Lay-duce

Lay-duce, legally styled Lay-duce, Inc., is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Nakano, Tokyo. The company was established in August 2013 by Noritomo Yonai, a producer who had previously worked at Group TAC and Bones. Its formation placed the studio within Japan's established commercial animation production sector, where independent studios commonly develop and produce television series, films, original video animations, and original net animations in collaboration with production committees, broadcasters, publishers, distributors, and other rights holders. The studio's publicly documented production scope includes television animation, animated feature films, original video animations, and original net animations. The available reference material identifies these categories but does not provide a complete title-by-title catalogue, detailed release chronology, staff roster, financial information, or a separate consumer product portfolio. Lay-duce is therefore best understood as a production company and creative studio rather than a mass-market product brand. Its principal offering is the development and production of animated content for Japanese and potentially international distribution channels. Lay-duce was founded by a producer with experience at two notable Japanese animation companies. That background suggests a business centered on production management, creative coordination, and project delivery, although the available sources do not establish a formal corporate positioning statement or disclose the studio's operating model in detail. The company has been associated with multiple forms of Japanese animation production, allowing it to work across broadcast television, theatrical, direct-to-video, and online formats. On April 3, 2026, Lay-duce was acquired by Hayate Inc. and became its wholly owned subsidiary. This transaction represents the clearest documented ownership change in the studio's history. No purchase price or other transaction terms are available in the supplied reference material. Following the acquisition, Lay-duce remains described as an active animation studio, but the sources do not specify changes to its management, production slate, branding, or distribution strategy. Because the available source material is concise, details such as annual output, principal clients, international sales, revenue, employee count, current executives, and specific flagship productions remain unconfirmed here.

Lay-duce was founded in August 2013 in Japan by Noritomo Yonai, a producer whose previous professional experience included Group TAC and Bones. The studio was established as an animation production company in Nakano, Tokyo, operating within Japan's highly collaborative anime industry. In this sector, studios typically contribute creative, production, and technical work to projects financed or coordinated through partnerships involving publishers, broadcasters, distributors, advertising companies, and other production-committee participants. The documented scope of Lay-duce's work covers several major animation formats: television series, animated films, original video animations, and original net animations. These formats reflect the studio's role as a content producer rather than a retailer or manufacturer of consumer goods. The supplied reference material does not list individual productions, release dates, production partners, staff members, or commercial performance, so no title-specific history is included in this dossier. The studio's founder brought experience from established Japanese animation organizations, providing a professional background in animation production and project management. However, the available sources do not describe the precise creative or corporate strategy that distinguished Lay-duce from other Japanese studios, nor do they provide verified information about its workforce, facilities, revenues, international licensing arrangements, or recurring clients. A significant ownership event occurred on April 3, 2026, when Hayate Inc. acquired Lay-duce. The acquisition made Lay-duce a wholly owned subsidiary of Hayate Inc. The available material does not state the purchase price, financing, governance arrangements, management changes, or operational consequences. It also does not indicate that the Lay-duce name or studio activity was discontinued. The company is therefore recorded as active, with Hayate Inc. as its parent and owner following the transaction. On the basis of the available references, Lay-duce's historical profile is that of an independently established Japanese animation studio that later entered wholly owned subsidiary status under Hayate Inc. More detailed entries about productions, campaigns, controversies, executives, and strategic decisions require additional reliable sources.

• 2026

  Acquisition by Hayate Inc.

  [1]Lay-duceen.wikipedia.org

  Hayate Inc. acquired Lay-duce on April 3, 2026, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.

• 2013

  Studio founded

  [1]Lay-duceen.wikipedia.org

  Lay-duce was established in August 2013 by Noritomo Yonai, a former producer at Group TAC and Bones.

A Japanese animation production studio serving television, theatrical, video, and online animation formats.

• Television animation

  Television anime series

  Lay-duce produces animated television series for the Japanese broadcast and distribution market. The reference material confirms this production category but does not identify specific series or provide a complete catalogue.

• Theatrical animation

  Animated feature films

  Animated films are among Lay-duce's documented production formats. The available sources do not specify individual film titles, release schedules, distribution partners, or box-office performance.

• Home-video animation

  Original video animations

  The studio's stated production scope includes original video animations, created for video distribution rather than necessarily for initial television or theatrical release. Specific works are not identified in the supplied reference.

• Online animation

  Original net animations

  Lay-duce also works in original net animation, a format designed for online distribution. The available material confirms the category but does not provide title-level, platform, or market information.

• 2026

  Hayate Inc. acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Lay-duce was operating as a Japanese animation studio when Hayate Inc. acquired it on April 3, 2026.

  Action taken

  Hayate Inc. purchased Lay-duce and placed the studio under its ownership as a wholly owned subsidiary.

  Aftermath

  The studio continues to be described as active. The available source does not report the purchase price, management changes, production changes, or rebranding.

  Source

1. 1Lay-duceen.wikipedia.org