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| Official website of Operation ONI,
an anime currently in production by
Studio ONI Inc.,
utilizing the traditional Japanese ink brush painting technique
known as
Sumi-e. This project is created using
the traditional frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation style,
maintaining the classic approach of eight frames per second to
deliver an authentic and timeless visual experience. Our talented international team
collaborates across borders and languages, blending unique and
creative perspectives into every part of this anime. The project
is being developed through an “Open Production” approach, with
weekly updates shared every Friday evening on social media,
including original artwork and animation progress. Our first
goal is to bring this one-of-a-kind production to the film
festivals abroad and walk the red carpet. The first 15 minutes (Episode 1) is currently in production. The release of Episode 1 and the next crowdfunding campaign are scheduled after 2027. We sincerely appreciate your warm support! |
| Aug 14, | Leo's Another Summer Concept Art New | |
| Aug 08, | Happy Birthday Onatsu! | |
| July 17, | Molly (Olga)'s 3rd Summer Concept Art. | |
| July 10, | Molly (Olga)'s Another Summer Concept Art | |
| July 03, | New Concept Art by Leo | |
| June 26, | New Concept Art by Olga | |
| June 05, | This Week's Update - Rough Animation with Background: Scene 8, Cut 3 |
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Sumi-e is one of the East Asian styles of traditional brush painting.
While it's monochrome, it can express rich and impressive
scenes. Watch these drawing videos and you'll find what it is.
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ONI are Japanese demons with horns. They have been popular stock
characters in Japanese fairytales, manga, film, art, literature,
theatre and so on for a long time.
And the lead of this film has these horns too, even though she is not an ONI. You will be able to see the reason why she has horns and discover the meaning of "Operation ONI" at the end of story. It's a military operation concerning her. |
| Set in samurai-era Japan, tensions rise between humans and the powerful Empire of Spirits. Mao, a formidable samurai marked by mysterious ONI (demon) horns on her head, has known only loneliness after losing her parents and enduring a harsh upbringing by a tyrant. Her closest bond is with her best friend, Onatsu, whose love has been Mao's sole solace. As war erupts, Mao vows to protect both her homeland and Onatsu, but Onatsu declares, "This is the end of our friendship," leaving Mao heartbroken. The true meaning of Onatsu's words and the fate of their friendship lie in the mystery of Mao's horns. |
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Neon Town Girl Voice actress: Neon (YouTube)  |
Sora Rice Shop Girl Voice actress: under consideration  |
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Umi Rice Shop Boy Voice actor: under consideration  |
Metoba Hakuo's Aide Voice actress: under consideration  |
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Kaidori Hakuo's Aide Voice actor: under consideration  |
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Sumi-e is one of the East Asian styles of traditional brush
painting. While it doesn't use many colors, it can express rich and
impressive scenes. These Sumi-e art will be background pictures of the
film. It's extremely compelling and I'm sure you will feel
inspired by it. We are very honored to invite you to this mysterious and
traditional Asian world.
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| Studio ONI Inc. is a
Tokyo-based creative studio specializing in hand-drawn animation,
art, and storytelling rooted in Japanese traditional ink painting. We create frame-by-frame animated works that connect paper, brush, ink, and human craftsmanship with contemporary cinematic storytelling. Our focus is on emotionally resonant worlds shaped through visual rhythm, negative space, brushwork, and movement. Recent projects include an official animation for Supercell’s Brawl Stars, The Tale of Nagamasa Azai and His Family, a hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting animation created as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama BROTHERS IN ARMS, and worldbuilding and narrative text direction for Wonderia YOKOHAMA Supported by Umios, a large-scale immersive edutainment facility operated by DeNA in Japan. Our practice spans animation production, Japanese traditional ink painting art, worldbuilding, narrative design, VTuber projects, cultural projects, and international creative education. We do not use generative AI in our production. Learn more on our official website. |
| Hiroshi Takane Founder, CEO and Representative Director of Studio ONI Inc. Creative Director, Producer, Director, Scriptwriter and Copywriter |
| Hiroshi Takane is a
Tokyo-born creative director, producer, director, scriptwriter, and
copywriter with over 20 years of experience in storytelling,
advertising, games, animation, and cultural projects. As the founder and CEO of Studio ONI Inc., he leads projects that blend Japanese traditional ink painting aesthetics with modern hand-drawn animation and narrative-driven visual storytelling. He has created story concepts, scripts, worldbuilding, and promotional experiences for clients and titles such as Supercell, NHK, LEXUS, SONY, DeNA, Wacoal, BABYMETAL, Granblue Fantasy, and Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series. For Supercell’s Brawl Stars, Takane served as Director, Creative Director, and Producer for an official animation created using Studio ONI’s hand-painted Japanese traditional ink painting animation approach, bringing brushwork, paper, ink, and human craftsmanship into a global game universe. He also contributed to Wonderia YOKOHAMA Supported by Umios, an immersive edutainment facility operated by DeNA at BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai. He was responsible for worldbuilding, narrative text direction, and more than 100 original Wonderia Tips, shaping a distinctive narrative voice for the facility. Takane served as Creative Director for The Tale of Nagamasa Azai and His Family, a hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting animation created as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama BROTHERS IN ARMS. The work has been on permanent public display since February 1, 2026, at Azai Three Sisters’ Hometown Gito Kizuna-kan in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture. He also served as Associate Producer for Himitsu, a hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting and watercolor animation music video produced in collaboration with Graphinica Inc., as well as for a Japanese traditional ink painting art exhibition at Kyoto Takashimaya S.C. In 2026, Takane planned and spoke at educational and cultural exchange programs in Tokyo for students and faculty from Furman University and Rochester Institute of Technology, sharing Studio ONI’s approach to Japanese traditional ink painting animation, human craftsmanship in the age of AI, and cultural storytelling. He currently serves as an Honorary Jury Member for The GIANT Hunt, an international anime art and character design competition organized by IMAGE Infotainment Limited in India. He is also a certified lifetime member of Creators HQ, an international creative network based in Dubai. (Linkedin / IMDb) |
| Sho
Hosokawa Vice President of Studio ONI Inc. Executive Producer of Studio ONI’s Art Division Japanese Traditional Ink Painting Art Director, Background Artist and Ink Painting Animator |
| Sho Hosokawa is a
Kyoto-based Japanese traditional ink painting artist and Vice
President of Studio ONI Inc. Self-taught since childhood, Hosokawa has devoted his artistic practice to exploring the essence of beauty through the study of both Eastern and Western masterpieces. His work emphasizes spatial depth, emotional resonance, and the expressive potential of ink. He serves as Executive Producer of Studio ONI’s Art Division, as well as Japanese Traditional Ink Painting Art Director, Background Artist, and Ink Painting Animator. For Supercell’s official Brawl Stars animation, Hosokawa served as Japanese Traditional Ink Painting Art Director, Ink Painting Animator, and artist for character and background ink paintings. Through brushwork painted directly on paper, he brought the texture, movement, and atmosphere of Japanese traditional ink painting into the world of Brawl Stars. Hosokawa served as Background Artist and Art Director for Himitsu, a hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting and watercolor animation music video produced in collaboration with Graphinica Inc. He also worked as Key Artist, Background Artist, and Japanese Traditional Ink Painting Art Director for The Tale of Nagamasa Azai and His Family, a hand-drawn animation created as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama BROTHERS IN ARMS. The work is permanently exhibited at Azai Three Sisters’ Hometown Gito Kizuna-kan in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture. In 2026, Hosokawa appeared in lecture and live demonstration programs in Tokyo for students and faculty from Furman University and Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States. Through live demonstrations of background art using paper, brush, and ink, he introduced how Japanese traditional ink painting can connect with the worldbuilding of contemporary animation. His art-focused YouTube channel, Wazakkaya Tsurara-an, has over 70,000 subscribers. In 2025, he received the Visual Impression Award at the JAPAN Kyoto Trade Exhibition held in Dubai, and his works were also exhibited at Kyoto Takashimaya S.C. Hosokawa is also a certified lifetime member of Creators HQ, an international creative network based in Dubai. (Website / IMDB / Linkedin / YouTube / Twitter) |
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Kinosuke Rakuga
(Yoko Mori) Vice President of Studio ONI Inc. Producer, Lead Animator, Chief Animation Director, Action Director and Character Designer Representative of Ink Dancer (舞墨桜) |
| Kinosuke Rakuga is a Japanese animation
director, producer, lead animator, and Vice President of Studio ONI
Inc. She is the Lead Animator, Action Director, Character Designer, and Vice Director of the ink-brush animated film project Operation ONI. Known for her strong sense of responsibility, leadership, and deep passion for animation, she leads Studio ONI’s animation team with warmth, precision, and creative energy. For Supercell’s Brawl Stars, Kinosuke served as Associate Director, Storyboard Artist, Lead Animator, and VFX Artist for an official animation created using Studio ONI’s hand-painted Japanese ink painting animation approach. She helped shape the movement, rhythm, visual effects, and emotional flow of the piece, bringing the ink-painted characters to life within the world of Brawl Stars. Rakuga served as Chief Animation Director and Lead Animator for Himitsu, a hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting and watercolor animation music video produced in collaboration with Graphinica Inc. Her animation style blends traditional Japanese brush aesthetics with dynamic action staging, creating expressive and emotionally driven visual storytelling. She also worked as Storyboard Artist for The Tale of Nagamasa Azai and His Family, a hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting animation created as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama BROTHERS IN ARMS. The work is permanently exhibited at Azai Three Sisters’ Hometown Gito Kizuna-kan in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture. In 2026, Rakuga appeared in lecture and live demonstration programs in Tokyo for students and faculty from Furman University and Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States. Through live demonstrations of digital Japanese traditional ink painting animation, she introduced how lines, expressions, and movement can bring a character to life. Through the delicate emotions she brings to characters’ expressions and movements, Rakuga continues to explore the possibilities of character expression in Japanese traditional ink painting animation. (IMDB / Linkedin) |
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Leo Painting Animator / Member of Animation Team "Ink Dancer (舞墨桜)" |
| Graduated from the Junior College of
Musashino Art University. After working for approximately 15 years in a design company as a graphic designer, she is now creating artwork while working part-time. |
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Molly (Olga) Illustrator / Visual Artist / Character Designer |
| Molly (Olga) is a Russian illustrator, character designer and visual artist with more than 10 years of experience in the game industry. She has worked as a lead artist in Japan, and has contributed to projects related to the Russian version of Lineage II and the globally successful mobile game Homescapes. She is also an award-winning artist in the Fendace fashion illustration contest, a collaboration between FENDI and VERSACE. With a background in fashion illustration, Molly specializes in delicate character expression, costume design, and emotionally nuanced visual storytelling. At Studio ONI, she creates official concept artwork for Operation ONI. Her work brings a fresh international perspective to the project while capturing a sense of space, line, and atmosphere that resonates with traditional Japanese ink painting. Her deep understanding of Japanese ink-inspired expression has impressed even Sho Hosokawa, Studio ONI’s Art Director and Japanese ink painter. (Instagram) |
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Miya Painting Animator / Member of Animation Team "Ink Dancer (舞墨桜)" |
| Agreed with the project and joined to help in any way she can. She draws manga and novels as a hobby. |
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Oksana Grabenko Inbetween Animator / Member of Animation Team "Ink Dancer (舞墨桜)" |
| An animator, artist and screenwriter. Worked on such projects as “Hacking Universe” series and “Winter“ comics, “Marilya. In search of weirdos” series, “Take my muffin” YouTube series, and the Japanese music video "Himitsu (Secret)" performed by HIPPY. (Website / Linkedin / Twitter(x) / Instagram) |
| Tukine Natsuki Character Designer Painting Animator / Member of Animation Team "Ink Dancer (舞墨桜)" |
| Has created numerous illustrations of cute females with creative worldviews and rich personalities, including the #Healing Little Girls series. Scouted by Director Takane and Kinosuke, and is in charge of character design now, mainly for Operation ONI's costumes. Twitter(x)) |
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Mirko De Stefano Animator / Member of Animation Team "Ink Dancer (舞墨桜)" |
| Mirko De Stefano is a traditional animator, 2D digital artist, and author of several commercials and AMVs, with nearly four years of experience as a lead animator. After finishing high school and earning a degree in Cinema and Visual Arts from the University of Turin (UNITO) in Italy, he worked as a lead animator, story artist, and director at Sound and Sense Record Label in Milan.
He also contributed as an animator for the
Japanese music video “Himitsu (Secret)” performed by HIPPY. A great admirer of Michelangelo and Stanley Kubrick, Mirko joined Operation ONI drawn by its artistic vision and the opportunity to create visually striking, emotionally resonant animation. (Linkedin) |
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Kaori Fukui Director of audiography |
| She started her career in 2010 as a game recording director and has worked in a wide variety of genres including dubbing, commercials, and radio dramas. |
| Suzu Nomiya
Character Designer |
| A freelance illustrator. Striving to draw attractive expressions. |
| Hiroko
Aoyama Script Director |
| Has worked several times with Director Takane since NHK, and directed most of his scripts. Founded a creative team named "DIP.LÔME" with him in 2015. This film is the first work as DIP.LÔME. |
| Fawkes
Sutherland (南国 鷹) Music Composer |
| A young composer in U.K. |
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Itsuki Amakusa Music Composer |
| Based in Kyoto, Itsuki began composing in 2012. Influenced by video game music, he creates pieces ranging from orchestral to rock, dance music, and vocal songs, often centered around the piano. He has a love for strings, electronic sounds, and matcha. In Operation ONI, he composed “The Strongest Samurai, Mao.” (X (Twitter)) |
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Alejandro Jiang (Hazeiko) Monster Designer |
| A freelance illustrator and concept artist. His inspiration comes from the deep value and heart of things that roam in our world, in meanings behind surfaces, behind crude ideas that blossom into beauty. Searching for a way to express those hidden gems to the jeweled eyes of those that wander. (Website / Twitter) |
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Roberta Alosi Monster Designer |
| Italian character designer and concept artist. She graduated from her country's art academy. She loves art in all its forms, from traditional to modern. Her goal in life is to get into people's hearts by her art. (Instagram / Twitter) |
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Tenkuroku Vtuber (Real-time Live2D motion capture animation) Creator (Sample) |
| I have been given the opportunity to create VTuber Live2D models at Studio ONI. I hope to help bring smiles to everyone's faces. Thank you! (Twitter(x), Youtube) |
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Marco Preißer English Advisor |
| A teacher for English, ethics and philosophy from Germany. In his spare time, he writes music and plays the guitar in several metal bands. |
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Carolyn Anderson Interpreter, translator, website creator, logo creator, LINE stamp creator |
| (Website, Twitter(x), Instagram, Youtube) |
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B-draw Concept Artist |
| Creating lots for Operation ONI such as Kyofu All Back and Onatsu's knife Work. Her concept art "Prayer" has been selected for the Noto Reconstruction Support Event. And she planned and managed Mao's birthday party. Her gallery is here. (Twitter(x) / Instagram) |
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Haruki Miniature Creator |
| I started my career as a miniature creator in June 2024. I have had a wonderful opportunity to work with Studio ONI in my favorite genre. I am still learning, but I hope to help everyone while enjoying the world of Operation ONI. We look forward to working with you for many years to come! (Shop / Twitter(x)) |
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Gerardo Coppola International Jurist |
| (Instagram) |
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Jacques Pearce Ambassador |
| (Website / Instagram) |
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Deanna J. Wright English Translator |
| She is an American writer, translator, teacher, and project leader currently living in Berlin to complete her Master's degree in Sociology and Politics. She lived in Osaka for seven years and hopes to share her love and appreciation for Japan and the Japanese language through her translation and teaching work. (LinkedIn) |
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kofudeya (Kumiko
Goto) Kanji Logo Designer |
| An amazing Kanji Logo Designer who created a Kanji Logo for this anime. |
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Pedro H. de
Souza Brazilian portuguese Translator |
| Hi I'm a college student that just likes pop culture so much and fell in love with this project so I decided to help with what I can. (Twitter) |
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Soundays Arranger |
| Producing and providing background music, mixing, mastering, and karaoke sound sources. He's extremely thrilled because he loves Japanese style music and wanted to be involved in this film production. |
| Izumin |
| Ever since she was a little girl, she loved singing and drawing. Her teacher was a cathode-ray tube TV that was still in black and white. Atom, Sally, and Leo, the Jungle Emperor, appeared on it. It was her awakening to drawing. She found a ballpoint pen and drew her favorite characters on the back of the flier, excitedly enjoying the world of cartoons. She has experienced many things in her life, but now she is feeling as if she is in the same space as she was back then. She is sure that it is a blessing that she was able to meet Director Takane, the Ink Dancer Animation Team, and all the staff of Studio ONI, Operation ONI, as she approaches the milestone of her 60th birthday this year. She will cherish this relationship and continue to support Operation ONI. (Twitter(x)) |
| Goma Channel & Ayaka |
| has been a member of
the Tsurara-an family for 3 years and watched it with her family.
That is where she met Operation ONI and is now a supporter of it.
She started making dolls as a hobby, and is now making dolls by
utilizing her daughter's hobby of digital artistry in doll making.
An Operation ONI doll is about to be born!
(Twitter(x) / Youtube) |
| YUKiNA |
| became fascinated with this project after watching Mr. Hosokawa's Youtube channel. She is training herself daily to draw attractive characters. Her current goal is to be able to receive requests for character design and illustrations. (Twitter(x)) |
| Rokusho Hinata |
| is a painter who depict the world of Operation ONI's Sumi-e paintings in anime style. In addition to fan art, he paints various motifs in oil, watercolor, and other materials. (Twitter(x)) |
| Lal Ito |
| Has been a portrait artist for 25 years. Former bus guide. Loves anime and manga. An art materials geek who draws pictures as a hobby. She got to know Operation ONI through Mr. Hosokawa's YouTube channel and is very happy to be involved in the anime film produced by the director Takane with fan art. (Twitter(x)) |
| Ponta 3GO |
|
Loves to paint! After working with watercolor, hand-painted yuzen,
and oil painting, she arrived at Japanese painting. While searching
for Japanese paintings, she came across Mr. Hosokawa's Japanese
goods shop Turara-an and then OperationONI, where she started to
draw fan art. If there is a connection, you come to see them even if
they are far away from you. She is grateful to have met them. (Twitter(x)) |
| Lemongrass07 |
| Started making
ceramics to create ikebana vases and entered the world of three
dimensional art. In 2020, she started watching Mr. Hosokawa's
Youtube channel named "Turara-an" and started to draw analog
pictures such as watercolor, ink, and acrylic paintings, and entered
the world of two-dimensional art. After that, she met OperationONI
through Mr. Hosokawa and started to draw fan art. (Twitter(x), Youtube, Instagram, Threads) |
| Oyapon |
| I remember I was very excited to draw Operation ONI's first fanart in color when there was no fan art for Operation ONI yet. Seeing people going about making their dreams come true made me want to look forward to the future. I feel happy to be able to be involved in the process of creating animation, and to be able to make it lively. (Twitter(x)) |
|
Thanks to all of you, our crowdfunding campaign for the first 15
minutes (Episode 1) in 2022 ended successfully on both
Kickstarter and
CAMPFIRE. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your warm
support!
The first 15 minutes (episode 1) is currently in production. The release of Episode 1 and the next crowdfunding campaign are scheduled after 2027. The length of the film is approximately 60 minutes. Since we do not have a large production team, it will take about 5 years to complete the film. We feel bad about keeping you waiting for a long time, so we decided to divide the film into 4 episodes and produce and release 15 minutes of each part every year (12-15 months). In the scripts, I created a climax and a cliffhanger every 15 minutes , so this anime can be enjoyed either in full version or in small 15-minute episodes. This way, our supporters will be able to enjoy our film every year or so. Our first goal is to combine these four episodes into a single movie and bring it to film festivals in the U.S. We would like to walk the red carpet. It is our dream. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Best regards, Producer, director, story, script writer and editor of Operation ONI Founder and CEO of Studio ONI Inc. Hiroshi Takane |
| Actor/actress agency | YU-RIN PRO |
| Foreign talent agency | Free Wave Co.,Inc. |
| Actor/actress agency | Early Wing |
| Recording Studio | STUDIO effort |
Copyright (C) Studio ONI Inc. All rights reserved.