, Staff". Anime News Network. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.