Hayate, a joint venture established by Aniplex and Crunchyroll, has acquired all outstanding shares of animation studio Lay-duce, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. The transaction marks Hayate's first equity investment in an animation production studio and signals a strategic shift toward vertically integrated production capabilities.

Founded to develop anime content for global audiences—primarily distributed via Crunchyroll's international streaming platform—Hayate has, until now, focused on planning and production oversight. The acquisition of Lay-duce provides the company with in-house production capacity, enabling a more stable and accelerated path from project development to execution amid tightening industry resources.

The move comes as Japan's animation sector continues to face structural constraints, including persistent labor shortages and limited studio availability. By securing a dedicated production arm, Hayate is positioned to mitigate scheduling bottlenecks and ensure more consistent delivery of globally oriented titles. The deal also reflects a broader trend of consolidation within the anime production ecosystem, as content investors seek greater control over production pipelines.

Lay-duce, founded in 2013 by producer Noritomo Yonai, has built a track record through its involvement in titles such as Magi: Sinbad no Bouken (Magi: Adventure of Sinbad), Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo. (O Maidens in Your Savage Season), and Gunjou no Fanfare (Fanfare of Adolescence), many of which were planned by Aniplex. In recent years, the studio has further expanded its international profile with works including Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko! (Tomo-chan Is a Girl!), Rising Impact, and Clevatess, which have garnered recognition in overseas markets.

The existing relationship between Aniplex and Lay-duce is expected to deepen under the new structure, while also aligning with Crunchyroll's push to expand its pipeline of globally distributed anime originals. Notably, the transaction represents the first instance of Crunchyroll participating in the capitalization of a Japanese animation studio, underscoring its growing commitment to upstream content development.

Hayate indicated that, alongside strengthening production stability, it will work with Lay-duce to enhance the creative environment for employees and affiliated creators, with the aim of sustaining long-term output and maintaining production quality. The integration is expected to support Hayate's broader objective of delivering a steady stream of high-quality anime content to an expanding international audience.

Source: Branc, Animation Business Journal