Anime, just like pretty much any other creative medium nowadays, is heavily commercialised, hence a lot of the decision making is done by the producers and not by the creative staff themselves. Sometimes there are exceptions to that state of things, when the producers give the artists free reign and total control over the project. Sonny Boy is such an example: a show envisioned, directed and written by Shingo Natsume, who explicitly stated before the broadcast that this is the first and probably last time when he’ll be given such freedom to do whatever he wants. He even called his work on the series downright selfish and egocentric, because he wanted to include in it as many elements important for him as possible. This freedom became a key factor shaping the entire project, including its visual identity.
Read more →Essay
The artist_unknown OPfest: Spring 2024
Spring has passed, but sakuga remains. Last season was ripe with things to discuss – far more than you’ll find in even this long post. It was going to be even longer, but unfortunately I was the only one to complete my sections. You’ll have to catch up with Geth, Dandy, and the rest next time. For now, you only have me. It’ll be fun, I promise!
Read more →BLEACH: Thousand Year Blood War Cour 2 (#14-26) Production Impressions
BLEACH: Thousand Year Blood War Cour 2 (#14-26) Production Impressions
Read more →Trigger Fukuoka’s New Generation: Shunpei Gunyasu, Takuya Saitou, and President Masahiko Otsuka at Otakon 2023
For Otakon 2023, Studio Trigger president Masahiko Otsuka decided bring along two skilled but essentially unknown young animators from the Trigger Fukuoka satellite: Shunpei Gunyasu and Tatsuya Saitou. Otsuka has “big plans” for the digital branch, now hard at work on Dungeon Meshi. What are these new animators like, and how’s it going down down in Kyuushuu?
Read more →Vinland Saga Retrospective: Weathering the Storm Known as TV Anime
Makoto Yukimura’s manga are no strangers to inspired adaptations—Vinland Saga included. This is the story of its team, the challenges they’ve faced, and the recipe they concocted to weather the storm known as TV anime.
Read more →Animator Spotlight: Yasunori Miyazawa
From humble beginnings on the beloved Moomin to the big screen under Satoshi Kon, there was one whose drawings carried an unparalleled sense of individuality. In his infinite idiosyncrasy, Yasunori Miyazawa is possibly the most unique animator to have ever graced anime.
Read more →Do It Yourself!! Retrospective: The Creator-Driven Anime
Do It Yourself!! was an undeniable passion project. While that in and of itself isn’t rare, few anime are capable of channeling that creative spirit into the final result as this show regularly did, giving all the more reason to take a closer look!
Read more →In Defense of the 2011 Adaptation of Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter recently made its long awaited return to JUMP serialization. As such, there’s no better time than the present to look back on its pair of anime adaptations, both with their unique set of virtues and shortcomings to explore!
Read more →Animator Spotlight: Hiroyuki Yamashita & Boruto: Naruto the Movie (Part 3 of 5)
Boruto: Naruto the Movie is representative of an irreversible turning point for the NARUTO franchise. This is the story of its impossible production, and the director who oversaw its success: Hiroyuki Yamashita.
Read more →Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Deho Gallery and Tatsuya Kushida’s post-apocalyptic Eden
Let’s dive into the staff working under Tatsuya Kushida at Deho Gallery and why their contributions to the final Evangelion were so meaningful.
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