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| Trigger (company) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Trigger |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Video game development |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Yoshinori Ono |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
| Key people | Bunpei Yokoyama |
| Products | Video games, animation |
Trigger (company) is a Japanese animation and video game studio founded in 2011 and based in Tokyo, known for its distinctive visual style and involvement in animation, interactive entertainment, and multimedia production. The studio has produced television series, feature films, and collaborations with game publishers and streaming platforms, gaining recognition at festivals and industry events. Trigger's projects often attract talent from studios such as Gainax, Studio Ghibli, Madhouse, Production I.G, and Kyoto Animation and involve creators associated with franchises like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Space Patrol Luluco, and Little Witch Academia.
Trigger was established in 2011 by a group of animators and directors previously associated with Gainax and Studio Trigger-adjacent creators, including alumni linked to works like Gunbuster, FLCL, and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. Early years saw collaborations with broadcasters such as NHK, Fuji Television, and TV Tokyo, and festival entries at events like the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and the Sitges Film Festival. The studio expanded during the 2010s amid rising interest in original anime tied to streaming platforms like Netflix (service), Hulu, and Crunchyroll. Trigger's timeline intersects with contemporaries including Bones (studio), MAPPA, P.A.Works, and Sunrise (company), as well as partnerships with game companies such as Capcom, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Sega Corporation.
Trigger produces original anime series, animated features, and contributes animation assets and direction to video game projects. Notable productions include television works that draw attention alongside titles from studios like Production I.G, Studio Pierrot, and Shaft (company). The company offers services ranging from character design, storyboarding, and key animation to full-production services for cinematic trailers commissioned by corporations including Square Enix, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Nintendo. Trigger has released merchandise tied to productions sold through retailers such as Animate (retailer), Amazon Japan, and Tower Records Japan, and licensed intellectual property to publishers like Kadokawa Corporation and Shueisha.
Trigger employs a hybrid production pipeline combining traditional hand-drawn animation techniques with digital compositing tools used by studios like Wit Studio and Khara Corporation. The studio integrates software and hardware from vendors including Toonz, Adobe Systems, and graphics technologies similar to those used by Epic Games and Unity Technologies for real-time previews and motion capture integration. Trigger's visual experiments echo experimental sequences found in works associated with Mamoru Oshii and Satoshi Kon, while production methods incorporate workflows compared with Ilm Corporation-adjacent VFX practices and cinematic game cinematics developed by Rockstar Games.
Trigger operates as a private studio financing projects through a combination of production committees, co-productions, and commission work with media conglomerates like Dentsu and Kadokawa Corporation. Revenue streams include broadcast licensing through networks such as Nippon Television, streaming deals with Amazon Prime Video, theatrical box office receipts in partnership with distributors like Toho Company Ltd., and ancillary merchandise sales managed via firms like Bandai. Operationally, Trigger coordinates international licensing with companies such as Aniplex, Sentai Filmworks, and Funimation while engaging in festival promotion strategies similar to those used by Studio Ghibli and Mamoru Hosoda-associated production teams.
Trigger has collaborated with a range of creators, studios, and publishers, working alongside names such as Hiroyuki Imaishi, Hideto Iwai, and other industry figures linked to Gainax and Studio 4°C. Co-productions and commissioned work have involved Netflix (service), Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, and broadcasters including TV Asahi and NTV. The studio has engaged with international partners for localization and distribution, cooperating with licensors like Crunchyroll, Aniplex of America, and Viz Media and participating in cross-media franchises alongside Nintendo, Sega, and Square Enix.
Leadership at Trigger has featured a mix of founders and creative directors with prior roles at studios such as Gainax and Production I.G. Executive decisions reflect influences from producers and executives who have worked with entities like Toei Animation, Bandai Visual, and Kadokawa Corporation. Management structures resemble those employed by mid-size Japanese studios including bones and P.A.Works, balancing creative autonomy with production committee oversight involving firms such as Dentsu and Toho Company Ltd..
Trigger's works have received attention from critics and audiences at events like the Crunchyroll Anime Awards and the Tokyo Anime Award Festival, and have been discussed in publications associated with Animage, Newtype (magazine), and Anime News Network. The studio's visual style and original properties have influenced younger animators linked to studios such as MAPPA and Wit Studio and contributed to discussions at conferences hosted by institutions like The Japan Foundation and panels at Anime Expo. Commercial reception includes box office performance in markets monitored by firms like Nielsen and licensing deals reported by companies including Sentai Filmworks.
Category:Animation studios in Japan