In FY2025.3, the animation market expanded based on the increasing worldwide popularity of Japanese IPs. Amid this trend, the box office revenue as well as the global visual content sales and packaged sales for Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM—the most successful theatrical movie release in the Gundam series to date—and BLUELOCK —EPISODE NAGI— greatly contributed to the Unit’s performance.
Guided by our mission as a Unit to create and nurture IPs, we will seek to stabilize our creation and production capabilities, promote the appeal of our IPs, and in the face of intensifying market competition. By doing so, we will continue taking on the challenge of creating excellent products and putting them to effective use. Furthermore, we will expand our IPs’ reach into untapped business domains by out-licensing them and we have committed to the full-fledged overseas rollout of our IP licensing business. For the Gundam series, we will consolidate the Unit’s licensing operations to form an organization under which we will further enhance the value of the Gundam IP on a global scale.
In addition to the aforementioned IP-related activities, we have positioned our personnel strategy as a key strategy under the current Mid-term Plan. A company is made up of individuals and its works are created by those individuals. Thus, we aim to be a Unit where people can work with excitement and grow both professionally and personally. IP creation, in particular, relies upon the level of dedication and passion employees have for their work, which is true not only for creators but also all employees of the Visual and Music Unit. Thus, we will strive to be a Unit united under the common goal of creating quality IPs. Also, by partnering with external animation studios and leveraging synergies within the Group, we will build a robust production structure, cultivate skilled creators, and improve workplace conditions to further enhance our internal production capacity.
Regarding the music and live event businesses, to capitalize on the growing demand for live events, we will open our multipurpose venue Shibuya LOVEZ in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, in 2026. By conveying the appeal of IPs directly at in-person events, we will take advantage of Shibuya LOVEZ as a place for cultivating IPs and artists. Our pursuit of quality IPs gains us the support of fans and, by extension, greatly contributes to the Group’s business expansion. Moving forward, the Visual and Music Unit will continue to connect with fans across the world through the creation of a diverse lineup of IPs. By doing so, we will continue to create quality IPs that offer fans enjoyable and truly moving experiences.