Aniplex

When the anime company commissions figures too: Sony's entertainment powerhouse enters the collector market

At a glance

Status: Active. Figure operations are expanding through Claynel and proprietary product lines.
Based in: Chiyoda in Tokyo in Japan.
Known for: BUZZmod action figures; ConoFig compact figures; scale figures from Demon Slayer; Fate; Sword Art Online.
Good fit: fans building displays around anime produced or distributed by Aniplex; BUZZmod particularly for collectors who enjoy posing a cast together.
Before buying: check Aniplex Online alongside standard retailers; some releases are exclusive and availability outside Japan and the United States is limited.
Research coverage: Extensive

TL;DR

Sony Music subsidiary that plans, commissions, and distributes figures for its own anime properties (Demon Slayer, Fate, Sword Art Online, Bocchi the Rock!).
BUZZmod figures, built at one-twelfth of each character's stated height, are the standout line, offering poseable Demon Slayer characters with strong engineering at roughly $55-$80 USD.
ConoFig provides compact, affordable figures that do not move (roughly $20-$35 USD); larger display figures are produced through subsidiary Claynel and partner manufacturers.
Some releases are Aniplex+ store exclusives with limited distribution and do not appear at regular retailers.
Aniplex is an entertainment company that also makes figures; their catalog follows their anime portfolio.

Sony’s Anime Arm Picks Up a Sculpting Tool

When you own or co-own the rights to Demon Slayer, Fate/Grand Order, Sword Art Online, and Bocchi the Rock!, producing figure merchandise is a logical next step. Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan since 1995, is not an animation studio. It helps plan, fund, and distribute some of the biggest anime franchises of the last two decades.

Aniplex's reach extends from anime funding and planning to music distribution, home video, streaming, live events, and mobile games through subsidiary Lasengle, operator of Fate/Grand Order. Figures became part of that portfolio because Aniplex can avoid the licensing fees paid by independent manufacturers. Its direct path from anime production to the figure shelf provides character access faster than outside manufacturers receive it.

BUZZmod, ConoFig, and Manufacturing Partners

Aniplex's figure operations span multiple product lines at different price points and formats. BUZZmod is their flagship action figure line: 1/12 scale fully articulated figures with interchangeable faces, hands, and effect parts. The Demon Slayer BUZZmod line offers highly poseable versions of Tanjiro, Nezuko, Shinobu, Mitsuri, and other characters, with an emphasis on character-specific details and articulation.

ConoFig provides a more approachable alternative: compact fixed-pose figures at friendlier price points, offering Aniplex franchise characters in a display-ready format without the premium pricing of scale figures or the complexity of articulated lines. Scale figures round out the catalog with larger, more detailed pieces developed through Aniplex's subsidiary Claynel or partner manufacturers.

An important distinction: Aniplex does not manufacture figures in-house. They operate as a publisher and commissioner, contracting actual production to partner companies including Wing, Stronger, Alter, and their wholly-owned subsidiary Claynel (formerly Revolve). Aniplex first acquired a majority stake in Revolve in September 2017, then took full ownership and rebranded it as Claynel on April 1, 2023. The rebranding signaled an expansion beyond figure planning into full-scale manufacturing and distribution, with Aniplex building out the infrastructure to handle more of the process internally.

Aniplex+ (Aniplex Online in the US) sells figures and merchandise directly to buyers, including products unavailable through traditional retailers. This model is unusual in the figure industry and reflects Aniplex's broader strategy of controlling the process from content creation to product delivery.

BUZZmod Strength, Scale Figure Variables

BUZZmod has earned strong collector reception. The 1/12 Demon Slayer figures hold poses well, swap faces and effect parts cleanly, and reproduce character-specific details (Shinobu's butterfly hair pin, Mitsuri's gradient-tipped hair) at a scale where that precision matters. Action figure collectors often compare BUZZmod with S.H.Figuarts because both emphasize articulation and engineering.

Scale figures and ConoFig releases see more varied reception. Because Aniplex relies on a rotating cast of manufacturing partners instead of a single dedicated factory, you are ultimately buying that specific partner’s craftsmanship wrapped in Aniplex branding. The acquisition of Revolve/Claynel suggests Aniplex is working to standardize quality control across their figure output by bringing more of the process in-house.

The most common concern with Aniplex figures is accessibility. Many premium releases are available only through the Aniplex+ storefront, with limited distribution to other retailers. Outside Japan and the US, obtaining certain releases can require a shopping intermediary or a purchase from the resale market.

Navigating the Aniplex+ Exclusive Store

Aniplex figures span a wide price range. ConoFig figures sit at the budget end around ¥3,000-¥5,000 ($20-$35 USD), BUZZmod action figures range from ¥8,000-¥12,000 ($55-$80 USD), and scale figures can reach ¥15,000-¥25,000+ ($100-$165+ USD). Aniplex+ exclusives may carry premium pricing reflecting the limited distribution model.

Some Demon Slayer, Fate, and Sword Art Online releases are exclusive to Aniplex's own channels rather than standard retailers. Aniplex of America's store (store.aniplexusa.com) serves US collectors, while the Japanese Aniplex+ store serves the domestic market.

For collectors building a Demon Slayer action figure display, BUZZmod offers another articulated format to compare with S.H.Figuarts. Its interchangeable parts and character-specific details make it especially suited to posing a cast together.

Vertical Integration Through Claynel

Claynel provides growing in-house manufacturing capability, and BUZZmod is extending into franchises past Demon Slayer. As both content owner and merchandise producer, Aniplex can greenlight figure production for its own properties without external licensing negotiations.

In practice, Aniplex's catalog follows their anime portfolio, not the figure market's demands. That means exclusive access to Demon Slayer, Fate, and Bocchi characters, but no coverage outside their own franchises. Check Aniplex+ alongside standard retailers, because the most desirable releases often sell through their own storefront first.