The animation studio GRIZZLY, which sought to be the first studio to specialize in Boys Love works, is apparently no more. According to Japan’s National Tax Agency (first spotted by X/Twitter user @Mazen1461), the studio closed its registration record and completed its liquidation on February 20, 2025 JST.

GRIZZLY’s produced works include Yarichin Bitch-Bu (an adaptation of a manga by Tanaka Ogeretsu) and the Twittering Birds Never Fly: The Clouds Gather movie (based on Ko Yoneda‘s manga). A sequel to the latter, titled Twittering Birds Never Fly: The Storm Breaks, had been announced in 2020. Twittering Birds Never Fly: The Clouds Gather was the main director debut of Kakegurui Twin and Hell’s Paradise‘s Kaori Makita. 

Early in its history, internet sleuths noticed a connection between GRIZZLY and animation studio MAPPA. As Sakuga Blog’s KVIN noted in 2018, MAPPA had accidentally posted production material that had been bound for GRIZZLY’s account, and the latter’s domain was registered under the MAPPA email of anime producer Makoto Moriwaki.

Another hint comes from the credits of Yarichin Bitch-Bu and Twittering Birds Never Fly: The Clouds Gather. MAPPA president Manabu Otsuka and now-former MAPPA producer Fuko Noda (animation producer on Yuri!!! on Ice, Maboroshi et al.) were credited as animation producers on the former. In the latter, Otsuka has an executive producer credit while Noda is listed as line producer.

According to Wayback Machine, GRIZZLY’s website ceased to be accessible sometime in 2024. The studio was founded in December 2017. Its last post on X/Twitter was made in May 2020.

Source: Japan National Tax Agency (via @Mazen1461)