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Hayate, Inc. (Japanese: 株式会社HAYATE, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Hayate)[1] is a Japanese anime production joint venture established in March 2025 by Aniplex and Crunchyroll, LLC, both subsidiaries of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the company focuses on the planning, development, and production of anime content specifically for global distribution via Crunchyroll streaming service.[2][3]

History

Prior to the Sony acquisition, Crunchyroll had its own in-house animation studio which it founded in 2018 to produce its own animated originals for its streaming service as well as its VRV streaming service until it was shut down in August 2021 following the Sony acquisition.[4]

On March 17, 2025, Aniplex and Crunchyroll, LLC announced the formation of Hayate, Inc.,[5] a joint venture between the two companies to produce “premium content for anime fans worldwide,” indicating a focus on high-quality productions with broad appeal.[6][7]

The leadership of Hayate, Inc. comprises key figures Masanori Miyake as the Chairman and CEO, Leo Watanabe as President and COO, who are both from Aniplex. The company’s staff includes employees from both Crunchyroll and Aniplex, fostering a collaborative environment that integrates the distinct expertise of each organization.[8][9]

The primary objective of Hayate, Inc. is to produce original anime exclusively for Crunchyroll‘s streaming service. This initiative signifies a deeper investment by both Aniplex and Crunchyroll in creating new anime for the global market and potentially expanding the variety and exclusivity of content offered on the platform.[10][11]

On April 3, 2026, Hayate announced the acquisition of anime studio Lay-duce as a wholly owned subsidiary.[12][13]

Productions

TV series

Debut Series title Director Series composition Original network No. of episodes Notes
2026 Hana-Kimi Natsuki Takemura Takao Yoshioka Tokyo MX 12 Anime Production Committee[14]
2026 A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special season 2 Taishi Kawaguchi Takamitsu Kōno Tokyo MX TBA Animation Partners[14]
2026 Reborn as a Space Mercenary Norihiko Nagahama Takamitsu Kono TBA TBA Anime Production Committee[14]

References

  1. ^ “ANIPLEX AND CRUNCHYROLL ESTABLISH ANIME PRODUCTION JOINT VENTURE, HAYATE”. Sony Music Group. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  2. ^ “‘Aniplex and Crunchyroll Announce Anime Production Joint Venture HAYATE Inc”. Crunchyroll News. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  3. ^ “Solo Leveling’s Crunchyroll & Aniplex Reveal New Era of Anime With ‘High-Quality’ Production Company”. CBR. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  4. ^ Roettgers, Janko (August 22, 2018). “AT&T’s Ellation Launches Studios in Burbank and Tokyo to Produce Crunchyroll Originals”. variety.com.
  5. ^ “Aniplex & Crunchyroll Launch Partnership to Produce New Original Anime”. ComicBook.com. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  6. ^ “With Anime Booming, Crunchyroll Announces New Partnership With One of Japan’s Top Producers”. ScreenRant. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  7. ^ “Aniplex, Crunchyroll Establish Joint Venture for Anime Production”. Anime News Network. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  8. ^ “Anime Heavyweights Aniplex, Crunchyroll Co-Launch Production Company Hayate”. The Hollywood Reporter. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  9. ^ “Crunchyroll Partners With Aniplex for Anime Production Venture Hayate”. MSN. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  10. ^ “Crunchyroll Partners With Aniplex for Anime Production Venture Hayate”. IMDB. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  11. ^ “Crunchyroll Partners With Aniplex for Anime Production Venture Hayate”. Yahoo. March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  12. ^ “HAYATE Acquires All Shares of Lay-duce, Making the Anime Production Studio a Wholly Owned Subsidiary | NEWS | -HAYATE Inc.-“. HAYATE Inc. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  13. ^ “Crunchyroll, Aniplex’s Joint Venture Hayate Acquires Anime Studio Lay-duce”. Anime News Network. April 3, 2026. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  14. ^ a b c “Works”. HAYATE Inc. Retrieved December 31, 2025.