Since the unique animation duo Gekidan Inu Curry have been entrusted with chief series direction and writing duties for the new Madoka Magica anime, we felt it was the time to explore their career at length: origins, influences, technique, and the way they craft twisted fairy tales that still evoke a childlike sense of wonder.
Fire Force‘s spectacle has already started, so let’s begin examining the director’s attempts to strengthen the material, the usage of amazing FX animation not just for action purposes but to build character, and just how the hell this many SHAFT staffers ended up joining David Production instead.
Fire Force‘s adaptation looks so impressive that we had to put some time aside to explain how the stars aligned for it – smart management, a crisis at a seemingly unrelated studio, and the vision of a certain team all added up to an anime that looks stunning. And this is how it happened!
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:…
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…
In perfectly NisioisiN fashion, Monogatari has received closure in the form of the final entry of Endstory, which isn’t quite the end. The tale of Araragi’s adolescence definitely wrapped up however, and the anime itself seemed to be reflecting on the long 8 years journey that has taken us through 96 episodes and 3 films before returning where it all began. To understand all the changes it’s gone through, the best approach is to divide the series into three periods…
We continue to uncover the bright figures that will shape the future – and already the present to some degree – of the world of anime. This time we tackle an up-and-coming artist at Studio SHAFT who exploits his unusual background to craft unforgettable scenes as both an illustrator and key animator.
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,…