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Spy x Family And The Messy History, Dynamics, And Intent Of Anime Co-productions
It’s no secret that Spy x Family is a co-production between Studio WIT and CloverWorks, but what’s the backstory behind that deal, what does it involve, and what…
The Meteoric Ascent of Megumi Ishitani, Toei Animation’s New Heir
Five years ago, we highlighted a woman who had yet to direct a single episode of anime as one of the most promising young creators in the entire…
Directors Who Shine In Spite Of The Anime Industry – 86 Eighty Six and Toshimasa Ishii
Toshimasa Ishii’s direction on 86: Eighty Six elevated a war drama with a keen political outlook, but despite his team’s many successes, they always faced an uphill battle…
Animating Modern Nostalgia – Ranking of Kings / Ousama Ranking Production Notes
Many works nowadays try to manufacture skin-deep nostalgia, but by naturally evoking it, Ousama Ranking can afford to combine that authentic old-school flavor with many innovative modern techniques…
The Recipe For An Impossible Animation Team – Princess Connect Re:Dive Season 2 Production Notes
Princess Connect Re:Dive Season 2 #04 is without a doubt one of the most jaw-dropping action spectacles in recent TV anime, while remaining every bit as charming as…
From Dennou Coil To The Orbital Children: Mitsuo Iso, Animating The Future
Nearly 15 years since the cult hit Dennou Coil, its spiritual successor The Orbital Children has just been released. This is the story of how and why they…
Sakugabooru Animation Awards 2021
Our yearly animation awards have once again gathered animators, directors, producers, writers, translators, fans, and everything in between to pick the greatest contributions to anime and the world…
Selection Project, Sonny Boy, VLAD LOVE, Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, Revue Starlight
The Context To Modern Makoto Shinkai: Contrasting Your Name, Weathering With You, And The Upcoming Suzume no Tojimari
Makoto Shinkai’s modern work is defined by its immediate circumstances to a larger degree than most people realize, be it the themes he decides to tackle or the…
The Complicated Relationship Between Anime Production Schedules, Working Conditions, Quality, And Exploitation
Anime’s production schedules, the wellbeing of its creators, and the quality of their work are deeply interconnected. It’s a complex balance fraught with misunderstandings, and even lie…
Ranking of Kings / Ousama Ranking – Production Notes 01-03
Despite being a directorial debut for Yosuke Hatta, the cohesive clarity of Ousama Ranking makes it a masterclass in adaptation already. And so it’s time to explore the…
Fall 2021 Anime Overview
The Fall 2021 anime season is frontloaded with a few truly exceptional creative efforts, then chockful of titles with interesting teams having to brawl with this industry’s circumstances.…
The Heike Story, Lupin III, SAKUGAN, Selection Project, Blue Period
Rebuilding Kyoto Animation’s Unique Production Pipeline: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S Production Notes 03-12
Let’s dedicate a final look at Maidragon’s second season and its role in KyoAni’s gradual rebuild—the why and how they made a beautiful show with a smaller team…
A Masterclass In Illustrating A Singular Worldview: Sonny Boy And Shingo Natsume
Sonny Boy is an anomaly in commercial media, let alone as a TV anime: a fascinating creator given a blank cheque that he cashed in to explore his…
Naoko Yamada’s Departure From Kyoto Animation And Science Saru’s Painful Reinvention: End Of An Era, Start Of An Era?
KyoAni’s most renowned director Naoko Yamada left the studio she had dedicated her entire career to and is now directing Heike Monogatari at Science Saru—a studio in the…
The Road To Stone Ocean: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Directorial Retrospective
The upcoming Stone Ocean adaptation marks the return of one of the most brilliant Jojo directors, so there has been no better time for a long retrospective of…
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway’s Focused Excellence And The State Of 2D Mecha Anime
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is shaping up to be an excellent film trilogy, a collective effort by creators who approach realism from their own angle coupled with stellar…
SSSS.DYNAZENON – Production Notes 11-12 And Final Impressions
We’re due a final in-depth look at SSSS.Dynazenon: the creators who stood out in the last stages, the fascinating answers to some seemingly unanswered riddles, and what to…
86: Eighty Six – Production Notes 04-11 And Final Impressions
A teaser for 86: Eighty Six’s second cours dropped today, so let’s look back at this surprisingly daring show—a stunning showcase of a beginner director’s vision, technical skill,…
SSSS.DYNAZENON – Production Notes 10
SSSS.Dynazenon #10 was an explosive showcase of young creative energy drawing the audience in and out of a stunning illusion, and at the same time, proof of how…
SSSS.DYNAZENON – Production Notes 05-09
The time has come for another deep dive on SSSS.Dynazenon’s production: a mix of unique in-house Trigger talent and outside help, working in conjunction to create a show…
86: Eighty Six – Production Notes 01-03
86: Eighty Six packs a fairly compelling war story with a surprisingly nuanced political message. And this is how its team is streamlining it and amplifying its impact,…
SSSS.DYNAZENON – Production Notes 01-04
SSSS.Dynazenon is an already fascinating follow-up to 2018’s Gridman, an equally evocative love letter to tokusatsu and mecha titles that wears its Anno influences in its sleeves, while…
Spring 2021 Anime Overview And The State Of The Anime Industry
It’s time to go over the many interesting offerings in the Spring 2021 anime season to talk about their creative teams, the themes they’re touching on, and their…
86 EIGHTY-SIX, Backflip!!, Pretty Boy Detective Club, Godzilla Singular Point, Megalobox
Kizumonogatari Staff Interview: Director Tatsuya Oishi
The final translation to celebrate Kizumonogatari’s 5th anniversary is with none other than director Tatsuya Oishi: his feelings after wrapping up such a monumental production, the reasoning …
Kizumonogatari Staff Interview: Ace Animators’ Commentary
This week’s Kizumonogatari translation is a collection of commentaries by the ace animators who handled the most iconic sequences, talking about their feelings and goals with those scenes,…
Kizumonogatari Staff Interview: CG Director Shinya Takano
Our Kizumonogatari interview translations continue with a conversation with CG director Shinya Takano, who reminisces about the production and its extremely ambitious approach that grew far bigger …
TV Anime, A Deadly Landscape Even For High Profile Productions: SK8 And Wonder Egg Priority’s Struggles
SK8 The Infinity and Wonder Egg Priority are two original passion projects, both also being high-profile productions that have been in the works for a long time. Despite…
Kizumonogatari Staff Interview: VFX Supervisor Michiya Kato
Our next Kizumonogatari staff interview translation has VFX supervisor and eventual director of photography Michiya Kato give an in-depth chronicle about its production: the deliberate aesthetic mi…
Wonder Egg Priority – Production Notes 04-07
Most Wonder Egg Priority episodes so far have been fantastic first time showings by newbie directors, but what is it about this team’s approach that allows them to…
Kizumonogatari Staff Roundtable: Chief Animation Directors And Unit Directors
Kizumonogatari hit its 5th anniversary last month, and to commemorate that, we’ll be publishing a weekly series of interviews. First, a lengthy conversation with its lead animators and…
Wonder Egg Priority – Production Notes 03
The third episode of Wonder Egg Priority is an amazing directorial debut, capable of modulating its delivery to adapt to a character protecting her wounds with a façade,…
Wonder Egg Priority – Production Notes 01-02
Wonder Egg Priority is a truly unique show, an effort by an up-and-coming star to repurpose the creative language of one of anime’s greatest directors in a way…
Winter 2021 Anime Overview And The State Of The Anime Industry
Enjoy this deep dive into the unusual Winter 2021 anime season: let’s talk about its extraordinary concentration of brilliant creators and robust teams capable of supporting their ideas,…
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Promised Neverland, VLAD LOVE, WONDER EGG PRIORITY, Horimiya
Sakugabooru Animation Awards 2020
We’ve yet again gathered a team of fans from all over the world, as well as animators, directors, and indie creators to share their favorite works and creators…
One Piece, Akudama Drive, Baja's Studio, Dorohedoro, Great Pretender
20 Years Of Ojamajo Doremi: The Ideal Kids Anime Grows Up With Its Audience
Ojamajo Doremi became a formative experience for a whole generation. An impossibly daring team with a perfect overlap of young and veteran talent at Toei accompanied kids across…
Ufotable’s 20th Anniversary: A Tale of Wild But Meticulous Growth
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…
Akira, Dokkoida?!, Fate/Zero, Twin Love, Twin Love Alternative
Twilight Wings: A Labor Of Love By The Pokemon Generation
Let’s dig into Pokemon Twilight Wings: the simply stunning production, the beautiful exercise in storytelling efficiency, and the secret at the core of it all—a young team channeling…
Exclusive Interview With Spencer Wan: Studio Grackle’s Technique And Philosophy
A few days ago, the stunning trailer for Hades served as an introduction to Studio Grackle. We had an opportunity to chat with the person who directed it:…
The Road To DECA-DENCE: Project History & Production Notes 01-05
Yuzuru Tachikawa’s DECA-DENCE is one of the most unique action anime in ages, but its ambition, scale, and the coherence between themes and design philosophy make a whole…
Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World Season 2 – Production Notes S2 01-05 (26-30)
It’s no secret that Re:Zero’s staff is facing more adversities than ever before, so how have they been managing to still knock all the big moments in the…
アイマス15周年記念 – 過去から未来へ、「アニマス」から受け継がられた思いと意志
15年の時を経て、『アイドルマスター』は様々な業界にその名を轟かせてきた。その記念として、2011年にアニメ化された『アニマス』が大ヒットになるまでの道のりだけではなく、それを可能にした情熱と、それがシリーズの未来とどう繋がるのかを振り返ってみたいと思います。…
Majuu Sensen, Sound of the Sky Specials, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Jinsei - Life Consulting, Gurren Lagann
Fifteen Years of The iDOLM@STER – Carrying a Legacy Forward to the Future
With fifteen years officially in the record books, it’s safe to say that The iDOLM@STER has made its mark within the plethora of industries it’s now attached to.…
Rebuilding Kyoto Animation: Uncompromising Principles, Now And Going Forward
To bring closure to this special week of KyoAni posts, we’ve recapped how they’ve reacted since the arson attack one year ago: their firm decision to double down…
Commanding KyoAni’s Animation: Character Designers & Chief Supervisors Roundtable
KyoAni’s renowned quality is built upon a special culture and many years of cultivating talent in different creative departments. Today we’ll focus precisely on their animation, with a…
KyoAni’s Present And Future: Naoko Yamada and Haruka Fujita Interview
It’s time to examine Kyoto Animation’s present and future with an interview featuring their current creative leader and the up-and-coming star who looks up to her! Naoko Yamada…
KyoAni’s Current Osaka Leaders: Eisaku Kawanami x Takuya Yamamura Interview
Today we’ll cover another indispensable part of KyoAni: their energetic Osaka branch Animation Do, as seen through the eyes of their two series directors at the moment. Enjoy…
The KyoAni School: Decades Of Commitment To Training Anime’s Next Generations
While many fans of Kyoto Animation have heard about the KyoAni School, it’s very few who realize their initiative to train new generations of anime creators has been…
Summer 2020 Anime Preview
It’s time for the Summer 2020 anime preview: fewer titles than usual due to the mass postponements the pandemic caused, but also an unnatural concentration of talent for…
Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 2 07-12 – Production Notes And Final Impressions
Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 2 came to an end with big surprises: touching moments that recontextualized entire relationships, and plenty of non-standard production decisions that allowed it…
Anime’s Present And Future At Stake: The In-Betweener Problem
Last week, anime creators with diverse backgrounds and standings in and outside the industry joined their voices to illustrate the hellish experience that is in-betweening. This is how…