Ransomware Attack on Toei Animation

An unknown ransomware group has attacked Toei Animation. NHK reported that Toei Animation's sources confirmed the Toei Animation hack last month as a ransomware attack. A company source quoted by NHK stated, "We are still experiencing ongoing impacts on production and working diligently to restore normalcy." Toei Animation also stated that they are actively investigating the attack's details and expressed uncertainty about fully restoring the lost data.

NHK further added that the ransomware attack continues to affect the production of the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film. On March 11, Toei Animation announced that an unauthorized third party accessed their network on March 6, resulting in a partial shutdown of the company's systems. Currently, Toei Animation is investigating the matter.

Impact on Anime Broadcasts and Releases

The hack caused disruptions to the broadcast schedules of the One Piece, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, Delicious Party Precure, and Digimon Ghost Game anime series. The episodes scheduled to air on the weekend of March 12-13 will resume airing new episodes on the weekend of April 16-17.

Also, due to the incident, Toei postponed the release of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the second anime film in the Dragon Ball Super franchise, from its original opening date of April 22 in Japan. The film currently has yet to confirm a confirmed debut date.