Despite Recent Oscar Loss, Dragon Ball's Studio Is Ready to Expand Its Reach In the U.S.

The 2025 Academy Awards aired March 2, 2025, and Toei Animation, the studio that has produced successful series like Dragon Balland Sailor Moon, received a nomination. Amedama, aToei Animation short film, was nominated for Best Animated Short Film, and although it did not take home the award, the nomination alone proves the studio's upward trajectory.

The short film Amedama is a true masterpiece, on par with Toei Animation's other hits, and if the studio continues producing gems like these, they are sure to continue making entertainment history. Toei Animation is not letting this Oscar loss prevent their growth, and the film's producer, Takashi Washio, shared some encouraging words that suggest that more major projects will emerge from the studio in the coming days.

Amedama May Not Have Won the Oscar, but Toei Animation Has Big Plans Regardless

Takashi Washio, the Film’s Producer, Has Ideas For Future Projects That Will Connect With Both Western and Global Audiences

Washio stated that, "being acknowledged at the Oscars validates our leap into a different creative direction. This is just the start," taking pride in the achievement of having the film honored at such a prestigious awards festival. He also explained that the studio plans to pivot and create more films and shows that will "resonate even more deeply with Western audiences," seeming to hint that Toei Animation plans to make waves in America, even more so than they have already done with beloved series like Digimon and One Piece.

Amedama, or "Magic Candies," is a truly beautiful short film that seamlessly blends CG animation and stop-motion, showing off Toei Animation's multimedia talents through this innovative project. The inspiration for the film came from Hina Park's storybook of the same name, and was directed by Daisuke Nishio, who is known for his contributions to Dragon Ball Z. The plot follows Dong-Dong, a lonely young boy who struggles to connect with others. Dong-Dong begins unlikely friendships with inanimate objects in his life who gain the ability to talk to him after he eats a few mysterious pieces of magical candy.

Amedama’s Oscar Nomination Is a Tremendous Accomplishment

Toei Animation’s Achievement Has Introduced the Studio’s Work to New Audiences

Amedama is just one of many hits to come out of Toei Animation's studio in recent years, reaffirming that the studio is an industry powerhouse. Due to the positive audience reception, the studio should definitely consider producing more creative short film projects like this one as they continue to expand across the world. The film may not have received the Academy Award, but it has been given a number of other respectable awards at other ceremonies, including the New York International Children’s Film Festival and the Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth.

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According to Washio, as he networked with other creatives while in Los Angeles for the awards ceremony, "the interest in future projects was overwhelming," among those he spoke with, suggesting that more exciting collaborations with other famed directors and producers are probably in Toei Animation's future and likely already being planned. Amedama'sOscar nomination is a powerful step in the right direction, giving the studio the push needed to continue pursuing new and unique styles of animation, like CGI and 3D, as well as providing producers like Washio with fresh ideas to continue appealing to new audiences globally.