While most anime studios are scattered indistinctly in Tokyo, regional branches and rural studios with distinct cultures are becoming more common. Let’s dig into how their bonds with local communities develop, their affinity for mentorship, and KyoAni’s ever-evolving training systems.
The experimental ufotable of the past and the current finely-tuned blockbuster makers feel like entirely different studios. 15 years ago, Kara no Kyoukai began that transition: laying their modern foundation, but also embracing their originally chaotic and subversive ways.
Mamoru Hosoda and Takayuki Hirao, Pompo the Cinephile and One Piece Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island: two of the most brilliant anime filmmakers used their personal misfortunes to fuel very entertaining movies, processing their darker feelings through lively animation.
The anime industry is so saturated with high-profile projects at the moment that studios have to fight tooth and nail to secure qualified animators—sometimes internally so. What could be a great excuse to offer workers more attractive conditions is failing across the board.
Studio Ufotable recently hit their 20th anniversary, which they celebrated with their most successful title to date. Their history up till this point has been marked by consistent ideology, but they’ve still gone through very distinct eras—including some of the craziest experimentation seen in commercial Japanese animation. Theirs is a tale of wild but meticulous growth.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba recently had its greatest episode yet, and that means it’s time for a deep dive into its production: its core strengths, some recurring issues, but above everything else, the harmony between different creative departments that makes its highs so spectaculars.
Shingo Yamashita was one of the pioneers of the digital animation movement in anime. He made a name for himself drawing stunning, emotionally loaded sequences, and then moved on to become a creative leader as he experimented with directorial duties and the possibilities enabled by new toolsets. Despite being quite busy, he kindly lent us his time to talk about the changing landscape of this industry and its professionals, the world of digital animation, his evolving creative philosophy, and even…
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:…
The first Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel movie has finally been released in bluray in Japan alongside some very juicy animation materials, so the time is right to tackle the outrageous production of this movie and talk about the staff that studio ufotable has managed to assemble.
Today’s Menu For The Emiya Family might be the most inconspicuous entry in the massive Fate franchise, but don’t let its appearance fool you: this cooking spin-off isn’t only a charming series that can be enjoyed by all, it’s also in some regards ufotable’s most brilliant achievement to date, and quite the big opportunity when it comes to their up-and-coming creators. Let’s take a look at their achievements and at the important context!