ANIMATION STUDIO AIC SOLD FOR 700 MILLION YEN

From AnimeNewsNetwork.com

The mobile software company Aplix Corporation announced on Thursday that it will acquire the Japanese anime studio Anime International Company (AIC) as a wholly owned subsidiary for 700 million yen (about US$8.5 million). Aplix intends to offer anime videos and other contents in China and Southeast Asia on smartphones from Korea's Samsung Electronics, China's Huawei Technologies, and other makers.

Aplix is buying AIC from the pachisuro (pachinko-parlor slot machine) maker Oizumi, which had just acquired AIC last year. At the time, Oizumi spent 530 million yen (US$6.3 million) for 95% of AIC.

Toru Miura established the studio that would become AIC on July 15, 1982, and he is its current head. AIC has a number of sub-studios within itself: AIC Digital, AIC Spirits, AIC ASTA, AIC PLUS+, and AIC Takarazuka. It has 95 million yen (US$1.1 million) in capital.

 Long time Robotech fans will remember that AIC was one of the studios to work on Megazone 23 Part 1 which made up a big chunk of Robotech: The Movie. AIC founder Toru Miura was listed as one one of the producers on Robotech: The Movie opening credits.