Fujishoji, a prominent producer of pachinko and pachislot machines, has recently revealed the creation of a fully owned subsidiary aimed at venturing into the anime sector. Although the pachinko industry already has strong ties to anime due to the widespread appeal of machines featuring anime intellectual properties, this move stands out because Fujishoji intends to directly participate in the anime production process.
The newly formed entity, Gene Entertainment, will oversee the planning and creation of anime series, investments in anime projects, development of voice-acted content, and audio production for anime titles. In response to this development, Natsuki Fujii, a journalist who focuses on the pachinko industry, informed Money Post that considering the motivation for pachinko and pachislot companies to attract anime enthusiasts, “it’s only logical that firms like Fujishoji are stepping up to actively participate in anime production.”
While anime-themed pachinko machines are already lucrative for manufacturers and dominate the market—popular examples include Neon Genesis Evangelion and Fist of the North Star—the industry faces challenges such as the negative perception associated with gambling, the risk of alienating fans through superficial or inaccurate portrayals of their favorite shows, and the potential refusal of anime IP owners to collaborate.
According to Fujii, the resolution lies in manufacturers becoming directly involved in the production process and transforming into “anime specialists.” Regarding the launch of Gene Entertainment, he suggests that Fujishoji’s aim is “definitely not just to produce anime for conversion into machines, but also to make a meaningful contribution to the anime industry itself.”