Bushiroad Inc. (株式会社ブシロード, Kabushiki-gaisha Bushirōdo) is a Japanese entertainment company, producer of collectible card games and trading cards, and publisher of mobile apps and games, which was founded in 2007 by Takaaki Kidani and is headquartered in Tokyo. Bushiroad created and owns various media franchises such as Tantei Opera Milky Holmes. Since 2019, Bushiroad is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and has traded on the TSE since its launch on July 24, 2019.
On January 29, 2012, Bushiroad announced that it had fully acquired New Japan Pro-Wrestling, a major professional wrestling promotion, for ¥500 million. In October 2019, Bushiroad acquired World Wonder Ring Stardom, a joshi puroresu promotion.
At the 2012 Tokyo Game Show, Bushiroad announced Bushimo, a new social gaming platform for smartphones, which was released in Winter 2012.
In March 2013, Bushiroad announced the revival of the media franchise Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road, with an anime television series that aired on December 31, 2013, as a collaboration between Bushiroad, Bandai Visual, Nitroplus, and Kinema Citrus.
Bushiroad introduced a monthly magazine in September 2013 titled Monthly Bushiroad (月刊ブシロード, Gekkan Bushirōdo). It features manga serializations of their various trading card games and other franchises.
Bushiroad created the media franchise BanG Dream! in January 2015, which consists of a musical group, several manga series, and an anime television series. It also created the media franchise Shōjo Kageki Revue Starlight in 2017, which consists of a musical and an anime television series.
On December 12, 2019, Bushiroad and Kadokawa each acquired 31.8% of Kinema Citrus. The three companies previously announced a partnership in the same year for the creation of different anime, and one of the reasons for the deal was due to that partnership and a day later Bushiroad announced that it had acquired 8.2% of Sanzigen with Ultra Super Pictures owning 75.4% of Sanzigen and studio president Hiroaki Matsuura owning 16.4% of the company. On March 16, 2021, Bushiroad acquired a 50.625% controlling stake in video game company Frontwing.
Contents
Overview
In the beginning, the company was associated with six distinct subgroups that later merged into one entity. The two most important companies that extended the company's global market were in subsidiary which was created on November 12, 2010, to expand the company to market overseas for Collectible card games. On May 18, 2012, Bushiroad set up a subsidiary called Bushiroad USA Inc., which is located in Los Angeles, California to help them demand and increased interest in the company in those markets. The company also has large number of stores offering its products in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, India, Italy, Turkey, Qatar, Philippines, Spain, Portugal, Cambodia, Panama, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay, Mexico, South Africa, and Hong Kong.
Bushiroad Creative, Inc.
On February 27, 2015, Bushiroad formed a subsidiary to help the company with the trading sales. In May 2016 Bushiroad change the name of Alcard Co., Ltd. to Bushiroad Creative and is currently headed by Kosuke Narita and they moved their headquarters from Warabi, Saitama to Nakano, Tokyo. The company also helps the main company with Merchandising sales.
Bushiroad Move, Inc.
Formerly known as Bushiroad Media, Bushiroad Move specializes in internet radio production and also manages the voice acting agency, HiBiKi, along with HiBiKi Radio Station, which is dedicated to promoting Bushiroad's anime, games, and voice talents.
Bushiroad Music, Inc.
Operates a music business and handles activities such as the planning, production and sales of music contents. Bushiroad Music is also highly involved in the production of live events.
Bushiroad Music Publishing Inc.
Bushiroad Music Publishing is a wing of the Bushiroad Music tasked with handling the copyright, development, and publishing of musical works.
Bushiroad Well-Be
Bushiroad Well-Be is a subsidiary of Bushiroad that owns fitness clubs and theaters and was founded in 2004.
Bushiroad would acquire 14.5% of the shares in 2019 and then later on October 1, 2019, for the purpose of forming a tie-up with the companies' subsidiary theater company Thearter Company HIKOSEN. Furthermore, on February 3, 2020, Bushiroad would acquire all shares of the company made a wholly owned subsidiary.
Games and products
Multimedia franchises
Those are original crossmedia projects of the company that are made available on different media like manga, anime, games and live events.
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
Beginning in 2010, it has a voice actor unit for live performances, an anime, light novel, manga and games.
BanG Dream!
Created in 2015, it has an anime, manga, a mobile game and bands made up by the voice actors of the characters which perform in live events with instruments and also launch music albums and singles. A male-centric version titled From Argonavis launched in 2018.
Revue Starlight
Beginning in 2017, it has a unit with voice actors for musicals, an anime, manga, a radio program and a mobile game.
D4DJ
Beginning in 2019, it has an anime, a game, and live DJ performances.
Zero Rise
Beginning in 2026, it has an anime and a stage play.
Collectible card games
AlicexCross
Cardfight!! Vanguard
ChaosTCG
Dragoborne -Rise to Supremacy-
Five Qross
Future Card Buddyfight
Jewelpet Trading Card Game
King of Pro-Wrestling
Rebirth for you
Luck & Logic
Monster Collection
Palworld
Shadowverse: Evolve
Victory Spark
Weekly Shonen Sunday V.S. Weekly Shonen Magazine
Weiß Schwarz
Published video games
Published games through their Bushimo social smartphone gaming service:
BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!
Case Closed Runner: Race to the Truth
Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called! Flaming Kasukabe Runner!
Chaos Online
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
Tap Logic ～TAP! Luck & Logic～
Senki Zesshō Symphogear XD Unlimited
The Prince of Tennis Rising Beat
Click! Kaitou Teikoku
Bound Monsters
Ren'ai Replay
Kindan Shoukan! Summon Monster
Love Live! School Idol Festival
Love Live! School Idol Festival All Stars
KamiKari: Demons x Trigger
Dragon Strike
Kemono Friends Pavilion
Cardcaptor Sakura Happiness Memories
Cardfight!! Online (cancelled project)
Shōjo Kageki Revue Starlight: Re LIVE
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Burst Forth!! Choro-gon Breath
Acquisitions
Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (Acquired from Yuke's)
World Wonder Ring Stardom (Acquired from Rossy Ogawa)
Sanzigen (8.2%)
Kinema Citrus (31.8%)
Sopratico (Acquired from Takashi Oba)
Frontwing (50.625%)
Tokyo MX (10.06%)