Production I.G To Buy 11% Of Tatsunoko

ANN has an interesting report today, if not for the news itself, then for the brief history lesson it provides - explaining how the famous studio Production I.G came to be, and what its long-standing relation with the veteran studio Tatsunoko Productions is about. A relation that's set to become even stronger, now that Production I.G plans to acquire an 11.2% stake in Tatsunoko Productions.



Once the transaction goes through (no date is provided), Production I.G's president, CEO and co-founder Mitsuhisa Ishikawa will serve as a part-time director for Tatsunoko. Ishikawa founded the studio in 1987, together with character designer Takayuki Goto. Back then it was called I.G. Tatsunoko (both of them having worked at Tatsunoko Productions previously), and it wasn't until 1993 that the current name - Production I.G - was adopted.

Not sure though what good can come out of this quasi-merger, considering the kind of dusty titles that stand out from Tatsunoko's portofolio, like Gatchaman or Yatterman.