Twilight Coin (TWC) is a blockchain-based initiative designed to overhaul the traditional Japanese anime production committee system. The deck identifies a significant market inefficiency where studios receive only an 11% return rate despite a $20 billion worldwide distribution market. By utilizing TWC tokens for crowdfunding and digital license management, the platform aims to provide creators with direct rewards and fans with a way to 'bet on the future of creators.' The deck targets a $20 million hard cap for its ICO, with funds allocated toward platform development and a decentralized exc…
Key takeaways
- The company identifies a $20 billion worldwide distribution market for Japanese anime as of slide 6.
- Current industry structures result in a low 11% return rate to animation studios, according to slide 6.
- The team includes Yutaka Yamamoto as Chief Creative Officer and Koji Wada as CEO on slide 2.
- The product utilizes a dual-track system for crowdfunding and distribution license management shown on slide 5.
- TWC tokens must be deposited to issue digital items and licenses, creating a utility requirement on slide 5.
- The ICO features a $1.5 million soft cap and a $20 million hard cap as stated on slide 7.
- Pre-sale for the tokens was scheduled to begin on 2018/11/15 with a 30% bonus per slide 7.
- A significant portion of funds ($4.0-20.0Mn) is earmarked for a DEX and educational programs on slide 7.
Twilight Coin Pitch Deck Analysis
The Twilight Coin (TWC) pitch deck, presented at the Malta Blockchain Summit, is a concise 8-slide presentation targeting the intersection of the Japanese animation industry and blockchain technology. The deck is structured as a standard Initial Coin Offering (ICO) pitch from the 2018 era, focusing on industry pain points, a high-level solution, and the mechanics of a token sale. It positions itself as a corrective measure for a market where creators are undercompensated despite global growth.
Slide 1: Title and Vision
The cover slide introduces Twilight Coin (TWC) as an "Anime Production System for Creators & Fans." It uses the tagline "Pleasure for Fans! Hope for Creators!" and explicitly labels the project as "Japan Anime X Blockchain." The visual identity includes anime-style character art and a gold coin icon featuring the same character, establishing the brand's niche immediately.
Slide 2: Team Composition
The team slide lists five individuals. Koji Wada serves as CEO, while Yutaka Yamamoto is the Chief Creative Officer and Executive Animation Director. The inclusion of Yamamoto is significant, as it suggests the project has ties to actual animation production. Other roles include Mitsuhiko Ito (Animation Producer), Ryosuke Ujihara (Marketing Director), and Yoshihiko Shiraishi (Blockchain Lead). The deck provides names and titles but lacks professional biographies or past company affiliations, which is a common omission in shorter ICO decks.
Slide 3: The Problem in Production and Distribution
This slide breaks down the industry's flaws into two categories. Under Production , it claims projects depend too heavily on investor policy, ignoring creator intentions and fan voices. Under Distribution , it notes that investors have priority to recoup expenses, leading to "No reward for creators" and a lack of enthusiasm for overseas distribution. A downward-trending arrow icon reinforces the narrative of a struggling financial model for the actual makers of the content.
Slide 4: The Proposed Solution
The solution is defined as an "Anime Production System for Creators & Fans" driven by tokenization. The slide lists four pillars: tokenizing the future of creators, tokenizing the distribution of works, allowing fans to "bet on the future of creators," and ensuring creators receive rewards if the work succeeds. It is a conceptual slide that sets the stage for the product mechanics.
Slide 5: Product Mechanics and TWC Utility
Slide 5 provides the most technical detail in the deck, using a flow chart to explain the ecosystem. It is divided into Crowdfunding and Distribution . In the crowdfunding section, fans send Ethereum to creators in exchange for digital items. In the distribution section, distributors purchase digital licenses to broadcast or sell the anime to consumers. Crucially, the slide notes that a "TWC Deposit" is required to issue these digital items and licenses. This establishes the utility of the TWC token as a collateral or access requirement for the platform.
Slide 6: Market Opportunity
The market slide highlights a "Worldwide Distribution Market Size" of $20 billion. It points out a specific inefficiency: a "Return Rate to Studio" of only 11%. A bar chart titled "Global sales of Japanese Anime Related Industries" shows growth from 2005 to 2016, with projections for 2017, 2018, and 2019. The chart distinguishes between sales inside Japan (blue) and outside Japan (orange), showing that international growth is the primary driver of the expanding market. The slide argues that the Twilight Coin platform will diversify the fan base and improve return rates for studios.
Slide 7: Investing and Use of Funds
This slide details the ICO parameters. The TWC Tokensale is split into a pre-sale (starting 2018/11/15 with a 30% bonus) and a crowdsale (starting 2018/12/26 without a bonus). The financial targets are a $1.5 million soft cap and a $20 million hard cap. The use of funds is divided into two tiers: $1.5-4.0 million for platform development, and $4.0-20.0 million for a decentralized exchange (DEX) for digital items and an educational program for creators. This indicates that the full vision of the project, including the DEX, is contingent on hitting the higher end of the funding target.
Slide 8: Contact Information
The final slide provides the project's digital footprint, including the official website (twilight-coin.io), Twitter, Telegram, Medium, and a general info email address. It concludes with a standard "Thank you for your attention."
What Twilight Coin Does Well
The deck is highly focused on a specific, underserved niche. By identifying the 11% return rate to studios (Slide 6), the founders provide a compelling economic reason for their project to exist. They aren't just proposing "blockchain for anime"; they are proposing a specific financial restructuring of how anime is funded and distributed. The flow chart on Slide 5 is also a strong addition, as it clearly explains how the token interacts with the different stakeholders (fans, creators, and distributors).
What is Missing from the Deck
Despite the clear problem statement, the deck has several significant omissions that would be required for a traditional venture capital raise or a sophisticated crypto investment:
Roadmap: There is no timeline for development beyond the token sale dates. Investors cannot see when the platform or the DEX is expected to launch. · Tokenomics: While the caps are mentioned, the total supply of TWC, the percentage of tokens held by the team, and the vesting schedules are entirely absent. · Competitive Landscape: The deck does not mention other anime-focused blockchain projects or traditional crowdfunding competitors like Kickstarter or Patreon, which were already active in the anime space in 2018. · Technical Architecture: Beyond mentioning Ethereum (via the logo on Slide 5), there is no information on the smart contract standards, security audits, or how the "digital licenses" are technically enforced. · Traction: There are no mentions of existing partnerships with animation studios or creators, other than the team members themselves.
Founder Takeaways: What to Copy and What to Avoid
What to copy: The use of a specific, shocking industry metric (the 11% return rate) is an excellent way to anchor a pitch. It creates an immediate sense of injustice that the product promises to fix. Additionally, the clear separation of "Production" and "Distribution" problems helps investors understand the two distinct phases of the business model.
What to avoid: Avoid being overly vague about the use of funds. The jump from $4 million to $20 million on Slide 7 is a massive range with very little detail on how that extra $16 million would be deployed beyond "educational programs." Founders should provide more granular milestones. Furthermore, never omit a roadmap; investors need to know that the team has a plan for the "day after" the fundraise concludes.
Frequently asked questions
- What specific problem does Twilight Coin aim to solve in the anime industry?
- According to slide 3, the project addresses issues in both production and distribution. In production, content depends on investor policy rather than creator intention or fan voice. In distribution, investors prioritize recouping expenses, leaving no rewards for creators and creating a lack of incentive for overseas distribution. The deck highlights that studios currently only see an 11% return rate.
- How does the Twilight Coin platform function for fans and creators?
- Slide 5 illustrates a two-part system. In the crowdfunding phase, fans purchase digital items using Ethereum (indicated by the ETH logo), while creators deposit TWC to issue these items. In the distribution phase, distributors purchase digital licenses, and creators receive rewards. The system aims to bypass traditional gatekeepers to ensure creators are compensated if a work succeeds.
- Who are the key members of the Twilight Coin leadership team?
- Slide 2 lists five key members: Koji Wada (CEO), Yutaka Yamamoto (Chief Creative Officer and Executive Animation Director), Mitsuhiko Ito (Animation Producer), Ryosuke Ujihara (Marketing Director), and Yoshihiko Shiraishi (Blockchain Lead). The presence of an Executive Animation Director suggests a team with direct experience in the production side of the industry.
- What are the financial goals and timelines for the TWC token sale?
- Slide 7 outlines a pre-sale starting November 15, 2018, offering a 30% bonus, followed by a crowdsale starting December 26, 2018, without a bonus. The project set a soft cap of $1.5 million and a hard cap of $20 million. The use of funds is tiered based on the amount raised, starting with platform development.
- What is the market opportunity cited by the founders?
- Slide 6 presents a bar chart showing the growth of Japanese anime-related industries from 2005 to 2016, with estimates for 2017-2019. It notes the worldwide distribution market size is $20 billion. The founders argue that by expanding their platform, the market will further diversify and the return rate to creators will improve.
