Japanese publishing company AlphaPolis Co., Ltd. has announced the full acquisition of anime studio White Fox Co., Ltd., turning it into a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition, approved at a board meeting on July 31, 2025, aligns with AlphaPolis’s strategic initiative to bolster its in-house animation production capabilities and expand its intellectual property (IP) into various media, including animation, merchandise, and games.
Strategic Move for Enhanced IP Adaptation
AlphaPolis, a publisher of light novels and manga, particularly known for online content, has actively pursued multi-media expansion of its IPs. The anime business has been identified as a key medium-term strategic initiative for the company. By acquiring White Fox, AlphaPolis aims to enhance its ability to animate its own IPs internally, improve the quality of animation, and accelerate the pace of adaptations. This move is expected to increase the visibility and brand power of AlphaPolis’s works, while also providing greater flexibility and consistency in delivering high-quality animated projects.
White Fox: A Renowned Animation Studio
Established in April 2007 by former OLM producer Gaku Iwasa, White Fox has gained significant recognition for its high-quality animation work. The studio is behind several critically acclaimed and fan-favorite anime series.
Notable Works from White Fox
White Fox’s portfolio includes popular titles that have garnered a strong following within the anime community. Some of their most successful productions include:
- Steins;Gate: Released in 2011, this science fiction thriller is widely considered one of the best anime ever made and significantly boosted White Fox’s reputation.
- Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World: This popular isekai series is another flagship title for the studio.
- Akame ga Kill!: A dark fantasy action series that showcased the studio’s diverse capabilities.
- The Devil Is a Part-Timer!: A well-liked comedy series.
- Goblin Slayer: Another fantasy series that highlights their ability to adapt various genres.
- Katanagatari: An earlier work that helped establish their recognition in 2010.
Beyond its main productions, White Fox has also collaborated as a subcontractor with other animation studios, providing services such as character designs and in-betweening.
AlphaPolis’s Publishing Background
AlphaPolis was launched in August 2000 as a publisher of online content and has since grown into a significant player in the Japanese publishing industry. The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Key Published Works
AlphaPolis is known for publishing popular light novel and manga series, many of which originated as web novels. Notable titles include:
- Gate: One of their most notable publications, which has sold 6 million copies and received an anime adaptation.
- Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy: Another series that began as a web novel and was later adapted into an anime.
- A Playthrough of a Certain Dude’s VRMMO Life: This series also started as a web novel and saw light novel and manga adaptations, with an anime adaptation announced.
The company also operates the Alpha Manga app, launched in August 2021, for reading its manga on mobile devices, with some titles also available through Crunchyroll.
Implications for the Anime Industry
The acquisition of a well-established animation studio like White Fox by a prolific publisher such as AlphaPolis signifies a growing trend within the Japanese entertainment industry to consolidate content creation and production. This integration allows AlphaPolis to have more direct control over the animation process of its intellectual properties, potentially leading to faster adaptation cycles and a more consistent vision between the source material and its animated counterpart. This could set a precedent for other publishers looking to streamline their multi-media strategies.
