About the studio
Nihon Ad Systems, or NAS, was founded October 1, 1975, and despite what its name suggests, the Ad doesn't stand for advertising, it stands for Animation Development. *A ten out of ten naming trap, honestly.* Based in Minato, Tokyo and a wholly owned subsidiary of ad agency Asatsu-DK, NAS produces and finances anime while also managing character merchandising rights, and it co-founded the Animax TV network alongside Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, Sunrise, Toei Animation, and TMS Entertainment. Its catalog includes some heavy hitters: Neon Genesis Evangelion, multiple Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Natsume's Book of Friends, and Fruits Basket. Fifty years in, NAS remains one of those companies that most casual fans have never heard of despite having a direct hand in some of the most influential anime ever made, proof that the biggest names in credits aren't always the ones people recognize.