Anime Studio Group TAC Goes Bankrupt

Another one bites the dust. Group TAC, one of Japan's oldest anime production companies founded over 40 years ago, has filed for bankruptcy at the Tokyo District Court this August 31. The studio decried about 585 million yen ($6.95 million) in debts at the end of its last fiscal year, which morbidly dwarfs its own capital of 10 million yen (less than $120,000).


A flat course would've been fine, too!
When news of an unnamed anime studio filing for bankruptcy first broke last night, it wasn't clear which company that was (speculations about it being Synergy SP obviously turned out to be wrong). Today, however, a report filed by the financial research firm Teikoku Databank cleared the confusion, while also revealing the gory fiscal details above.

Among the numerous animations created by Studio TAC since its founding in 1968, ANN's story lists Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi, Night on the Galactic Railroad, Touch and the anime film Arashi no Yoru ni. Although my favorite would have to be Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora, and let's say Shinigami no Ballad. Still, nothing noteworthy in recent years...

Add to that the decline of TV anime (and of associated sponsors' funds) in more recent years, plus the death of the studio's head Atsumi Tashiro last July, and today's outcome becomes hardly suprising. By now, Group TAC's filing has already been accepted, so the company is effectively bankrupt. But the cruel question lingers: who will really miss them?