Frontwing

{{Short description|Japanese visual novel studio}}

{{Infobox company

|name = Frontwing

|native_name = 株式会社フロントウイング

|native_name_lang = ja

|logo = Frontwing logo.png

|type = Kabushiki gaisha

|industry = Computer games

|foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|2000}}

|location = Taitō, Tokyo, Japan

|key_people = Ryūichirō Yamakawa (Producer, President and CEO)

Akio Watanabe (Director and Character Designer)

Fumio (Game illustrator)

Yōsai Kūchū
(Game illustrator and Character Designer){{cite web | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2010-06-25/mangagamer-announces-frontwing-for-anime-expo | title = MangaGamer Announces Frontwing and More Guests for Anime Expo - Anime News Network | access-date = 2013-02-14 | date = 2010-06-25 | publisher = Anime News Network}}

|products = Eroge, Visual novels

|owner = Bushiroad (50.625%)

|homepage = {{URL|http://frontwing.jp/}}

}}

{{Nihongo|Frontwing Co., Ltd.|株式会社フロントウイング|Kabushiki-gaisha Furonto Uingu}} is a Japanese visual novel studio known for the production of adult bishōjo games. Its main office is located in Taitō, Tokyo. The representative producer and president is Ryūichirō Yamakawa. “Frontwing” is the company's main brand, but it has also released games under affiliated brands “Survive” (サヴァイブ), “Hotchkiss” (ホチキス), and “b-wing.” These brands have all since merged to become “Frontwing.”

Frontwing's games cover a diverse range of genres, from school love life stories to hardcore adult games, and also games that utilize 3D computer graphics. The 3D content production team, Polygon Mura (ポリゴン村), is closely involved in the games’ production by seeking ways to incorporate 3D graphics into essentially 2D projects. Several of their games, originally produced for PC, have been ported to consoles. The development of the ported versions is generally done in-house. The company is also active in many other fields, including the development of the dance 3D software Dance X Mixer, taking part in the bi-annual Comic Market, and Niconico live broadcasts.{{cite web|title=Company Profile|url=http://en.frontwing.jp/company/|website=Frontwing official English website|publisher=Frontwing|access-date=February 2, 2016}}

Since the company's founding in 1999 as a bishōjo games developer and the release of Frontwing's first title, Canary (Canaria: Kono Omoi o Uta ni Nosete) in August 2000, it has published over 20 titles in the visual novel genre. The studio's flagship games include the Netherworld Angel Djibril series, and the Grisaia trilogy which spawned an animated series in 2015.{{cite web | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-10-28/le-fruit-de-la-grisaia-game-has-anime-planned | title = Frontwing Plans Anime of Le Fruit de La Grisaia Game - News - Anime News Network | access-date = 2013-02-14 | date = 2010-10-28 | publisher = Anime News Network}} In regards to the Djibril series, writer Naoki Miyamoto, author of the book "Adult Games: Introduction to Cultural Studies”,{{cite book|last1=Miyamoto|first1=Naoki|title=Eroge – Bunka kenkyuu gairon" (Adult Games: Introduction to Cultural Studies)|date=2013|publisher=Sougou Kagaku Shuppan|location=Tokyo|isbn=978-4-88181-829-9}} has pointed out why there is a big demand for such works: “If the one to fight is a beautiful heroine, the risks she takes stimulate people's erotic imagination.”{{cite journal|last1=Dengeki Moe King Editorial Department|title=THE ART OF THE "GRISAIA" SERIES|journal=Dengeki Moe King|date=2013|volume=04340-12|issue=December|pages=123–138}}

In 2011, the first installment of the Grisaia series, The Fruit of Grisaia, won first place in the Moe Game Award.{{cite web|last1=Moe Game Award Executive Committee|title=Moe Game Award 2011 results|url=http://www.moe-gameaward.com/2011/index.html|access-date=October 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124123200/http://www.moe-gameaward.com/2011/index.html|archive-date=November 24, 2013|url-status=dead}} The second installment, The Labyrinth of Grisaia, won second place in 2012.{{cite web|last1=Moe Game Award Executive Committee|title=Moe Game Award 2012 results|url=http://www.moe-gameaward.com/2012/index.html|access-date=October 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021153711/http://moe-gameaward.com/2012/index.html|archive-date=October 21, 2013|url-status=dead}}

Frontwing marked its first venture into the overseas market May 29, 2015, with the English release of The Fruit of Grisaia on Steam. The company has since established its own in-house translation team, which made its debut with the English release of The Leisure of Grisaia on May 18, 2016.

On March 16, 2021, Frontwing announced that Bushiroad had acquired a 50.625% controlling stake of the company, with Frontwing becoming a subsidiary of Bushiroad.{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-03-18/bushiroad-acquires-media-company-frontwing/.170751|title=Bushiroad Acquires Media Company Frontwing|last=Pineda|first=Rafael Antonio|date=March 18, 2021|publisher=Anime News Network|access-date=March 18, 2021}}