Anime Studio Gaina Changes Name to Benten Film After Being Acquired by AI Animation Company Creator's X

Anime studio Gaina announced on Friday that it is changing its name to Benten Film after being acquired by AI animation company Creator’s X. Kinoshita Group Holdings, which had fully acquired Gaina (formerly known as Fukushima Gainax) in July 2018, has transferred all of its shares of Gaina to Creator’s X.

“Benten” is a reference to goddess Benzaiten, the goddess of art and learning, whose temple is in Kichijoji where the company is. “Film” refers to both the medium and also the deeper meaning of the timelessness and novelty that films possess. The three wavy lines represent the flow of water, again related to Benzaiten, who originated from Saraswati, a Hindu goddess who is associated with water. The red color of the logo represents the same red from the Japanese flag, symbolizing strength and passion.

The studio will remain in Kichijoji. Yoshinori Asao will continue to serve as President and Representative Director.

Studio Gaina produced anime such as Baban Baban Ban Vampire, Forest of Piano, and Grendizer U.

Creator’s X was established in February 2024. The company aims to use AI tools for animation production. Creator’s X acquired all shares of animation production company K&K Design in November 2024.

Kinoshita Group Holdings fully acquired Fukushima Gainax in July 2018, changing its name to Gaina and becoming Kinoshita Group Holdings‘ wholly owned subsidiary. The company relocated its headquarters to Koganei, Tokyo. Asao remained the company’s Representative Director and President, and Naoya Kinoshita became the company’s board chairperson.

The original Gainax animation studio founded the Fukushima Gainax studio and its accompanying museum in 2015. Fukushima locals hoped that the museum and studio would draw tourists from abroad as well as from within Japan, and would help revive Fukushima tourism in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The new studio and museum made use of a closed junior high school building. Gaina transferred control of its Fukushima Sakura Yūgakusha animation museum to a separate, new company named Fukushima Gaina, which was established in August 2018. While Fukushima Gainax carried its former parent company’s name, the original Gainax studio and Fukushima Gainax separated their capital ties and became independent companies in December 2015.

Gaina took over the production for Gainax‘s Uru in Blue (Aoki Uru) theatrical anime project in 2018, originally aiming for a worldwide release for the anime in 2022. At the same time, Gaina had announced two new theatrical projects titled Top o Nerae! 3 (Aim for the Top! 3, working title) and Akubi o Suru ni wa Wake ga Aru (There’s a Reason Behind Yawning). Top o Nerae! is the Japanese title of Gainax‘s Gunbuster anime franchise, but the original announcement did not explicitly state if the new anime was related to the franchise.