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DLE Appoints Asahi's Tomoya Katsuyama as New Head
posted on by Egan Loo
The anime studio DLE announced on Friday that it will appoint Tomoya Katsuyama as its new representative director on September 20. The current representative director, the studio's founder Ryūta Shiiki, will remain with the company as a regular board director.
Katsuyama is currently at Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, which he joined in 1986. He eventually rose to his current position as representative director and president of Asahi Radio Broadcasting Corporation. He also holds positions in the parent company Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings Corporation, as well as in Media Platform Lab and radiko.
Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings bought a majority of DLE's shares for 2.772 billion yen (about US$25.21 million) on May 29, and made DLE a subsidiary. Before the buyout, Shiiki held a 35.69% share of the company, with Hasbro, Inc. owning 3.54% in shares. After the buyout, Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings holds 51.96% of the shares, with Shiiki owning 17.15% and Hasbro owning 1.70%.
Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission reported in February that Japan's Financial Services Agency fined DLE 135.4 million yen (about US$1.22 million) for violating Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Law after the company reported inflated sales from falsified transactions. DLE then announced on March 30 that it had sold its shares of the Coyote joint venture to its co-shareholders Toei and Toei Animation Music Publishing.
DLE was founded in 2001, 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. DLE also produces live-action content and also hosts events such as Tokyo Girls Collection.
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.
Sources: Press release, Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)
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