How an outside idea reaches a company, in its own words · checked 2026-10-29
How to sell a toy idea to Bandai
Does not take outside ideas
Bandai accepts no ideas from outside the company. Anything sent anyway is assigned to Bandai, which may already be working on something similar. It bought the anime studio Sunrise and licensed Astro Boy for action figures.
“No Ideas Accepted: We do not accept any unsolicited ideas to this Website from outside the company including without limitation suggestions about advertising or promotions, or merchandising of any products, additions to our services, or changes in methods of doing business.”
What you agree to by sending something
“We may already be working on or may in the future work on a similar idea.”
“You further understand that we shall exclusively own all known or hereafter existing rights to the idea everywhere in the world, and that such idea is hereby irrevocably assigned to us.”
What it has bought from outside
1963
Astro Boy action figures from Astro Boy rights holders
“It was renamed Bandai Co., Ltd. in 1961 and achieved considerable success with its action figures based on the anime Astro Boy.” en.wikipedia.org
1994
Sunrise (anime studio) from Sunrise
“In February 1994, Bandai entered the film & television animation production business by acquiring famous anime studio Sunrise, the acquisition of Sunrise had given Bandai their own official in-house anime production studio as Bandai's management including Satoru Matsumoto joining the acquired…” en.wikipedia.org
1989
Coreland (became Banpresto) from Coreland
“In February 1989, it acquired arcade game developer Coreland and reorganized it into Banpresto, which became Bandai's coin-operated entertainment division.…” en.wikipedia.org
