A new anime production company called GLEESTONE has been founded in Tokyo by executives from DMM, the group behind DMM pictures. DMM.com announced the launch through a press release on Tuesday, November 10, at 7 PM JST, which was 3 AM MST. Check out the official post down below:
GLEESTONE says it will handle both animation production and producing for TV series, theatrical films and short-form anime. The company has not announced its first title.
Who Is Running GLEESTONE?
- Naokazu Tsuruta, CEO: joined DMM in 2011, founded DMM pictures in 2017, became DMM's head of entertainment and anime business in 2018 and has led its content creative division since September 2022
- Kensuke Tateishi, COO: worked at Sega and Kodansha before joining DMM in July 2026, with more than 15 years in rights business and producing
- Kō Shimizu, producer
- Kōya Takami, producer
Tateishi's producer credits include Attack on Titan, Fire Force and Yozakura Quartet. Tsuruta's DMM pictures has been involved in more than 120 titles since 2017, including Fire Force, Inuyashiki Last Hero, Rent-A-Girlfriend and Blue Period.
What The Name GLEESTONE Means
According to the announcement, the name combines "GLEE," meaning joy, with "STONE," a material that can be carved and last for a long time. The company says its goal is to make stories that will still be loved 10 years from now.
Tateishi described the studio he wants to build as an "atelier" where outstanding craftsmen gather. He said GLEESTONE will be small and elite, which means everyone involved takes responsibility for every part of a story. By removing gaps in communication, he wants each creator's passion to go directly onto the screen, and he called that "density" the company's greatest weapon.
Tsuruta noted that the launch comes as DMM marks 10 years in the anime business. He said the new team shares a single-minded drive to make better work, and that DMM will use its group resources to support them.
Offices And Hiring
GLEESTONE's head office is on the 24th floor of Roppongi Grand Tower in Minato, Tokyo. A second site is set to open at the end of 2026 on the 6th floor of VORT Kichijoji Ekimae in Musashino, a western Tokyo area that is home to many anime studios.
The company is already recruiting staff who want to work on its first productions, with listings posted on DMM's careers site.
DMM's Growing Anime Business
GLEESTONE is the latest anime venture connected to DMM. DMM pictures has served as a production committee member and producer on dozens of series since its founding, and DMM also set up the animation studio CUE in 2023 under Rui Kuroki, a former executive officer and head of production at Production I.G. DMM says CUE let it handle everything from planning and development to production and distribution in one pipeline. DMM.com itself runs more than 60 services and reports over 60 million members.
Tateishi's best-known credit is Attack on Titan, the adaptation of Hajime Isayama's manga that aired from 2013 to 2023. Wit Studio, which is now producing Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 4, animated the first 3 seasons, and MAPPA handled The Final Season.
Fire Force, another Tateishi credit, is based on Atsushi Ohkubo's manga and was animated by David Production. Its third and final season aired in 2025 and 2026.
GLEESTONE has not said when it will reveal its first project or which kinds of stories it plans to adapt.
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