Currently, many animation production companies are creating various anime to entertain us. However, I think that most people know about anime, but don't know about anime production companies and have no interest in them. However, if you look into anime production companies, you will find that the companies that make the anime you like are almost the same. Furthermore, each anime production company has a different style, so if you look into it, you will enjoy anime even more. This time, we will introduce the anime production company "Kyoto Animation".
What is Kyoto Animation?
It is a Japanese animation production company headquartered in Kyoto Prefecture. Founded in 1985, it has about 154 employees. It is an animation company that handles a wide range of activities, from planning and producing animations, to planning and selling goods. Although many animation companies are located in Tokyo, Kyoto Animation is a rare company whose headquarters is located in Kyoto, as its name suggests. Furthermore, it is a company that has a wonderful system in place, which is rare for an animation production company, such as producing anime in-house.
Characteristics of Kyoto Animation
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
It all started when Yoko Hatta, who was in charge of finishing work at the old Mushi Productions, gathered housewives from the neighborhood and began to take charge of finishing work on anime produced by Sunrise and other companies. After that, when Hatta got married and moved to Kyoto, the company changed its name to "Kyoto Animation," made her husband president, and officially incorporated. After that, the company expanded its animation production structure and began to do gross contracting (subcontracting) for television anime. The company's reputation for its work and the quality of its finished products spread, and Kyoto Animation became a brand among production companies. So much so that clients would adjust their own schedules just to hire Kyoto Animation. After that, the company began to work on prime contract productions, and the name Kyoto Animation became well known among anime fans.
Kyoto Animation's Style
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation's main contract works include a wide range of genres, including romance adventure games, robots, sci-fi school comedies, and everyday mysteries. Basically, they faithfully animate works that have an original source, producing high-quality anime. Furthermore, because they use an in-house animation production method, they have an environment in which communication within the company is easy, and differences of opinion among staff members are unlikely to occur, which improves the quality of the anime. The pace of anime production is slower than other companies, but each work is carefully and carefully produced, so there is no failure. Just knowing that it is produced by Kyoto Animation gives you a sense of security.
Kyoto Animation's Prime Contract Works Ranking
10th place: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This is a light novel published in 2003 by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko, and was made into an anime and broadcast in 2006. Kyon, the main character, meets Haruhi Suzumiya, who introduces herself as soon as she enters high school, saying, "I'm not interested in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, people from other worlds, or people with psychic powers among us, come to me. That's all." Although she is very beautiful, she is treated as an oddball because of her personality and behavior, and is isolated. Kyon, curious about Haruhi, talks to her and ends up joining the club that Haruhi started. Various members join the club, but none of them are human. This is a science fiction school comedy. Haruhi has become a common term among anime fans, but it is not recommended for anime beginners. It is aimed at intermediate anime fans. However, it is still the legendary anime that brought the concept of attributes.
9th place Lucky Star
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This four-panel manga, which began serialization in 2004 in magazines such as "Comptiq," was made into an anime in 2007 and aired for a total of 24 episodes. It is a comedy anime about the daily lives of four girls, including "Izumi Konata," an otaku high school girl who loves anime and games, and her friend "Hiiragi Tsukasa." The title "Lucky Star" is her real name, and the author wanted to combine "star" meaning an actress acting, and "lucky" meaning good fortune or whimsy, to create the meaning of the title, in order to imagine a title for a manga about girls living school life. This is also a very popular anime, so if you like slice-of-life anime, you should definitely check it out. The opening song in particular is very famous.
8th place: Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This is a light novel that began serialization in 2011 from "KA Esuma Bunko" and was released in four volumes. It was made into an anime in 2012 and aired a total of 24 episodes. One day, the protagonist, "Yuta Togashi," a first-year high school student, was on the balcony of his family's apartment. Just then, Takanashi Rikka, a beautiful girl dressed in gothic lolita clothing and wearing an eyepatch over her right eye, comes down from the floor above. The next day, Yuuta meets Rikka again at school. Rikka tells Yuuta that she has the power of the "Evil King's True Eye." While Rikka is in full chuunibyou mode, Yuuta, who outgrew it when he entered high school, remembers his past. Rikka forces him to make a contract with her and has been following Yuuta ever since. Furthermore, this is a school romantic comedy that depicts the relationships between the people who join the club that they form.
7th place Amagi Brilliant Park
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This light novel series was first serialized by KADOKAWA in 2013 and was made into an anime in 2014, with a total of 13 episodes produced and broadcast. The protagonist, Kanie Seiya, is suddenly pointed at by a mysterious beautiful girl, Sento Isuzu, and makes a date with her. Their date was to Amagi Brilliant Park, a run-down amusement park in front of ruins. As Kanie was heading home after their date, he was taken by Isuzu to meet the manager, Latifa Fleuranza, who asked him to become the acting manager. If the park doesn't reach 250,000 visitors in the next three months, it will go out of business. At first, Kanie refused, but thinking about the future, he decided to take it on for a limited time. This is when the reform of the amusement park began. It's a very comedic story, so be sure to watch it with a good laugh.
6th place A Silent Voice
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This is a manga that began serialization in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine and Weekly Shonen Magazine. It was released in theaters in 2016 and became a huge hit. The protagonist, Shoya Ishida, a third-year high school student, quits his part-time job, sells everything he can, puts all his money in an envelope and places it at his mother's bedside. After that, he tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge, but gives up. In the sixth grade, a girl with a hearing impairment, Nishimiya Shoko, transfers to the school. Shoya finds her funny and starts teasing her with his close classmates. Shoko then transfers again. After Shoya breaks her hearing aid several times, a class meeting is held and his classmates blame everything on Shoya. From then on, Shoya is bullied. After he stops trying to commit suicide, he meets Shoko by chance and begins making amends for his past and present.
5th place Hyouka
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
A mystery novel serialized by Kadokawa Shoten was made into an anime in 2012, with 22 episodes. There was a club called the "Classics Club" at Kamiyama High School, a prestigious school. However, the club was on the verge of being abolished, but the main character, "Oreki Houtarou", was forced to join the Classics Club by his sister, who could not resist. Oreki, who hates inefficiency, reluctantly joins the Classics Club, as it consumes less energy. When he enters the locked clubroom after school, he finds a beautiful girl, Chitanda Eru, standing by the window. When Eru finds out that she has been locked up, she approaches Oreki, curious as to why she ended up in such a situation. From this point on, the story is a mystery story in which Oreki and the others are drawn into indulging in Eru's curiosity.
4th Place: Clannad
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
The original love adventure game created by "Key" was made into an anime in 2007, and a total of 44 episodes were broadcast. It is a famous title that has become a common anime among anime fans, so much so that it is said that "Clannad is life". The main character is a delinquent named "Okazaki Tomoya" who is always fighting, late, and absent after quitting basketball due to an injury. One day, on the slope in front of his high school, he meets a female student named Furukawa Nagisa, who always mentions "anpan" (bean buns). The anime depicts his interactions with various people after that. There is an "after story" in the second season of this work, but this is the best part. The excitement is half as great if you haven't seen the first season, so although it's long, I recommend watching the whole series. Finally, please prepare about three bath towels.
3rd Place: Violet Evergarden
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This is a light novel published by "KA Esuma Bunko", and was made into an anime in 2018 with a total of 13 episodes. The story is set in a world reminiscent of medieval Europe after the end of a four-year continental war. The girl "Violet Evergarden", who was treated as a weapon on the battlefield, has combat skills beyond those of ordinary people and only knows how to kill people. She lost both arms in the war and was fitted with prosthetics that moved of their own volition. After being released from hospital, she worked as an "Auto-Memory Doll" writing letters for the postal service run by former Major Hodgins. Her goal was to find out the meaning of the last words "I love you" uttered by her important person, Major Gilbert, who was her superior during the war and is now missing. This is a human drama anime about writing letters for various people. Every episode is full of tear-jerking stories. Be sure to watch it.
2nd Place Sound! Euphonium
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
The novel published by Takarajimasha Bunko was made into an anime in 2015 and aired in 26 episodes. The main character, a young girl named Oumae Kumiko, played the euphonium in the brass band in junior high school. In the last tournament, she won the gold prize (no good gold) and was unable to go to the nationals. The beautiful girl Kosaka Reina, who broke down in tears next to Kumiko, muttered about how frustrated she was. In response, she blurts out her true feelings: "I really thought we could go to the nationals." After that, Kumiko enters high school, where not many of her middle school classmates attend, and ends up joining the brass band club, which she had no intention of joining. There she meets Kosaka again. The brass band's skills are not exactly what one would call good. After consulting with their new advisor, they decide to aim for the nationals, but various problems arise in this youth music anime.
1st Place: K-ON!
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This four-panel manga serialized in Manga Time Kirara was made into an anime in 2009. A total of 36 episodes were broadcast. It was such a famous and hugely popular anime that when you think of Kyoto Animation, you think of K-ON! It sparked a light music club boom, and more people joined light music clubs after watching K-ON! Ritsu Tainaka, a student at Sakuragaoka Girls' Private High School, started a light music club with her childhood friend Mio Akiyama. Then Tsumugi Kotobuki showed up and liked the way the two of them talked to each other, so she joined the club. Meanwhile, the main character Yui Hirasawa visits the light music club to join a club. She went there with the mistaken idea that it was just light music, but for some reason she was mistaken for someone with experience playing instruments. When the misunderstanding was cleared up and she was about to leave, she decided to just listen to the performance. Yui was so moved by the performance that she decided to join the club. This is a daily school music anime starring four people. Please take a look.
Kyoto Animation Summary
Source: Kyoto Animation ©Kyoto Animation
This time, we introduced Kyoto Animation. It is a wonderful anime production company. Please check it out. Thank you for reading.
