TeamTO has launched a new division focused on producing original anime series and films, as well as providing third-party service work.
The launch of TeamTOKO Animation comes alongside a brand refresh for the storied European animation studio, which was acquired by RIVA Studios at the end of 2024.
TeamTOKO will develop original 2D and 3D projects. rooted in anime-inspired storytelling, through collaborations between European and Japanese talent.
“Anime was our gateway into animation,” said Tara Sibel, co-founder of RIVA Studios. “It’s where our love for the medium truly began. It revealed to us the emotional depth and boundless imagination that animation can hold. As TeamTO enters this next chapter, embracing that influence feels both natural and deeply personal. With TeamTOKO, we are honoring TeamTO’s legacy while opening the door to bold new storytelling—carrying it forward with renewed imagination, ambition, and heart.”
TeamTO arrived at Annecy last year with Shadow Soccer, a shōnen series directed by French filmmaker Slimane Aniss, and followed that up with Akira’s Flying Wheelchair, a feature film at Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux this year, developed in collaboration with French, Italian, and Japanese talent.
Olivier Plazas, TeamTO art director, commented: “TeamTOKO marks the beginning of a new era for the studio, rooted in our lifelong love of anime as both a visual language and a storytelling tradition. By embedding this expertise at the heart of the studio, we can push stylization, composition, and emotion in bolder, more cinematic ways, while maintaining the level of craftsmanship that defines TeamTO.”
