The corporate drama within Kadokawa’s offices has just delivered an ending worthy of a political thriller. During the annual general assembly held on June 24, Takeshi Natsuno survived a fierce attempt at removal and will officially keep his coveted positions as CEO and board member of the company after securing the necessary votes in his favor.

This tension didn’t arise out of nowhere. Over the last month, Oasis Management Company Ltd., currently the largest shareholder of the company with a 15.25% stake, tried to convince other investors to oust Natsuno. Their main argument was the clear drop in the company’s profitability since the executive took charge in 2021. However, Kadokawa’s defense was firm: they publicly argued that decapitating the top management without a clear successor or a restructuring plan would be a suicidal move that would only bring instability and hinder internal reforms.

To understand the significance of this decision in the industry, look at recent developments. Oasis barely snatched the top spot from Sony Group Corporation in March of this year. Sony, which had become the main shareholder in January 2025 after forming an aggressive strategic alliance that gave it a 10.04% stake, had to settle for watching this battle from the second seat. Although there are technically other Korean and Japanese entities with higher percentages on paper, Kadokawa does not consider them majority shareholders as they are merely business fiduciary operators.

With the company’s largest shareholder breathing down its neck and demanding immediate results, do you think Takeshi Natsuno can turn Kadokawa’s numbers around before they attempt to organize another boycott against him?