Sunrise, founded in 1972 by ex-Mushi Production staff, is the studio responsible for the Gundam franchise and many of the most commercially central mecha anime of the 1980s and 1990s. The company was acquired by Bandai in 1994 and renamed Bandai Namco Filmworks in 2022, though many of its productions continue to use the Sunrise brand.
Founding and the Gundam franchise
Sunrise was founded in September 1972 by a group of producers and animators departing Mushi Production, which had been struggling financially since the late 1960s. Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, was a commercial disappointment in initial broadcast but became, after re-runs and a 1981–1982 theatrical re-edit, the foundation of the studio's long-term identity.
The Gundam franchise has run continuously since 1979 with new TV series, films, and OVAs across a series of distinct timelines. Bandai's parallel commercial empire around Gundam plastic-model kits ('Gunpla') is one of the largest single product lines in the international toy industry.
Output beyond Gundam
- Cowboy Bebop (1998), produced for Bandai Visual.
- Outlaw Star (1998), The Vision of Escaflowne (1996).
- Inuyasha (2000–2010).
- Code Geass (2006–2008).
- Tiger & Bunny (2011), Love Live! (2013–).