The Sandbox Partners With the Creator of Dragon Ball to Bring Japanese Animation into the Metaverse

The Sandbox has partnered with Toei Animation and the mascot design and marketing agency, Minto, Inc., to create experiences within the metaverse based on the Japanese animation brand’s intellectual properties. 

Toei Animation is a trailblazer in Japanese animation and has produced globally recognized titles such as “Dragon Ball,” “Sailor Moon,” and “One Piece.” The Sandbox is dedicated to collaborating with Japanese animation IP brands to bring their distinct worldview to life in The Sandbox’s LAND.

“Toei Animation is now ready to set sail into this new ocean. We are very happy and proud to be working with The Sandbox and Minto as our partners. I am confident that the “Fleet” we have assembled will be able to discover new continents and new routes that will guide the entertainment industry for years to come,”

said Satoshi Shinohara, managing director of Toei Animation.

To celebrate the partnership, The Sandbox has created a limited-edition NFT for the first 1,000 users who sign up. While the NFT design has yet to be revealed, it won’t be based on any of Toei’s existing content.

On another note, Animoca Brands, the subsidiary of The Sandbox, has also announced news related to the Japanese metaverse market.

Animoca Brands Japan has invested in Virtual Arts. The investment will support Virtual Arts’ expansion in Japan and provide content for DanceFight, a global dance battle app that Virtual Arts has published for the street dance community. 

Virtual Arts is creating a new platform for skill-based talents, with its first experience with the DanceFight app, where dancers compete in one-versus-one battles, tournaments, and leagues by recording their signature dance moves. Starting in May, dancers will be able to turn into dancing avatars using an “Animate” button in the app and compete in bracket-style tournaments with crowd voting and prizes.

These partnerships signal a growing trend of traditional entertainment companies and brands looking to expand their reach in the metaverse as virtual worlds become more popular and mainstream. This move represents a significant step in the evolution of the metaverse.