Toei Animation just hit a HUGE milestone: 70 years of bringing anime to life!

On July 31, Toei Animation officially celebrated its 70th anniversary, and honestly… looking back at everything this studio has given anime fans is kind of wild.

To celebrate, Toei released a special anniversary video taking fans through its incredible history, decade by decade. And when you look at the list of anime they've been behind, you quickly realize just how massive their impact has been.

We're talking Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Slam Dunk, Saint Seiya, Precure, GeGeGe no Kitarō, Galaxy Express 999, Fist of the North Star, Mazinger Z, Cutie Honey and so many more!

Toei Animation officially began operating under its current name on July 31, 1956. Its first feature-length animated film was The White Snake in 1958, followed by Magic Boy in 1959. Just a few years later, the studio entered television animation with Ōkami Shōnen Ken in 1963.

And somehow, 70 years later, they're still going.

From the anime that introduced entire generations to Japanese animation to the massive franchises that continue to dominate today, Toei has been part of anime history for basically as long as modern anime has been around.

And they're not slowing down anytime soon.

Toei says this 70-year milestone isn't the finish line, it's a stepping stone toward their 100th anniversary. So here's to another 30 years of crazy adventures, unforgettable characters, emotional moments, and probably a LOT more screaming attack names.

Was it Dragon Ball? Sailor Moon? One Piece? Digimon? Or something completely different?

Watch the special:

What if Japan's greatest warriors were thrown into one massive tournament to decide who is the strongest warrior in the entire country?

Well… that's basically Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun!

The upcoming anime adaptation has officially revealed its first teaser, visual, main cast, and staff, along with some very exciting news: the anime is set to premiere in April 2027!

And the premise? Absolutely wild.

The story takes place in an alternate version of 1600 Japan, where Oda Nobunaga has successfully unified the country. But knowing his time is coming to an end, Nobunaga makes a rather extreme decision:

Whoever brings him the strongest warrior will inherit the reins of power.

Naturally, Japan's most powerful warlords aren't going to sit this one out. Instead, they each choose their strongest warrior and throw them into an all-out tournament to determine who deserves to rule the country.

The manga by Yōsuke Nakamaru and Kyōtarō Azuma launched in 2021 and is currently being published in English through Kodansha's K MANGA service.

So let's settle this now:

We're talking samurai, knights, Vikings, warriors, generals… ANYONE.

Who would you bet on?

Watch the trailer:

Okay, Prince of Tennis fans… the next match is officially locked in!

The upcoming sequel anime, The Prince of Tennis II: U-17 World Cup Finals Members Decisive Match, has revealed a brand-new promotional video, new characters from Spain's national team, and most importantly, a September 30 premiere date!

And if you've been following the U-17 World Cup story, you already know this isn't just another tennis match.

Japan vs. Spain is coming!

The new anime will focus on the battle to determine who will represent Japan in the U-17 World Cup finals against Spain. And apparently, Spain isn't coming to play nice.

One of the newly revealed Spanish players is Romeo Fernandez, voiced by actor Yū Shirota, who fans may recognize as Kunimitsu Tezuka from the live-action Prince of Tennis movie!

Meanwhile, Atobe and Oshitari are teaming up for the ending theme "Kinkanshoku phenomenal."

Absolutely!

The original Prince of Tennis manga began way back in 1999, and the franchise has somehow continued serving up tennis battles for more than two decades.

The original anime ran from 2001–2005, followed by countless films, OVAs, stage productions, live-action projects, and of course, The New Prince of Tennis.

The latest chapter of the anime saga, U-17 World Cup Semifinal, brought us Japan vs. Germany. Now we're heading toward the finals, and Spain is standing in the way.

And that's exactly why we love it.

And be honest…

Are you choosing someone because they're actually good at tennis, or because you just KNOW they'd make the match absolutely insane?

Watch the teaser:

Okay, we did NOT have this crossover on our bingo card.

One Piece and SpongeBob SquarePants are teaming up for a McDonald's Happy Meal, and yes… somehow the worlds of pirates and Bikini Bottom are colliding!

The One Piece x SpongeBob SquarePants Happy Meal is rolling out in multiple countries this month, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan? actually, Japan isn't listed in the announced territories, along with dozens of other countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and more.

And honestly, we're already wondering what these toys are going to look like.

Luffy hanging out with SpongeBob?
Zoro getting lost in Bikini Bottom?
Patrick somehow joining the Straw Hat crew?

We're here for ALL of it.

The collaboration is part of a pretty wild year for McDonald's anime/pop-culture collaborations too. The announcement comes shortly after McDonald's teased a Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meal, which is scheduled to arrive on August 18.

So if you've ever wanted to enjoy your fries while imagining Luffy and SpongeBob going on an adventure together…

Your time has come.

Both are colorful, ridiculously funny, full of unforgettable characters, and—let's be honest, Luffy and SpongeBob would probably become best friends in about five minutes.

Now we need to know…

If the Straw Hats had to spend a day in Bikini Bottom, who do you think would get along BEST with SpongeBob?

Or would Zoro somehow manage to get lost underwater?

Okay, anime fans… your commute just got a LOT more interesting.

Crunchyroll has announced a new collaboration with FORVIA's Appning, an automotive app platform that will bring Crunchyroll streaming to select vehicles around the world!

The rollout will begin with BMW and MINI vehicles, before expanding across BMW Group vehicles and eventually reaching more than 40 automotive brands.

And yes, before anyone gets too excited about watching One Piece while doing 70 mph down the highway, there are safety rules!

Just like other video streaming apps available through these systems, video playback is disabled while the vehicle is moving and becomes available when the car is parked.

So basically:

🚗 Pull into your parking spot
🍿 Grab your snack
📱 Open Crunchyroll
🎬 "Previously, on..."
…and suddenly you're watching three episodes instead of going inside.

The service is expected to roll out across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, India, and Australia, so this isn't just a one-country experiment.

Long road trip? Anime.
Waiting in the car? Anime.
Waiting for someone who's taking forever to come out of the store? ANIME.

And considering how many people already watch anime on their phones during commutes and downtime, bringing Crunchyroll directly into the car's entertainment system feels like a pretty natural next step.

Just remember:

Park first. Anime second.

If you had a built-in Crunchyroll screen in your car right now, what anime are you putting on first?

One Piece
Demon Slayer
My Hero Academia
Naruto
Bleach
Or something completely different?

Tell us what you're watching on your next road trip!

Thanks for hanging out with us and catching this week’s TAV Weekly—it means a lot to have you as part of our community.

Don’t go too far, next week we’re back with more news,

more surprises, and maybe a few things you didn’t see coming.

Same place, same vibes. See you next week!