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 is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...

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 is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese ani ...

'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 ''The Return of the King'' is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', following '' The Fellowship of the Ring'' and '' The Two Towers''. It was published in 1955. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, ...

'' (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.

, Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata acquired the assets and formed

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has exp ...

after the advice of Tokuma Shoten Topcraft's founder, Toru Hara, became Studio Ghibli's first manager. Other Topcraft's animators later formed another studio, called Pacific Animation Corporation and headed by Masaki Iizuka, to continue working with Rankin/Bass on television shows like ''

ThunderCats ''ThunderCats'' is a media franchise, featuring a fictional group of cat-like humanoid aliens. The characters were created by Tobin Wolf and featured in an animated television series named ''ThunderCats'', running from 1985 to 1989, whic ...

'' and '' Silverhawks,'' but eventually joined Ghibli once Pacific Animation was bought out by

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

and became Walt Disney Animation Japan.https://xoomer.virgilio.it/fedgrame/english.htm, Some animators, like Tsuguyuki Kubo, went to work for other studios, such as Studio Pierrot, working on ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

'' and '' Bleach'' for them. Toru Hara died on December 14, 2021, at the age of 85.

Works

Productions

Co-productions

Collaborative works in partnership with Rankin/Bass

Contributive works

References

External links

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Topcraft
at

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co-productions database
{{Studio Ponoc Japanese animation studios Defunct mass media companies of Japan 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