{"rewrite":{"id":"r_b84bce7a51c94b9092b805b0","clusterId":"c_32ad6d9c122345408a817749","slug":"cloverway-founder-yasuo-matsuo-launches-new-global-studio-ip-bay","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Cloverway Founder Yasuo Matsuo Launches New Global Studio IP Bay","summary":"Yasuo Matsuo, founder of the former U.S. licensing agency Cloverway, has launched IP Bay, a new global production studio focused on adapting Japanese literature. The studio has offices in Japan and the U.S., is debuting at the Cannes Film Market, and aims to connect Japanese properties with international producers and studios.","whyItMatters":"IP Bay formalizes a direct pipeline between Japanese publishers and Hollywood production infrastructure, with Matsuo's decades of cross-border licensing experience backing the operation.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eYasuo Matsuo, who built Cloverway into a key distributor of anime like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z in Latin America, is starting over. His new company IP Bay opened at the Cannes Film Market this week with a focus on adapting Japanese literature for global audiences. The studio maintains offices in Hyogo, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles, and its Japan-based staff works directly with publishers and authors while the Hollywood side handles packaging, financing, and production partnerships. Matsuo is chairman; his son Jun Matsuo is CEO. New York producer Frankie Seratch is co-founder and will lead U.S. operations. The company also opens Japan's 50 percent production cash rebate to its Hollywood partners.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Cloverway founder Yasuo Matsuo launches IP Bay, a global studio adapting Japanese literature. Offices in Hyogo, Tokyo, NYC, and LA. Debuting at Cannes.","twitterPost":"Cloverway founder Yasuo Matsuo launches IP Bay, a global studio adapting Japanese literature. Offices in Hyogo, Tokyo, NYC, and LA. Debuting at Cannes.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Yasuo Matsuo, who built Cloverway into a major anime distributor in Latin America, has launched IP Bay, a global production studio focused on adapting Japanese literature. The company debuted at the Cannes Film Market and maintains offices in Japan and the U.S.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-05-18/cloverway-founder-yasuo-matsuo-launches-new-global-production-studio-ip-bay/.237498\",\"title\":\"Cloverway Founder Yasuo Matsuo Launches New Global Production Studio IP Bay\"}]","lintFlagsJson":"[]","lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":3896,"outputTokens":544,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1779827037,"createdAt":"2026-05-18T22:01:13.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-18T22:15:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-18T22:15:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_32ad6d9c122345408a817749","canonicalTitle":"Cloverway Founder Yasuo Matsuo Launches New Global Production Studio IP Bay","representativeArticleId":"a_3d007117469df743e213a320","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"IP Bay\"],\"people\":[\"Yasuo Matsuo\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"industry\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-05-18T20:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-05-18T20:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-20T00:32:31.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-05-18/cloverway-founder-yasuo-matsuo-launches-new-global-production-studio-ip-bay/.237498","title":"Cloverway Founder Yasuo Matsuo Launches New Global Production Studio IP Bay"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"studios":["IP Bay"],"people":["Yasuo Matsuo"],"type":"announcement","domain":"industry","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Yasuo Matsuo, founder of Cloverway, launched IP Bay at the Cannes Film Market this week.","IP Bay focuses on adapting Japanese literature for global audiences.","The studio has offices in Hyogo, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles.","Matsuo is chairman; his son Jun Matsuo is CEO; Frankie Seratch is co-founder and leads U.S. operations.","IP Bay opens Japan's 50 percent production cash rebate to its Hollywood partners."]}