Xebec (studio)

Xebec, Inc. (Japanese: 株式会社ジーベック, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Jībekku, stylized as XEBEC) was a Japanese animation studio based in Kokubunji, Tokyo, founded by former Tatsunoko Production animators on May 1, 1995. They worked on many popular series, such as Nadesico, Love Hina, Keijo, Shaman King, Fafner, To Love Ru, and Space Battleship Yamato remakes 2199 and 2202.

Xebec, Inc.
Native name
株式会社ジーベック
Kabushiki-gaisha Jībekku
TypeKabushiki gaisha
IndustryJapanese animation
FoundedMay 1, 1995 (1995-05-01)[1]
DefunctMay 31, 2019 (2019-05-31)
Fate
Successor
Headquarters3-22-31 Minami-cho, Kokubunji, Tokyo, Japan 〒 185-0021 Southern Building 5F[1]
Key people
  • Xebec: (unknown dates)
  • Tooru Satou (CEO)
  • Nobuyoshi Habara (CEO)
  • Yukinao Shimoji (CEO)
  • Xebec M2:
  • Hideyuki Motohashi (CEO)
Total equity¥10,000,000[1]
Owner
  • Production I.G (1995–2007)
  • IG Port (2007–2019)
Number of employees
100
Divisions
  • Photography Dept.[lower-alpha 5]
  • Fukuoka Studio (2018–2019)
Subsidiaries
  • Triple A (2002–2005)
  • Xebec M2 (2003–2009)
  • Xebec Zwei (2010–2019)
Websitewww.production-ig.co.jp/xebec/

The company logotype includes the International Phonetic Alphabet transcription [zíːbek], which represents not the Japanese pronunciation but rather a presumed "English" pronunciation.

Closure

On November 20, 2018, Xebec's parent company, IG Port, sold the studio to Sunrise after constant deficits that the subsidiary had in different years.[2][3]

On March 5, 2019, Sunrise announced that they established a new company, Sunrise Beyond, at Xebec's address, with Xebec's operations being transferred to it.[4]

Xebec ceased to exist as a business entity on May 31, 2019. Its post-production teams, which were not part of the sale to Sunrise, were broken up and consolidated into several IG Port companies, but Production I.G inherited the company's assets. Copyright of Xebec's past works reverted to the IG Port group as a whole.[5]

Works

TV

OVA

Movies

Game animation

Divisions

In 2003 the subsidiary Xebec M2 was established, which focuses in providing animation assistance for their main studio and other companies (including OLM, as in Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys). It has also produced three full series: Petopeto-san, ZOMBIE LOAN and Hitohira. Its last activity was in 2009/2010.[6]

In 2010, it was followed by Xebeczwei, which handled in-between, key, and 2nd key animation for Xebec's main studio and other anime studios. It later produced the full series Fafner in the Azure: Exodus, which ran throughout 2015.[7]

In late 2018, it was announced the coloring department of Xebec would be transferred to Signal.MD following the release of the former from IG Port. In addition, Xebeczwei would be transferred to Production I.G as a subsidiary and subsequently be renamed IGzwei.[8]

Notes
  1. Sunrise took over most of Xebec's assets, which included the building which the studio operated. In its place, Sunrise established a new subsidiary, Sunrise Beyond, which retains a number of former Xebec staff, including former Xebec CEO Nobuyoshi Habara, who is one of Sunrise Beyond's board members. Xebec's Fukuouka Studio was rebranded to Sunrise Beyond Fukuouka, and a few other assets remained under Production I.G.
  2. The Xebec M2 substudio was dissolved following the departure of its representative director, Hideyuki Motohashi, in 2009.
  3. Xebec Zwei was a part of the assets that Xebec owned which were given to Production I.G after its dissolution, and its name was subsequently changed to I.G. Zwei.
  4. Former Xebec CEO Yukinao Shimoji founded Studio Mother in 2019 after Xebec's dissolution.
  5. Xebec Photography Department (XEBEC撮影部), the studio's in-house compositing division.

References
  1. "Xebec Company, Inc" (in Japanese). Xebec. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
  2. "Anime Studio Xebec's Production Operations to Be Transfered [sic] to Sunrise". Anime News Network. November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  3. "Ｉｇポート[3791]：連結子会社の事業譲渡に関するお知らせ 2018年11月20日(適時開示) ：日経会社情報Digital：日本経済新聞".
  4. "Sunrise Establishes Sunrise Beyond Studio at Xebec's Current Address". Anime News Network. March 5, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  5. "プロダクションI.gがジーベックを吸収合併 24年の歴史を閉じる | アニメーションビジネス・ジャーナル". April 5, 2019.
  6. "XEBEC M2（エムツー）" (in Japanese). Xebec. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  7. "蒼穹のファフナー EXODUS". XEBECzwei (in Japanese). XEBEC. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  8. Loo, Egan (January 12, 2018). "Fafner Production Stays With IG Port as XEBECzwei Studio Is Renamed". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
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