Broccoli
A media company that gave the world Di Gi Charat, now with its figure chapter closed
At a glance
- Status
- Active; figure development ended in July 2024.
- Based in
- Nerima Tokyo Japan.
- Known for
- Selective figures tied to Di Gi Charat and Uta no Prince sama.
- Good fit
- collectors seeking retired Broccoli figures from Di Gi Charat or Uta no Prince sama.
- Before buying
- expect resale listings only; several unfinished projects moved to Alice Glint.
- Research coverage
- Developing
TL;DR
- Founded in 1994, Broccoli is a media company known for creating Di Gi Charat and the Uta no Prince-sama franchise, now a subsidiary of Happinet Corporation.
- Figures were a small part of Broccoli's wider work in trading card games, character merchandise, and media production.
- Broccoli stopped developing figures in July 2024. Alice Glint took over some unfinished projects.
From Fan Events to Di Gi Charat
Takaaki Kidani named the company Broccoli because he wanted something as memorable as Apple that sounds nearly identical in every language. Founded March 25, 1994, the company started by organizing costume dance parties and events for self-published fan works. It later shifted to character-centered products and media, which became its defining business.
Kidani departed in 2007 to found Bushiroad, the company behind BanG Dream! and Cardfight!! Vanguard, but Broccoli continued as an independent media company headquartered in Nerima-ku, Tokyo. In June 2023, Broccoli became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Happinet Corporation (a Bandai Namco Group affiliate) and was delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange in September 2023. A year later, in July 2024, the company shut down its figure development division entirely, transferring several in-progress prototypes to Alice Glint.
Di Gi Charat, Uta no Prince-sama, and the Character Business
Di Gi Charat is Broccoli's most beloved creation, and its origin is delightfully accidental. Illustrator Koge-Donbo created the character in 1998 as a store mascot for Broccoli's Gamers retail chain, and the catgirl Dejiko became so popular she graduated from store signage to a full anime series in 1999. Broccoli's other major franchise pillar is Uta no Prince-sama, which became a multimedia phenomenon.
Broccoli's figure output was always selective, never voluminous. Their business has been anchored in trading card games (Z/X TCG), character goods, and media production rather than figure manufacturing. Figures were a complement to the broader character business, not the core of it.
Figure Production Ended; Only Resale Listings Remain
Broccoli's figure catalog is no longer growing. No new releases will carry the name, and existing pieces are available only through the resale market. Di Gi Charat and Uta no Prince-sama figures made by Broccoli appear there occasionally, usually at or near their original retail prices. Alice Glint took over several unfinished Broccoli prototypes in 2024.