The news about KyoAni had me really upset for the past few days and it took a little while to process it all. There was a time in my life where I tried to hide my love of anime because it wasn’t “cool” and I didn’t want to be singled out. Then a good friend of mine gave me a USB full of shows to watch, one of them being Nichijou! I’d never laughed so hard in my life and it really pushed me hard back into anime! Free holds a really special place in my heart not only for being so beautiful and having amazing characters but I actually got to watch the first season while on my trip to Japan! Having fun filled days and coming back to room to watch the new episode is something I will always treasure! KyoAni you’ve been a true inspiration to me as an artist and a person! My heart goes out to all the people and families affected! We stand with you!
Winter 2017 Hype: Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon
Supercute cool PV aside. This is my favorite KyoAni director, Yasuhiro Takemoto (FMP, Disappearance, Hyouka, Amagi Brilliant Park) adaptating a manga from the author of I Can’t Understand What my Husband is Saying. What a combo. Hurry for more monster girls.
I had the chance to watch in theater & listen to the OST of Violet Evergarden twice. And I gotta say… It was an ultimate experience. The chills!!
It was still a tough choice to make for today’s theme because Liz & The Blue Bird had the same effect on me, on the big screen too!! Moreover I often listen back to Tsurune, Hyouka & K-on’s OSTs… So I’ll had them as honorable mentions!
Today marks the 1st day of the KyoAni Month! I’ll try to celebrate all these series and movies I love so much that were created by this dear Animation Studio, by creating a small artwork every day ♥
Watching Violet Evergarden was one of the best experiences with a show I’ve had in recent memories. While the show was nowhere near perfect and suffered from many flaws due to its format and source material, I found essence of the show to be very moving to me on an emotional level. Simply put, it was awe-inspiring.
Despite the common criticism of the show’s slow pace and somewhat whiplash tonal shifts, I respect what the creators did in adapting the [far more fantastical] source material. I personally enjoyed the show’s pacing and loving attention to its themes of love, messages and the human condition. They really took their time and made every frame and scene intentional in the service of the themes.
While Violet as a character was never very interesting to me, I found her endearing for her ability to be a mirror to other characters and draw out their true essence. Witnessing these moments between Violet and her clients was inspirational. Particularly episodes 5, 7 and 10 were the episodes that hooked me in the heart and made me understand the beauty of what the creators were trying to do. I would say the series is worth seeing just for the watching experiences of those episodes alone.
Of course, the visuals of this show need not to be stated. Everything in this show was beautifully animated and crafted. But beyond the absolutely stunning visuals, the music was also a stand out feature. The sound track had this amazing ability to wring my heart at all of the right moments. This show deserves to be watched due to the loving detail the artists put in but also because of the the incredible score the composures created and the fantastic subtle writing of the authors and staff.
If you haven’t seen this show, please come into it with an open mind to its strong thematic themes and powerful symbology.
Amidst a year that’s already been unpleasantly surreal, it’s hard to believe it’s been a year yesterday since the arson attack on Kyoto Animation. There aren’t a lot of deaths/tragedies in entertainment news that hit me hard, but this one left me stunned for weeks. My heart weighs heavy to think of the talented artists who will never again be able to share their works and visions with the world.
I don’t want to remember them this way, however; I don’t want to see Kyoto Animation known as “the studio that got attacked”. I hope audiences new and old can continue to love and cherish the stories KyoAni has told, and I hope for the very best as they continue forward.
After these horrifying news, I’ve decided to do a recap on KyoAni’s main titles from their foundation until now as a homage for its staff, especially the victims and their families. We don’t know where the studio will be going from now, but we do know of its journey until the present moment. There were hits and there were misses, but it overall deserves appreciation now more than ever.
This is going to be a bit long but they deserve it all and more.
Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte (2002)
Inuyasha Movies 1 to 3 (2001-2003)
Munto (2003-2009)
Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu/TSR (2003-2006)
Air (2005)
Kanon (2006)
Clannad (2007-2009)
Suzumiya Haruhi (2006-2010)
Lucky Star (2007-2008)
K-ON! (2009-2011)
Nichijou (2011)
Hyouka (2012)
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! (2012-2018)
Tamako Market (2013-2014)
Free! (2013-present)
Kyoukai no Kanata (2013-2015)
Amagi Brilliant Park (2014-2015)
Hibike! Euphonium (2015-present)
Musaigen no Phantom World (2016)
Koe no Katachi (2016-2017)
Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon (2017)
Violet Evergarden (2018-present)
Tsurune (2018-2019)
Personally, part of me wants to believe that these people will continue living through their creations, but what’s been done to them is unforgivable. We all know that this will definitely affect current and future projects of the studio, but let’s show only support for the survivors until they’re able to get back on track.
This is…just an unspeakable tragedy. It hits especially hard because KyoAni is the place with the best reputation as an employer and some of the most wholesome offerings as a studio. This horrific incident counters everything that KyoAni has embodied throughout its existence.
