Topcraft
Japanese animation studio
title: "Topcraft" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["topcraft", "defunct-japanese-animation-studios", "film-production-companies-of-japan", "mass-media-companies-established-in-1971", "mass-media-companies-disestablished-in-1985", "japanese-companies-established-in-1971", "studio-ghibli", "japanese-companies-disestablished-in-1985"] description: "Japanese animation studio" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topcraft" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Japanese animation studio ::
::data[format=table title="infobox company"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Topcraft Co., Ltd. |
| native_name | 株式会社トップクラフト |
| native_name_lang | ja |
| logo | Topcraft Logo.png |
| logo_size | 250px |
| foundation | |
| defunct | |
| location_country | Japan |
| successor | Studio Ghibli |
| Pacific Animation Corporation | |
| industry | Animated films, Animated television shows |
| founder | Toru Hara |
| products | Anime, animated feature films, Television animated series |
| fate | Bankruptcy, studio assets were acquired forming and renaming the company to Studio Ghibli |
| :: |
| name = Topcraft Co., Ltd. | native_name = 株式会社トップクラフト | native_name_lang = ja | logo = Topcraft Logo.png | logo_size = 250px | foundation = | defunct = | location_country = Japan | successor = Studio Ghibli Pacific Animation Corporation | industry = Animated films, Animated television shows | founder = Toru Hara | products = Anime, animated feature films, Television animated series | fate = Bankruptcy, studio assets were acquired forming and renaming the company to Studio Ghibli Topcraft Co., Ltd. (株式会社トップクラフト Kabushiki-gaisha Toppukurafuto, also written as "Top Craft") was an animation studio established in 1972, by former Toei Animation producer Toru Hara, and located in Tokyo, Japan. It was famous for the production of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Hayao Miyazaki's theatrical anime film adaptation of his 1982–94 manga series. Topcraft is well known for its collaboration for hand-drawn animation titles by Rankin/Bass Productions (New York City, US). Together, they produced several well-known animated television specials and feature films, including The Hobbit (1977) and The Return of the King (1980).
History
The studio was founded on February 1, 1972, by former Toei Animation staff, including Toru Hara. In its early years, Topcraft served as the primary animation studio for Rankin/Bass's hand-drawn animated productions. Notable works include The Hobbit (1977), The Return of the King (1980), and The Last Unicorn (1982). These projects contributed to the studio's international reputation. A significant turning point for Topcraft was its involvement in the production of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Despite its achievements, Topcraft faced financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy, leading to its dissolution on June 15, 1985, essentially splitting the studio in half. Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata acquired the assets and formed Studio Ghibli after the advice of Tokuma Shoten Topcraft's founder, Toru Hara, became Studio Ghibli's first manager. Other animators of Topcraft later formed another studio, called Pacific Animation Corporation and headed by Masaki Iizuka, to continue working with Rankin/Bass on television shows like ThunderCats and Silverhawks, but eventually joined Ghibli once Pacific Animation was bought out by The Walt Disney Company and became Walt Disney Animation Japan. Some animators, like Tsuguyuki Kubo, went to work for other studios, such as Studio Pierrot, working on Naruto and Bleach for them. Toru Hara died on December 14, 2021, at the age of 85.
Works
Productions
::data[format=table]
| Title | Year | In partnership with |
|---|---|---|
| Barbapapa | 1974–1975 | K&S |
| Easter Fever | 1980 | Nelvana |
| The Wizard of Oz | 1982 | Toho and Wiz Corporation |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | 1984 | Tokuma Shoten Publishing and Hakuhodo |
| Adventures of the Little Koala | 1984–1985 | Hakuhodo |
| Button Nose | 1985–1986 | Sanrio |
| :: |
Co-productions
::data[format=table]
| Title | Year | Main studio |
|---|---|---|
| Onbu Obake | 1972–1973 | Eiken |
| Adventures of Korobokkle | 1973–1974 | |
| Jim Button | 1974–1975 | |
| Time Bokan | 1975–1976 | Tatsunoko |
| Paul's Miraculous Adventure | 1976–1977 | |
| Ippatsu Kanta-kun | 1977–1978 | |
| The Dragon That Wasn't (Or Was He?) | 1983 | Rob Houwer Film |
| :: |
Collaborative works in partnership with Rankin/Bass
::data[format=table]
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Kid Power | 1972–1974 |
| ’Twas the Night Before Christmas | 1974 |
| The First Easter Rabbit | 1976 |
| Frosty's Winter Wonderland | |
| The Hobbit | 1977 |
| The Stingiest Man in Town | 1978 |
| The Return of the King | 1980 |
| The Flight of Dragons | 1982 |
| The Last Unicorn | |
| The Coneheads | 1983 |
| :: |
Contributive works
::data[format=table]
| Title | Year | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Jackson 5ive | 1971–1972 | Rankin/Bass and Halas & Batchelor | Topcraft was one of the animation cooperation studios. |
| The Osmonds | 1972–1973 | Topcraft was one of the animation cooperation studios. | |
| Festival of Family Classics | Rankin/Bass | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 4–5 and 19. | |
| The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 6, 14 and 17. | ||
| Mazinger Z | 1972–1974 | Toei Animation Company, Ltd. | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 55, 60, 64, 70, 76, 82, 84, 87 and 89. |
| Gatchaman | Tatsunoko | Topcraft was one of the animation cooperation studios. | |
| Maya the Bee | 1975–1976 | Nippon Animation | Topcraft was one of the animation cooperation studios. |
| Lupin III: Part II | 1977–1980 | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 24, 29, 109, 114, 119, 122, 124 and 128. |
| Doctor Snuggles | 1979–1980 | PolyScope Production | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 1 to 7. |
| Jarinko Chie | 1981–1983 | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 42, 45, 49 and 51. |
| Kojika Monogatari | 1983–1985 | MGM/UA Television and MK Company | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 11–12, 14, 22–23, 27, 29 and 32. |
| Lensman | 1984 | Madhouse and MK Company | Topcraft was one of the animation cooperation and photography studios. |
| Magical Fairy Persia | 1984–1985 | Studio Pierrot | Key animation |
| Sherlock Hound | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episode 24. | |
| Galactic Patrol Lensman | Madhouse and Academy Productions | Topcraft was one of the animation cooperation studios. | |
| Star Musketeer Bismarck | Studio Pierrot | Topcraft was the main animation studio for episodes 27 and 29. | |
| Sangokushi | 1985 | Shin-Ei Animation | Topcraft was one of the production cooperation studios. |
| ThunderCats | Rankin/Bass and Leisure Concepts | Topcraft was the main animation studio for the first season. | |
| The Smurfs | 1985–1986 | Hanna-Barbera Productions and SEPP International S.A. | Topcraft was the foreign studios dubbed in Japanese for the first season. |
| :: |
References
References
- "The Japanese Studios of Rankin/Bass".
- (February 9, 2015). "The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation". Stone Bridge Press.
- (1 April 2018). "Before Ghibli was Ghibli: Analysing the historical discourses surrounding Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky (1986)". East Asian Journal of Popular Culture.
- (June 24, 1994). "Hayao Miyazaki Biography, Revision 2".
- https://xoomer.virgilio.it/fedgrame/english.htm, {{Webarchive. link. (2015-01-16)
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