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Anime Studio DLE Accused of Manipulating Financial Accounts
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission reported on February 13 that anime studio DLE listed in the First Section (top tier of exchange for large companies) of the Tokyo Stock Exchange after reporting inflated sales from falsified transactions. The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission recommended that Japan's Financial Services Agency fine DLE 135.4 million yen (about US$1.22 million) for violating Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Law.
According to the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission, DLE and production committee investors for its anime films used falsified transactions related to video production. They reportedly submitted marketable securities reports from around 2014 to 2018 that showed excess sales of about 2.3 billion yen (about US$20.80 million) and an inflated income of about 600 million yen (about US$5.43 million).
DLE is perhaps best known for its work on the Eagle Talon anime franchise. The studio's other anime include Sword Gai: The Animation, Ore-tacha Yōkai Ningen, Thermae Romae, Haiyoru! Nyaru-Ani, Glass no Kamen Desu ga, Hakuōki: Otogisōshi, and Insufficient Direction.
Toei, Toei Animation Music Publishing, and DLE Inc. established the joint venture Coyote in 2017 to plan and produce original anime for Japan and other Asian markets. DLE also partnered with Chinese film company Shanghai Griffin Film Corporation in 2016 to produce new creative projects in both Japan's and China's animation industries. DLE established an American branch in 2012.
Source: Kyodo via Hachima Kikō
