Paris-based animation studio TeamTO has cut the ribbon on a new anime production arm called TeamTOKO Animation that will build a slate of anime-inspired series and features, as well as providing high-end service work in both 2D and CG animation. 

And to give its storytelling some cross-cultural authenticity, TeamTOKO is planning a push into international collaborations. “The vision is to build a creative bridge between French/European and Japanese talent, developing original projects and also collaborating with Japanese creators and studios,” says president and CEO Marco Balsamo. “In parallel, we are also open to select partnerships where TeamTO can contribute its expertise as a trusted production partner on anime-inspired projects.”

The company’s brand-new logo, featuring a tobiuo (flying fish)

This big bet on anime has been taking shape at the company for a while—Balsamo outlined his “TeamTO 2.0” vision last year and emphasized the need to embrace more global partnerships and new formats like 2D. He took the reins as TeamTO’s CEO a year ago after his company, RIVA Studios, bought the French prodco. 

TeamTOKO will be announcing new projects in the coming weeks, but the first two titles in the works under this new banner are the Miyazaki-inspired family feature Akira’s Flying Wheelchair (pictured) and sports-centric series Shadow Soccer. 

Akira’s Flying Wheelchair is penned by Balsamo, who’s also pitching the project at Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux this week. French, Italian and Japanese talent came together to develop this film concept about a paralyzed former child track prodigy and the inventor who builds him a flying wheelchair. 

Featured at Cartoon Forum 2025, Shadow Soccer (26 x 22 minutes) draws on the shōnen subgenre to tell the story of a 13-year-old boy who learns to harness newfound elemental powers to battle rival teams.