Arthell Isom: The Trailblazer Behind Japan’s First Black-Owned Anime Studio

This may be the most powerful anime transformation yet.

In an industry long defined by its cultural uniformity, Arthell Isom is quietly rewriting the rules. Alongside his twin brother Darnell Isom, he co-founded D’ART Shtajio — the first major Black-owned anime studio in Tokyo, Japan (Black Enterprise). The groundbreaking studio merges the distinct storytelling style of Japanese animation with the emotional depth and cultural nuance of Western narratives, creating a bridge between two artistic worlds that once felt galaxies apart.

Founded in 2016 with fellow animator Henry Thurlow, D’ART Shtajio (pronounced “stah-jee-oh”) is a 2D animation studio specializing in traditional hand-drawn anime infused with global perspectives. While Darnell manages operations from California, Arthell has spent more than a decade living and working in Japan, becoming one of the few non-Japanese studio heads in the country’s animation industry (The Japan Times).

“I watched Ghost in the Shell every day for a year,” Isom told The Japan Times. “I didn’t even know why I liked it until a teacher asked me to think about it. That’s when I realized I was fascinated by the backgrounds and how the animation moved through them.”

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A Global Journey to Japan’s Animation Elite

Arthell’s journey into anime began far from Tokyo. Born and raised in California, he studied art history and fine arts in San Francisco, later continuing his education in Italy before moving to Osaka to refine his craft. His time abroad expanded his artistic vocabulary, exposing him to both classical Western art and Japan’s cinematic minimalism.

His career took off under the mentorship of Hiromasa Ogura, one of Japan’s most respected art directors, known for his work on Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Shell (Animation Magazine). Working under Ogura at Ogura Kobo, Isom contributed to several iconic anime series, including Bleach, Black Butler, and Naruto.

This experience gave him a deep understanding of Japanese visual storytelling — from the precise layering of light and shadow to the narrative weight carried by even the smallest background detail. It also helped him establish credibility in a country where less than 5% of the workforce is non-Japanese (BBC), making his success not just rare, but revolutionary.

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Creating Space for Black Stories in Anime

D’ART Shtajio’s work is more than just technically impressive — it’s culturally transformative. Isom’s mission is to make anime more inclusive, giving space to stories that reflect the Black experience and other underrepresented voices in global media.

“The great thing is, with us being here, Black creators seek us out,” Isom explained (Forbes). “It’s an opportunity to collaborate with them — to help bring their stories to life in anime form.”

The studio has worked on projects such as “Tephlon Funk,” “XOGENASYS,” and collaborations with Netflix and Adult Swim, helping bring a new level of diversity to the anime landscape (Black Enterprise). By adapting independent manga and original Black-led stories, D’ART Shtajio has become a creative hub for artists seeking to see their cultural heritage represented authentically on screen.

Beyond client work, the studio’s projects often explore themes like identity, resilience, and belonging — blending Afro-futurism, street art, and traditional anime aesthetics into a style that feels entirely new. Critics have noted that D’ART Shtajio’s storytelling “reflects both the discipline of Japanese animation and the emotional richness of Western cinema” (The Guardian).

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A Shifting Industry, A Growing Legacy

Though anime has historically been a closed circle, Japan’s creative industries are slowly embracing diversity — and Isom is at the forefront of that change. He’s spoken openly about how younger generations of Japanese animators are more curious about cross-cultural collaboration and eager to push artistic boundaries.

“I think Japan is changing,” he said in an interview (CNN). “There’s more awareness now that creativity grows stronger when different voices are part of the process.”

As the first Black and American-owned anime studio in Japan, D’ART Shtajio’s existence challenges decades of convention. The studio’s blend of Japanese precision and global sensibility mirrors anime’s growing worldwide appeal, from streaming platforms to major film festivals.

Isom’s success has also inspired a new wave of multicultural artists to pursue careers in anime and animation at large, signaling a future where the genre’s heroes — and the people who create them — come from all backgrounds.

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Continuing to Push the Art Form Forward

Despite his accomplishments, Isom remains humble and laser-focused on his mission: creating meaningful art that transcends borders. His studio continues to collaborate internationally, working with emerging Black animators and storytellers to bring more inclusive narratives to global audiences.

“Our goal is to tell more stories that haven’t been told yet — stories that show the full spectrum of human experience,” Isom shared (Black Enterprise).

For Arthell Isom, the journey is only beginning. What started as a passion for the atmospheric backgrounds of Ghost in the Shell has evolved into a global movement — one that’s helping redefine what anime can look like, and who gets to create it.

Congratulations, Arthell — and to every artist breaking barriers and reimagining the world, one frame at a time.