Maidragon is back. KyoAni is back—in more ways than one, having given free rein to the next generations of creators trained under the studio’s unstoppable mentorship system. All these efforts shared a rallying cry that the studio altogether has adopted after their tragedy: inspiration for the future.
5 weeks after the tragedy that shook not just Kyoto Animation but the entire anime industry, we are, like many other fans out there, still trying to recover. The healing will be slow, but we can’t allow ourselves to stay down forever. And that’s why we turned our gaze towards Baja’s Studio: a delightful little work that draws from decades of the studio’s unique culture. Even more so than their other works, this is the anime that only KyoAni’s kind…
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?