Welcome back to the most special post of the year! As is tradition, we’ve gathered writers from different communities but a shared trait: a love of animation and all it encompasses. The goal, to praise at length the greatest productions and most resonant direction in all of 2018 anime, according to a series of categories. These are our yearly anime awards – the sakugabowl!
Now that Tsurune‘s past its halfway point, it’s time to return to the series to examine various aspects; how the staff want to balance the meticulous depiction of Japanese archery with entertaining experiences and characterization, the intent behind the storyboards, the state of the production as a whole, and so on!
Tsurune‘s pleasant and surprisingly efficient first episode is yet another showcase of the importance of execution. An inspired directorial effort that makes no effort in hiding its inspirations and yet establishes an identity of its own, led by a team with more newcomers than you’d ever imagine. Who are they, and what should we expect?
Article pinned in memoriam of everyone who lost their lives in the terrorist attack today at the studio. We can only extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims, everyone’s families and friends, and all affected parties in general. Please take care.
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!
Now that the introduction is done and the titular character has wrapped up her training, Kyoto Animation’s aces have come to deliver the strongest episodes of Violet Evergarden to date. We’ll look at the wonderful episodic stories storyboarded by Yasuhiro Takemoto and Naoko Yamada, explain how a new influx of young creators came into play, and try to make sense of this spectacular yet confusing production.
Good evening, good afternoon and good morning ladies and gentlemen! We find ourselves at the end of another year, recalling the good and the bad times, celebrating the lack of a hangover despite a wild night out, but also struck with the fear of hanging over a toilet bowl on New Year’s Day to keep the scales balanced. Most importantly, though, it’s the time of the year where we round up the sakubuta to present the ever-growing Sakuga Bowl and…
Today’s Hyouka post is rather lighthearted but nonetheless interesting: short comments by all the episode directors regarding their feelings on the material that they personally handled. Sadly only the ones for the second half of the series were published in Otona Animedia, but it’s still enjoyable, brief insight by the creative team. If you want some more of that, megax also translated comments by each episode’s staff as they published them on the official site. They were quite fond of…
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!
Our next Koe no Katachi / A Silent Voice main staff interview gives the spotlight to Futoshi Nishiya, the movie’s character designer and the ultimate supervisor of its animation as chief animation director. Nishiya details the attempts to integrate the heart of the characters into the designs themselves, and mentions some of the film’s idiosyncratic points like the expression through drawings of hands and the textured linework. Tune in for all of that and some more!