About the studio
A-1 Pictures was founded May 9, 2005 by Mikihiro Iwata, another name in the long list of ex-Sunrise producers who went on to start their own studios. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Aniplex (itself part of Sony Music Entertainment Japan), A-1 Pictures has had a pretty direct pipeline to some of the biggest anime of the last two decades: Sword Art Online, Your Lie in April, The Seven Deadly Sins. *Being owned by the company that also markets and distributes your work has its perks, apparently.* Based in Suginami, Tokyo, A-1 Pictures has grown from a relatively young studio into one of the most recognizable names in modern anime, known for glossy production values and a knack for adapting light novels into hits. Twenty years in, it's proof that a studio doesn't need a century of history to become a major player, just the right backing and a string of good bets.