Good Smile Company

History

Good Smile Company was established by Aki Takanori in 2001 as an event management and talent company. Thereafter it began working with Max Factory on hobby related products which soon become the main focus of the company. Good Smile Company is now primarily involved in the planning, production, manufacturing and sales of figures and toys, but also markets accessories and other goods.

Good Smile Company also acts as a distributor for a number of other hobby related companies including Max Factory, FREEing and Phat! Company. The company has a particularly long relationship with Max Factory, and often shares booths and display space with them at events such as Wonder Festival. As of June 2012, Good Smile Company moved from Matsudo, Chiba to the Tokyo Skytree's East Tower, which has become the joint headquarters for them and Max Factory.

'Kahotan's Blog' is a popular blog which introduces both Good Smile Company and related products to the public through the eyes of one of the female staff members. The blog is available in both English and Japanese.

Corporate history

A summarized history of the company can be found below.

• May 2001 – Good Smile Company established in Matsudo, Chiba.
• January 2002 – Planning of toys, OEM production begins
• September 2004 – First Good Smile Company branded figure is released.
• April 2005 – Distribution of hobby related products begins
• February 2006 – Start of the Nendoroid series.
• January 2008 – Start of the figma series.
• 2010
  • March – Work begins on the Black Rock Shooter series.
  • August – The Good Smile Cafe is opened.
• 2012
  • May – Changed from a Yūgen Gaisha to a Kabushiki Gaisha.
  • July – Moved to the Tokyo Skytree East Tower.

Products lines

Good Smile Company sells a variety of products with a focus on PVC character figurines. Most products are based on the characters of Japanese anime, manga, video games or American movies, video games and comics. Popular series included in companies product line-up include Hatsune Miku, Black Rock Shooter products, Puella Magi Madoka Magica products, as well as characters from Nintendo games. They are most well known for:

• The Nendoroid figure series.
• The articulated figma figure series (with planning and development by Max Factory).
• Scale Figures

Related anime productions

Good Smile Company has been involved in the following productions as a member of the production committee.

• Penguin Musume (2008)
• CANAAN (2009)
• Demon King Daimao (2010)
• Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Series (2010, 2012)
• Dog Days Series (2011, 2012)
• Hanasaku Iroha (2011)
• Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth (2011)
• Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends Series (2011, 2013)
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky OVA (2011)
• Plastic Nee-san (2011 - 2012)
• Black Rock Shooter (Noitamina Version, 2012)
• Senki Zesshō Symphogear (2012)
• Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (2012)
• Tari Tari (2012)
• Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life (2012)
• Da Capo III (2013)
• Senyū (2013)
• Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (2013)
• Aiura (2013)
• Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (2015)
• One Punch Man (2015)

Additionally, they were involved in the production and distribution of the Black Rock Shooter film (2010).

Good Smile Racing

In 2008, Good Smile Company became the primary sponsor of Studie GLAD Racing, a team which took part in the GT300 race division of the Super GT racing series in a car featuring illustrations of Hatsune Miku. In 2010, Good Smile Racing split from Studie to establish its own independent entry in the series. Good Smile Racing also produces model cars and related goods to support the racing team with sponsors.

The team made its Super GT debut in 2010, featuring drivers Taku Bamba and Masahiro Sasaki in a Porsche 911 GT3, but would find little success early on. The team would prove to be a revalation in its second year of competition, though, winning three out of eight races and taking the 2011 GT300-class title, fielding the new BMW Z4 GT3 and a new driver in Nobuteru Taniguchi alongside Bamba.

They would later win another two GT300-class championships in the 2014 and 2017 seasons with drivers Nobuteru Taniguchi and Tatsuya Kataoka, becoming one of the most successful GT300-class teams in Super GT history.

In 2017, they also made their international GT debut, becoming the first Japanese GT3 team participating in the Spa 24 Hours of Intercontinental GT Challenge. The driver lineup featured former Formula One driver Kamui Kobayashi alongside Taniguchi and Kataoka.

For the 2019 24 Hours of Spa, they partnered with Type-Moon (as Type-Moon Racing), TRIGGER, and German racing team Black Falcon to field three Mercedes-AMG GT GT3 cars with Hatsune Miku, Fate, and Promare liveries. Maro Engel drove the Promare-themed car to pole position and would eventually finish third alongside his teammates, while the Hatsune Miku-themed car would finish third in the Silver class.

In 2022, Good Smile Racing made its foray into the United States market, positioned as a clothing and hobby product brand.

Good Smile is also a longtime personal sponsor of former Formula One driver and two-time FIA WEC champion Kamui Kobayashi. The company's logo has been present on Kobayashi's helmet since 2011, and multiple figures bearing his likeness were released during his time in Formula One.

Complete Super GT results

• Season still in progress.

Anime production business

In recent years, the company played a large part in bringing together four smaller animation companies (Sanzigen, Trigger, Ordet and LIDEN FILMS) and pooling their talent together as a new holding company named ULTRA SUPER PICTURES. This business is a part of the animation production industry, but focuses not only on the production and development of high quality animation projects, but also the licensing of works, general management and training of new staff in order to create content aimed at a worldwide audience.

Associated companies

• Max Factory
• Phat! Company
• Good Smile Racing
• Good Smile Logistics & Solutions
• native
• Gift
• MAGES.
• MEM
• Good Smile Shanghai
• HiTUBE
• Ultra Super Pictures
• Orange Rouge

Controversy

The company's attempt to sue its former executives in 2020 was met with a counter-lawsuit, which notably alleged that Good Smile Company invested in 4chan. This claim was later confirmed in a partnership agreement that was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, revealing that Good Smile Company invested $2.4 million and acquired a 30% share when Hiroyuki Nishimura purchased 4chan for $8 million in 2015. Following significant media coverage, the company would publish a statement that its relationship with 4chan was limited and severed in June 2022.

References

References

1. (12 December 2021). "Nyatasha Nyanners is the First VShojo Nendoroid".
2. (3 July 2021). "Gawr Gura and Mori Calliope Among Hololive Vtuber Figures Announced".
3. link. Good Smile Company
4. (July 22, 2019). "「Fate」「プロメア」「初音ミク」デザインのマシンが「スパ24時間」を走る！ "グッスマ"が「Black Falcon」のアートディレクションを担当".
5. Kilshaw, Jake. (26 July 2019). "Engel Pips Vanthoor to 24H Spa Pole".
6. Kilshaw, Jake. (28 July 2019). "GPX Porsche Wins Rain-Affected 24H Spa".
7. (2013-06-05). "ULTRA SUPER PICTURES Company Overview".
8. Carpenter, Nicole. (September 15, 2021). "Nendoroid toymaker sued by former execs over 'over-sexualized anime figures'". Polygon.
9. Ling, Justin. (March 29, 2023). "How a Major Toy Company Kept 4chan Online".
10. (2023-04-07). "一部報道について / Comment on some media articles".