Toei Animation, one of Japan's most prolific animation studios, turned 70 on July 31 and released a special video celebrating the milestone. The retrospective walks through the studio's history decade by decade, tracing its evolution from its founding in 1956 to today.

The studio's first feature-length animation was The White Snake in 1958, followed by Magic Boy a year later. Its TV career began in 1963 with Ōkami Shōnen Ken. From there, Toei built a catalog that defined anime for generations: the Dragon Ball franchise, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Precure, Mazinger Z, and dozens more.

Alongside the video, Toei opened a 70th anniversary website featuring a comprehensive production history and a message from president Katsuhiro Takagi. "We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the countless pioneers and employees, whose daily efforts have made this possible, and above all, to our many fans and all stakeholders for their warm support," Takagi wrote. "Without forgetting our gratitude for the past 70 years, we will treat this milestone as a steppingstone toward our 100th anniversary, renew our resolve, and continue to take on new challenges so we can deliver anime to people all over the world."

Toei Animation's reach extends far beyond Japan. Many of its most iconic series became international touchstones—Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball helped introduce anime to Western audiences in the 1990s and 2000s, while One Piece remains one of the most commercially successful anime franchises ever made. The studio continues to produce new work; its most recent TV series is this year's Star Detective Precure!

The studio's longevity and output volume make it a cornerstone of the anime industry. Few animation houses have maintained consistent quality and output across so many decades and genres.