WrestleKingdom

WrestleKingdom is an Japanese sports action drama animated series created by Hano Azusa and Yoshihara Ryu and produced by P.A.Works for the first arc, and SynergySP from the second arc until the fifth arc, where Madhouse and Kinema Citrus took over animation duties. It follows the wrestler Z as he climbs the ranks in the world of wrestling. It started airing in 2009 on MBS TV until 2012, when AniNick took over the show's production. It has aired on Anime Action in the United States from 2009 until late 2011.

Apache arc
episodes 1 through 24 In 2006, Z, a young rookie in the wrestling world, impressed scouts for Apache Pro Wrestling and they decided to sign him on a contract. Z started off as a jobber (someone who usually loses) as his gimmick until he finds a tag team partner, Akeno, and they decide to fight for the tag titles. After a heavy loss, they tried again at one of the major events of Apache Pro Wrestling and they succeeded. After a few weeks of a successful title reign, at the next big event, Akeno turns on Z and Z goes off to do singles work and work on the mid card title. He gets it after his third attempt, and challenges Kira Hano for the Championship belt, for which he wins it. He gets a offer from Dragon Gate for a year, and the higher ups at Apache are glad at him getting an offer from such a company so early in his wrestling career.

Dragon Gate arc
episodes 25 through 65 TBA

Production
Production of WrestleKingdom started in the summer of 2009, where MBS TV hired Hano Azusa and Yoshihara Ryu to create a sports action drama animated series. Ryu wrote most of the series where Azusa directed the series, while writing some episodes. When AniNick took over broadcast duties, the censorship was less strict and placed in a primetime block, and later on, placed on AniNick's Saturday night block.

In 2016, the series was placed in a minor hiatus in order for writing and animating for future arcs.