Spurned on by the passing of the company that birthed it, today we’ll be turning back the clock a whole decade to take a look at ef – a fairy tale of the two. Not just its fondly remembered anime adaptations, but also how its visual identity had already been shaped by a certain renowned creator.
Ryochimo’s take on Yozakura Quartet has always been something of a polarising topic. Beginning with the release of the Hoshi no Umi OVAs, its leap onto TV with Hana no Uta served to jumpstart arguments in regards to its worth as an animation spectacle. It’s the same formulaic clash of mindsets you’ve probably witnessed occur over much more recent shows – although it happens on a larger scale now that more and more people are taking steps to interact with…
My Hero Academia, Shonen Jump’s latest big action title, has been on the radar of many manga fans ever since it began its serialization. Brought to life by Kohei Horikoshi’s attractive art style, its underdog story set in a world of heroes quickly became a hit sensation, eventually shaping up to be a surefire candidate for an anime adaption – but little did we know how unusual that adaptation would turn out to be.
A Patreon supporter suggested looking into the bizarre production implosion of Regalia and subsequent broadcast restart, which seemed like an interesting enough topic. As a general rule I would rather not focus on projects that have collapsed – not so much because I feel negative criticism is unworthy, but rather because extensively highlighting troubled productions that follow common patterns feels like punching down for no good reason. However, Regalia’s case is enough of an anomaly that it piqued my interest, and…
Last time we examined the past decade of Studio SHAFT to have a better understanding of Tatsuya Oishi’s style and the circumstances that lead to Kizumonogatari’s existence. Time to actually tackle the film.
Kizumonogatari is as much the story of a vampire and a teenager as it is the story of Tatsuya Oishi. And while his tale is relatively well documented, it’s often tragically overlooked. His impact on SHAFT’s modern state can’t be understated, and yet it’s his comrade Shinbo who stays in the spotlight – the sad yet understandable consequence of what has been happening at the studio for over a decade. To understand this fascinating film we need a grasp of the company’s culture first,…