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Tag: Kyoto Animation

Studio Culture In The Anime Industry – The Curious Story Of Free! And High Speed!

Studio Culture In The Anime Industry – The Curious Story Of Free! And High Speed!

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Fans and critics alike love to associate qualities and flaws to anime studios, but to which extent does that hold any water? Have companies managed to build an in-house style of their own, and do they want to do that in the first place? We’d like to address misconceptions in this regard while explaining the potential of studio culture in the anime industry, as illustrated by the very curious tale of one of the biggest anime series of recent times:…

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Maquia: When P.A. Works Blooms – Effectively Raising A New Generation Of Animators

Maquia: When P.A. Works Blooms – Effectively Raising A New Generation Of Animators

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Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazaro, localized in English-speaking territories as Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, is without a doubt one of the most noteworthy anime movies of 2018. Its affecting story and astonishing production values deserve the recognition they’re getting and then some, but this film’s significance extends beyond its artistic merits. This project is a decisive step in studio P.A. Works’ current plans, and an unprecedented opportunity to grow.

A New Step For A Silent Voice’s Team: Liz And The Blue Bird Impressions [Annecy 2018]

A New Step For A Silent Voice’s Team: Liz And The Blue Bird Impressions [Annecy 2018]

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The team behind A Silent Voice, captained by Naoko Yamada, has returned with a fascinating little film that challenges regular anime production methods to organically interweave visuals and sound, applies mathematical concepts to the depiction of interpersonal relationships, and crafts gorgeous scenes in entirely non-standard ways. For those of you looking forward to Liz and the Blue Bird, this is what you should expect from this quietly unique experience. And don’t worry, no narrative spoilers ahead!

Keeping The Anime Industry Afloat From The Shadows: Wanpack And Outsourcing Studios

Keeping The Anime Industry Afloat From The Shadows: Wanpack And Outsourcing Studios

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It’s no exaggeration to say that outsourcing studios keep anime alive, and yet fans are still mostly unaware of their integral role in the production of their favorite shows. The disappearance of Studio Wanpack, the biggest company of this kind, serves as an opportunity to explain just how important they were, and also what’s been happening to the many animators who worked for them.

The Struggle Of Anime’s Novice Creators

The Struggle Of Anime’s Novice Creators

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We often highlight interesting animators and directors who just irrupted into anime and are finding success at a young age, but some times we have to focus on the struggle of less fortunate individuals instead. At a time where anime needs the help of new creators more than ever, the working conditions for youngsters who want to join the industry have grown to be so poor that we’re stuck with very high attrition rates and miserable standards. It’s important that…

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Violet Evergarden Production Notes 6

Violet Evergarden Production Notes 6

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Once again a Kyoto Animation veteran showed up to handle a very pleasant chapter in the adventures of Violet Evergarden. This is the right moment to inspect not just how he brilliantly constructs anime, but also how the studio as a whole approaches the production process – things are changing!

Hyouka: Character Expression Through Inventive Adolescent Daydreaming

Hyouka: Character Expression Through Inventive Adolescent Daydreaming

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As the finale of this month’s Hyouka coverage we’d like to share this look into one of the aspects that make it such a special show: the recurring fantasies in an otherwise grounded series, which each episode’s staff was given immense creative freedom for. The results were unique aesthetics applied to sequences that articulated the inner feelings of the characters much better than dialogue tends to do. 

Violet Evergarden Episodes 1-2 Prescreen Impressions

Violet Evergarden Episodes 1-2 Prescreen Impressions

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We attended the early screening of two Violet Evergarden episodes – the very first time #1 was shown in Japan, and the worldwide premiere of #2 – so we’re here to offer you a spoiler-free set of impressions that might get you more excited about this tremendous production.

Just Because! And The TV Anime Problem: Living Characters, Dead Production

Just Because! And The TV Anime Problem: Living Characters, Dead Production

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Severe production issues are never a comfortable topic, because the anime industry is filled with people who are genuinely struggling and that we shouldn’t make light of. But they’re also something we can’t gloss over either, so I’d like to use the latest news about a production disaster to clear up that particular situation and discuss the double edged sword of thorough character acting in TV anime. Whether you’ve been following Just Because! or not, you might want to pay…

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Anime’s Future: Haruka Fujita and Akiko Takase

Anime’s Future: Haruka Fujita and Akiko Takase

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This entry on our series about the most promising up-and-coming anime creators has a particular theme: Kyoto Animation’s new generation. Unlike the many young stars we’ve highlighted so far, who generally lend their talents to half the industry, we’ll tackle two incredible artists who exclusively work for a single studio. Enjoy this introduction of the two women who, on a direction and animation level, are meant to lead KyoAni in the future…and the present already!