Bee Train Production facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
BEE TRAIN Production Inc.

Native name	ビィートレイン株式会社
Type	Kabushiki kaisha Animation studio
Industry	Animation (Anime)
Genre	various
Founded	Tokyo, Japan June 5, 1997 (1997-06-05)
Founder	Kōichi Mashimo
Headquarters	Kichijōji, Musashino, Tokyo , Japan
Number of locations	3 (Kokubunji, Kichijōji, Karuizawa)
Key people	Kōichi Mashimo, CEO Kenji Horikawa, Director
Products	Arc the Lad (1999) Noir (2001) .hack//Sign (2002) Madlax (2004) Tsubasa Chronicle (2005–06) .hack//Roots (2006) El Cazador de la Bruja (2007)
Total equity	¥10,000,000
Number of employees	70 (April 2007)
Parent	Production I.G (1997–2006)
Divisions	Bee Train Digital (defunct) Studio Road C-Station (2009–12) D-Station (defunct)

Bee Train Production (ビィートレイン株式会社, Biītorein Kabushikigaisha), often called Bee Train, is a Japanese animation studio. It was started by Kōichi Mashimo in 1997. They are well-known for anime series like Noir, .hack//Sign, and Madlax. These shows often feature strong female characters and interesting relationships.

The Story of Bee Train

How the Studio Started

The Bee Train studio began on June 5, 1997. It was founded by Kōichi Mashimo. Before this, Mashimo was a director at another studio called Tatsunoko Productions. Bee Train was first part of a bigger company called Production I.G. However, in February 2006, Bee Train became an independent studio.

A Special Goal for Animators

Kōichi Mashimo had a special goal when he started Bee Train. He wanted it to be like a "hospital for animators." This meant he wanted to help young artists grow and focus on making good art. He cared more about artistic quality than just making money. Mashimo got this idea after a serious skiing accident. This "studio-as-hospital" approach has been Bee Train's main goal ever since.

Early Projects and Popular Shows

Bee Train's first projects in 1999 were anime versions of popular video game franchises. These included PoPoLoCrois, Arc the Lad, Wild Arms: Twilight Venom, and Medabots.

Later, a company called Bandai Visual worked with Bee Train. They made an anime OVA (Original Video Animation) based on the famous .hack video game series. They also created an anime TV series to promote the games. This series, .hack//Sign, aired in 2002 and is one of Bee Train's most famous works. The OVA was called .hack//Liminality. Its four episodes were added as bonus material to the original four games. In 2006, Bee Train made .hack//Roots, which was a prequel to the .hack//G.U. games.

The "Girls-with-Guns" Series

Bee Train's first independent project was Noir. This series aired in 2001. It was made at the same time as Sign. Noir became the first part of Bee Train's "girls-with-guns" trilogy. After Noir became very popular, the second series, Madlax, was made in 2004. The third series, El Cazador de la Bruja, aired in April 2007. These "girls-with-guns" series are seen as Bee Train's signature works. The original idea for them came from their executive producer, Shigeru Kitayama.

Studio Locations

From 1997, the studio's main office was in Kokubunji, Tokyo. In 2001, it moved to another part of the city. Two more studio locations were added in 2004 (in Karuizawa, Nagano) and 2006 (Kichijōji, Musashino, Tokyo).

Current Status

The company has not been active since 2012. This is because Kōichi Mashimo retired from the anime industry. The official website for Bee Train was removed in 2024.

Bee Train's Style

Creative Ideas

Kōichi Mashimo often uses a technique to come up with new anime ideas. He brainstorms with his colleagues. For example, he says the idea for the special connection between the two main female characters in Madlax came about this way.

Voice Actors They Use Often

Bee Train often invites voice actors who have worked with them before to voice similar characters. For example, Hōko Kuwashima voiced Kirika Yuumura in Noir and Margaret Burton in Madlax. Aya Hisakawa voiced Chloe, Limelda Jorg, and Jodie Hayward in El Cazador de la Bruja. Kaori Nazuka voiced Subaru in .hack//Sign and Shino in .hack//Roots.

Music and Composers

The famous Japanese composer Yuki Kajiura has created music for many Bee Train projects since Noir. The music in Noir was a big part of its appeal. Kajiura has also provided music for Sign, Liminality, Madlax, Tsubasa Chronicle, and El Cazador de la Bruja. Mashimo once said that Kajiura "is a storyteller who just happens to know how to write music."

Bee Train also often works with the musical duo Ali Project. They created music for Noir, Avenger, and .hack//Roots. In general, music is very important in Bee Train's works. It is just as important as the visuals and dialogue. Sometimes, the music is so strong it can even seem to take over the dialogue, as heard in .hack//Sign, Avenger, and Madlax.

Anime Works by Bee Train

Other Parts of the Company

Bee Train Digital was a small part of Bee Train that handled special effects and other digital work. It helped with projects like .hack//SIGN, .hack//Liminality, Avenger, and Murder Princess. It also created special effects for Toaru Majutsu no Index and 2D work for the ending theme of Canaan.

Studio Road is another part of the company. It provides animation finishing services for Bee Train and other studios.

Between 2009 and 2010, two new departments were added. The C-Station Department focused on animation design. The D-Station Department was a new version of Bee Train Digital. It handled digital production and photography. In 2012, C-Station became its own independent company. D-Station is no longer listed by Bee Train.

See also

In Spanish: Bee Train para niños