A-1 Pictures

A-1 Pictures, Inc. is a Japanese animation studio and production company. It was founded by Mikihiro Iwata, a former producer at Sunrise, and it operates as a subsidiary of Aniplex, the animation production firm of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The company produces anime for television and film under that parent, which places it inside one of the large Japanese music and entertainment groups rather than as a fully independent studio. The source article for this entry is brief, so this description records only what it states: the studio's name and legal form, its founder and his earlier employer, and its ownership by Aniplex. Fuller histories of its productions, staff and corporate milestones remain for later research against additional sources.