GoHands
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}{{Short description|Japanese animation studio}}
{{Infobox company
| name = GoHands Co., Ltd.
| native_name = 株式会社GoHands
| romanized_name = Kabushiki-gaisha Gōhanzu
| image = File:NLC Shin-Osaka No.6 building.jpg
| image_caption = NLC Shin-Osaka Building 6, where GoHands' main office is located
| logo = GoHands Logo.svg
| caption =
| type = Kabushiki gaisha
| traded_as =
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| foundation = {{Start date|2008|08|}}
| founder =
| location = Nishinakajima
| location_city = Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
| location_country = Japan
| key_people = Ringo Kishimoto (president)
| industry = Japanese animation
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| owner =
| divisions = GoHands Laboratory
| num_employees = 63
| parent =
| homepage =
}}
{{Nihongo|GoHands Co., Ltd.|株式会社GoHands|Kabushiki-gaisha Gōhanzu|lead=yes}} is a Japanese animation studio located in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka. It was founded in 2008 by Ringo Kishimoto and former members of Satelight.
Known for their unique house animation style, GoHands have produced a number of anime series and films, including adaptations of Seitokai Yakuindomo (2010), Mardock Scramble (2010), Coppelion (2013) and The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses (2023), as well as original anime including K (2012), Hand Shakers (2017), and Momentary Lily (2025).
History
GoHands was founded in August 2008 by Ringo Kishimoto and other former employees of Satelight's former Osaka Studio 2.{{Cite news |date=2017-01-13 |title=Anime Craft Weekly #26: Please Gohands and Never Come Back |url=https://blog.sakugabooru.com/2017/01/13/anime-craft-weekly-26-please-gohands-and-never-come-back/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20221130231158/https://blog.sakugabooru.com/2017/01/13/anime-craft-weekly-26-please-gohands-and-never-come-back/ |archive-date=2022-11-30 |access-date=2025-02-08 |work=Sakuga Blog |language=en-US}} The company's name derives from the desire to be able to "put {{nihongo|food|ごはん|gohan}} on the table by making anime" and the kanji han (阪) used in the Japanese spelling of {{nihongo|Osaka Castle|大阪城| Ōsaka-jō}}.{{Cite web |title=「株式会社GoHands」会社見学会へ！｜新着情報｜ECCコンピュータ専門学校 |url=https://comp.ecc.ac.jp/news/index.php?c=topics_view&pk=1430116765 |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=ECCコンピュータ専門学校 |language=ja}} The studio's first production as lead producer was an adaptation of the adult visual novel Princess Lover! in July 2009.
The company has two studios: a head office in Osaka, and a second studio in Suginami Ward, Tokyo. GoHands does not operate a public website or any social media profiles and employs a policy of completing works entirely in-house and completing the production of all television anime episodes before broadcast begins.
= ''Tokyo Babylon 2021'' plagiarism controversy and cancelation=
{{See also|Tokyo Babylon#TV series}}
On October 25, 2020, an anime adaptation of Clamp manga series Tokyo Babylon was announced, to be produced by GoHands in cooperation with King Records. A presentation for the project, entitled Tokyo Babylon 2021, was held on November 19, 2020, confirming that the series would be directed by Shingo Suzuki and Susumu Kudo and premiere in April 2021. A day later, however, on November 20, 2020 the anime production committee was accused of plagiarizing outfit designs from the Volks Doll K-pop group.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-25 |title=アニメ『東京BABYLON』放送延期 キャラ衣装の模倣問題受け再び謝罪「深く反省」 |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2180257/full/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=ORICON NEWS}}{{cite news|first=Lynzee|last=Loveridge|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2020-11-23/tokyo-babylon-2021-character-designs-appear-to-reference-k-pop-group-volks-doll/.166629|title=Tokyo Babylon 2021 Character Designs Appear to Reference K-Pop Group, Volks Doll|work=Anime News Network|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=October 10, 2023|archive-date=December 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202065754/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2020-11-23/tokyo-babylon-2021-character-designs-appear-to-reference-k-pop-group-volks-doll/.166629|url-status=live}} After an investigation, on December 4, 2020, the anime producer apologized on their official website and announced that they would be changing the designs.{{cite web|url=http://tokyobabylon2021.jp/news/201204-1/|script-title=ja:TVアニメ「東京BABYLON 2021」に関するお詫びとご報告|language=ja|work=Tokyo Babylon 2021|date=December 4, 2020|access-date=October 10, 2023|archive-date=December 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205180517/http://tokyobabylon2021.jp/news/201204-1/|url-status=live}} Due to the necessary changes to be made, on December 24, 2020, the anime production committee announced that the series was delayed to an unspecified date.{{cite web|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|title=Tokyo Babylon 2021 Anime Delayed From April 2021 Due to Plagiarism Incident|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-12-24/tokyo-babylon-2021-anime-delayed-from-april-2021-due-to-plagiarism-incident/.167817|website=Anime News Network|access-date=December 24, 2020|date=December 24, 2020}} After more cases of plagiarism surfaced through an internal investigation, on March 29, 2021, the production committee announced that the current TV series would be canceled, while a new anime production would be produced by a different studio.{{Cite web |url= https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-03-28/tokyo-babylon-2021-anime-canceled-with-restart-planned-after-more-plagiarism-uncovered/.171243|title= Tokyo Babylon 2021 Anime Canceled with Restart Planned, After More Plagiarism Uncovered|website= Anime News Network|last=Pineda|first=Rafael Antonio|date= March 29, 2021|access-date= March 29, 2021}}
On August 3, 2021, it was reported that GoHands was suing King Records for {{yen|450 million}} for failing to pay the expenses they previously agreed to pay. In the lawsuit, it was revealed the GoHands series was planned to have run for 21 episodes. According to the same lawsuit, the first 13 episodes were completed by November 2020.{{cite web|title=Tokyo Babylon 2021 Studio GoHands Sues King Records for 450 Million Yen Over Canceled Anime|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-08-05/tokyo-babylon-2021-studio-gohands-sues-king-records-for-450-million-yen-over-canceled-anime/.175913|website=Anime News Network|last=Loo|first=Egan|date=August 5, 2021|access-date=August 5, 2021}}
Animation style
GoHands is known for its unique house animation style, which combines traditional 2D character animation with 3D computer animated backgrounds, often featuring complex camera movements, particle effects, and aggressive postprocessing.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-08 |title=This Week in Anime - Throw Hands with GoHands |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2023-07-20/.200446 |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}} The studio's style has been simultaneously described as controversial, striking,{{Cite web |last=Greenall |first=Jonathon |date=2023-07-08 |title=The Strange History Of GoHands, The Anime Fandom's Most Controversial Studio |url=https://www.cbr.com/gohands-odd-history-controversial-anime-studio/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=CBR |language=en}} and bizarre.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-08 |title=This Week in Anime - Throw Hands with GoHands |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2023-07-20/.200446 |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}}
Productions
= Anime television series =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" class="unsortable" width=10 | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Network ! scope="col" | Director(s) ! scope="col" | {{abbr|Eps.|Episodes}} ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Note(s) ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Refs.|References}} |
|---|
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2009
|Hiromitsu Kanazawa |12 |style="text-align:left;" | Adaptation of the eroge visual novel by Ricotta. |
| Cheburashka Arere?
|Susumu Kudō |26 |style="text-align:left;" | Television shorts based on the Russian children's book character created by Soviet writer Eduard Uspensky. |{{cite web |url=http://www.cheb-tv.com/cast/ |script-title=ja:キャスト スタッフ |trans-title=Cast and Staff |publisher=Cheb TV |language=ja |access-date=October 21, 2012 |title=Informasi Mengenai TV |archive-date=March 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316124129/http://cheb-tv.com/cast/ |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-31 |title=Russia's Cheburashka Character Gets Japanese TV Anime (Update 2) |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-09-03/russia-cheburashka-character-gets-japanese-tv-anime |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}} |
| scope="row" | 2010
|Hiromitsu Kanazawa |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Adaptation of the four-panel comedy manga series written and illustrated by Tozen Ujiie. |
| scope="row" | 2012
| K |MBS |Shingo Suzuki |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Original anime created in collaboration with the author group GoRA. |
| scope="row" | 2013
|AT-X |Shingo Suzuki |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Adaptation of the military action/science fiction manga series written and illustrated by Tomonori Inoue. |
| scope="row" | 2014
|Hiromitsu Kanazawa |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Second season of Seitokai Yakuindomo. |
| scope="row" | 2015
|AT-X |Shingo Suzuki |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Second season of K. |
| scope="row" | 2017
|Tokyo MX | rowspan="2" | Shingo Suzuki |12 |style="text-align:left;" | Original anime created in collaboration with Frontier Works and Kadokawa. |
| scope="row" | 2019
| W'z |Tokyo MX |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Original anime sequel to Hand Shakers, set ten years later. |
| scope="row" | 2021
| Project Scard: Scar on the Praeter |JNN |Shingo Suzuki |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Original anime, based on the Project Scard media project by Frontier Works. |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2023
| The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses |Tokyo MX | rowspan="2" | Susumu Kudō |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Adaptation of the romantic comedy manga series written and illustrated by Koume Fujichika. |
| The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today
|JNN |13 |style="text-align:left;" | Adaptation of the slice of life comedy manga series written and illustrated by Hitsuji Yamada. |
| scope="row" | 2025
|Tokyo MX |Shingo Suzuki |14 |style="text-align:left;" | Original anime created in collaboration with Shochiku. |
| scope="row" | 2026
| The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System |{{TBA}} |Shingo Suzuki |{{TBA}} |style="text-align:left;" | Adaptation of the fantasy/isekai light novel series written by Nekoko and illustrated by Jaian. |
= Anime films =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" class="unsortable" width=10 | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Director(s) ! scope="col" | {{abbr|Dur.|Duration}} ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Note(s) ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Refs.|References}} |
|---|
| scope="row" | 2010
| Mardock Scramble: The First Compression | rowspan="3" | Susumu Kudō |69m |style="text-align:left;" | First of a trilogy of films based on the Japanese cyberpunk novel series written by Tow Ubukata. |
| scope="row" | 2011
| Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion |62m |style="text-align:left;" | Sequel to The First Compression. |
| scope="row" | 2012
| Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust |66m |style="text-align:left;" | Sequel to The Second Combusion. |
| scope="row" | 2014
| Shingo Suzuki |73m |style="text-align:left;" | Anime film sequel to K. |
| scope="row" | 2017
| Seitokai Yakuindomo: The Movie | Hiromitsu Kanazawa |60m |style="text-align:left;" | Anime film sequel to Seitokai Yakuindomo*. |
| scope="row" rowspan="6" | 2018
| K: Seven Stories "R:B - BLAZE -" | rowspan="6" | Shingo Suzuku |55m |style="text-align:left;" rowspan="6" | Six-part film series presenting stories from the various clans depicted in K and its sequels. |
| K: Seven Stories "SIDE:BLUE - Sirius -"
|61m |
| K: Seven Stories "SIDE:GREEN - Overwrite World -"
|59m |
| K: Seven Stories "Lost Small World - Outside the Cage -"
|66m |
| K: Seven Stories "Memory of RED - BURN -"
|61m |
| K: Seven Stories "Circle Vision - Nameless Song -"
|58m |
| scope="row" | 2021
| Seitokai Yakuindomo: The Movie 2 | Hiromitsu Kanazawa |78m |style="text-align:left;" | Sequel to Seitokai Yakuindomo: The Movie. |
= Original video animations =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" class="unsortable" width=10 | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Director(s) ! scope="col" | {{abbr|Eps.|Episodes}} ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Note(s) |
|---|
| scope="row" | 2011–2013
| rowspan="3" | Hiromitsu Kanazawa | 8 |style="text-align:left;" | Additional episodes of Seitokai Yakuindomo released on DVD, some of which were packaged with limited edition manga volumes. |
| scope="row" | 2012
| 1 |style="text-align:left;" | Adaptation of the harem romantic comedy series written by Akiyoshi Ohta and illustrated by Munyū.{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-11-20/asa-made-jugyou-chu-romantic-comedy-manga-gets-anime |title=Asa Made Jugyou Chu! Romantic Comedy Manga Gets Anime |publisher=Anime News Network |date=November 22, 2011 |access-date=October 21, 2012}} |
| scope="row" | 2014–2020
| 10 |style="text-align:left;" | Additional episodes of Seitokai Yakuindomo*. |
| scope="row" | 2017
| rowspan="2" | Shingo Suzuki | 1 |style="text-align:left;" | Additional unaired episode of Hand Shakers; a prequel set four years before the events of the TV series.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-31 |title=Hand Shakers Anime Gets Unaired Episode With New Character |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-03-20/hand-shakers-anime-gets-unaired-episode-with-new-character/.113685 |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}} |
| scope="row" | 2019
| 1 |style="text-align:left;" | Additional unaired episode of W'z, taking place chronologically between Hand Shakers: Go ago Go and Hand Shakers.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-31 |title=GoHands' Original W'z Anime Reveals Unaired Episode on Home Video, Stage Play Adaptation |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-11-08/gohands-original-wz-anime-reveals-unaired-episode-on-home-video-stage-play-adaptation/.139221 |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{ann|company|7758}}
{{Portal bar|Companies|Anime and manga}}
{{GoHands}}
{{Japanese animation studios}}
Category:Japanese animation studios