NetEase Games recently launched the Anici (pronounced ah-nee-shee) anime brand as part of Nici Co. Ltd. Anici had its first Anime Japan exhibit at this year’s event last weekend. The brand aims to provide content with respect to content creation and the spirit of challenge under the theme of “that passion, even 10 years later.”
NetEase Games established Nici Co. Ltd. in Tokyo in June 2020 to “support the anime industry,” delivering a variety of animation together with various partners.
Anime listed on Anici’s official website include upcoming titles Skip and Loafer, Heavenly Delusion, Otaku Elf, and Kizuna no Allele. There are also anime listed from the past few years that Nici has been involved with, such as Cells at Work Black, Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall, and Yurei Deco.
NetEase Games is the online games subsidiary of NetEase, Inc. NetEase Games formed Nagoshi Studio Inc. in January 2022. The creator of Sega‘s Yakuza (Ryū ga Gotoku) game series Toshihiro Nagoshi serves as the Representative Director and CEO of the company while former Yakuza series producer Daisuke Satō serves as a producer. While NetEase Games is located in Guangzhou, China, Nagoshi Studio Inc. is located in Tokyo.
NetEase Games acquired Gōichi Suda‘s (SUDA51’s) game developing studio Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. in 2021. Game developer and Devil May Cry 5 designer Ryosuke Yoshida left his job at CAPCOM in July 2020 to work as a senior game designer at NetEase Games‘ Sakura Studio. Game producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Resident Evil, Dragon’s Dogma, Sengoku Basara, Devil May Cry) left CAPCOM in March 2022 after 27 years to join NetEase Games as a producer.
Sources: Anici, Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)
