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Forum - View topicA Journey Through Kyoto Animation
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Merxamers
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Reading this bit, i recalled that great, powerful, brief scene towards the end of Kobayashi's Dragon Maid when spoiler[Kanna tells Kobayashi that Tohru left]. The restrained, but very apparent, emotional distress and surprise that runs through spoiler[Kobayshi's] features really struck me, and it sticks in my memory just as much as the more high-octane moments. I've seen very few anime by other studios that do this kind of work (OreGairu, maybe?). And yes, i agree that Beyond the Boundary was a narrative mess, but at least it gave us one of the best filler episodes ever 
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Keichitsu0305
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My KyoAni list so far (note: haven't seen any of K-On, the Key shows, and could not stand The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya season 1): Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions: season 1 only, I didn't enjoy season 2 at all since the new girl was quite forgettable and that Yuta/Rikka relationship didn't really expand. FMP: Fumofuu and TSR: Saw the KyoAni version before the original season but I'm grateful for the series introducing me to FMP; super excited for the fourth season. Miss Kobayashi's Maid Dragon: Brought back the animated humor of Nichijou but enough heart to stand on it's own. Also, I'll never stop smiling while listening to the OP. Sound Euphonium: I'll include both season 1 and 2 since the story arcs of both world's best senpai Asuka and Kumiko felt satisfying. Free! (The whole franchise including the upcoming third season): Cute guys swimming while talking about their feelings with gorgeous water animation and glistening back muscles; what else do I need to say??? Tamako Love Story: A cute rom-com film that has no business being as amazing than it needed to. Getting rid of the fabulous Dera did break my heart but allowed for the characters feelings to expand. Hyuoka: Relatable protagonist who slowly grows out of his shell with excellent cinematography and visual metaphors for the mundane mysteries. Nichijou: Still cracks me up to watch the Professor, Sakamoto, and the other characters live their daily life with the most extraordinary interpretations of ordinary activities. A Silent Voice: My main issue is with one of the characters getting redeemed at the end despite being so insufferable throughput the film. Editing out some scenes from the manga did suck but, the overall drama of the source material still shine brightly in the film. Otherwise, one of the best looking KyoAni films yet. |
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5430 Location: Iscandar |
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Kyoto Animation is one of my favorite anime studios, and I seem to like most of their output. This is my top 10 in terms of how emotionally attached I am to them.
1. Kanon - Showcases the best about Key. 2. Chuunibyou - A great mix of comedy, craziness and drama. 3. Hyouka - This exquisite show is the best work KyoAni has produced to date. 4. Sound! Euphonium - I like its characters and melancholic atmosphere. 5. Haruhi Suzumiya - I still think it is a revolutionary anime. 6. K-On! (season 1) - A moe show with surprising depth. 7. Clannad (season 1) - A less good version of Kanon with more comedy. 8. Tamako Market - A romance and slice of life story with realistic emotions. 9. Amagi Brilliant Park - This might be the best anime comedy ever. 10. Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid - A thrilling, dark take on this franchise. Last edited by Angel M Cazares on Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:05 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Random Name
Posts: 645 |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4091 |
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1 Kanon. There's a number of main characters in anime that I can relate to, Yuichi Aizawa I can feel.
2 Nichijou. I'm going to have to quote Sondheim here: The art of making art is putting it together, bit by bit. And Nichijou is made of some really great bits. 3 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya... all of it, I'm not going to cop out and pick apart which novel is best. Because it's Sigh... Yes, it was the middle one... 4 The K-On franchise. Because Yui makes it work. 5 Air the TV. *Ahem* Goal. That is all. And that's enough... And it's not even my favorite part of the series or even episode... Haruko's speech to Sky in the sky is amazing, the two kids on the beach POV pivot illuminating... And still there's more to just that one episode... And the best scene is the ending of the previous episode... this series does not get the love it deserves... 6 Love Chuunbiyo and Other Delusions. On a recent review of it, season 2 is not... ok, it's not as good as season one but that's the not the same as "season 2 is not good". But I still can't say it's good... But season one certainly is. 7 Amagami Brilliant Park. Ha... almost forgot about it. Good all around comedy with a plot. 8 Tamako Love Story... Market Love Story. The movie really saves it. I just wish the movie itself was better or just didn't stop at the most obvious event and went.... beyond the boundary... which is not going to make my list. But what will finish it off... 9 10 Hyouka, Clannad... Clannad is 9, Hyouka is 10. I can't relate to any of the characters from either work, I feel some good episodes in each series is overwhelmed by weak ideas and too much padding and whatever artistic merit that can be found in these two franchises can be found elsewhere in Kyoto Animation's oeuvre but with strong narratives for them to actually wor with and for.... and that does include K-On. Yeah, yeah, Ishihara's my favorite Kyoto Animation ever since I watched some of the behind the scenes stuff of Kanon. The guy knows how to use color, he does great exposition... at least half of the first Melancholy is just people talking to each other but he always finds a way to make it interesting and he knows how to work with a limited budget. You know, the "early days". Last edited by Animegomaniac on Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:05 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Angel M Cazares
Posts: 5430 Location: Iscandar |
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I just realized I forgot to include ABP in my top 10; it is number 9 as well. I will correct my list. 
Last edited by Angel M Cazares on Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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relyat08
 Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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Big fan of Amagi myself, but Hyouka has been my favorite since the moment I watched it back in 2014. Really good article too. I had, for some reason, assumed you were a KyoAni fan from much earlier than Euphonium, but it was enlightening getting that personal anecdote. I have to admit, my own story is not terribly different, although I transitioned to a massive KyoAni fan slightly earlier(Hyouka in 2014), and have never dropped my interest in bombastic action set pieces that also carry with them interesting characters and drama.
Anyway, my own ranking looks roughly like this: 10. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya 9. Chuunibyo S1 8. Kanon 7. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid 6. K-ON! 5. Tamako Love Story+Tamako Market 4. Amagi Brilliant Park 3. A Silent Voice 2. Sound Euphonium 1. Hyouka |
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VentAileron
Posts: 1 |
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Pretty surprised that nobody (the article included) mentioned Lucky Star yet. I thought that was a pretty big cult hit back then.
I welcome the first part of the article; ANN in general already has enough lists as it is, including in the comments of those articles. For me, KyoAni is equivalent to good to great animation. Of course, whether the premise of the show speaks to me is something else altogether; I haven't watched many of the recent KyoAni shows for example. I bet they're good products in general though. That's why I also think putting too much weight just on the studio alone doesn't do the great works that are made by less known studios justice. I think Just Because! by Pine Jam in the last season, despite having its own animation problems, is an example of that. |
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Kougeru
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I always get confused when I see people that don't love Clannad. I just can't imagine such a feeling.
Anyway, I have a bit say on this topic. I'll try not to repeat anything technical since ya'll got that covered but KyoAni always does SOMETHING that I can't explain that really speaks to me. Even their most hated shows, I really really enjoy. I remember people were trashing Beyond the Boundry left and right when it aired. I was going to skip it but I got bored before New Years that year and binged it and loved it. It had it's flaws but it was still a FUN show to watch. KyoAni always makes FUN shows to watch - and very often they also have powerful moments. Kobayashi unexpectedly touched me with some emotional lines. I have 47 "shows" (includes OVA and movies) on Myanimelist for KyoAni. Only 8 I rated 7/10 (My "average" rating...anything 6 or lower I drop because too bland). These include shows like Tamako Market which seemed like it wasn't sure what it was trying to do in the end. I heard the movie made things better but I haven't seen it yet. Amagi Brilliant Park was also a 7/10 for me because I felt the comedy was weaker and the overall story and characters just didn't connect to me very well. 11 of them I gave an 8/10 because they did something that I felt made them more enjoyable than the "average" show. This is a lot of Chuunibyou specials like the "Lite" series and basically everything related to "Ren". It was a huge letdown after I considered the original Chuunibyou to be a masterpiece. Musaigen no Phantom World I also put here. Overall a really fun/enjoyable to watch show but it felt aimless in the end. I would've liked to see and learn more of the world they were in. 15 of them I gave 9/10 because I felt they were rather outstanding, minus a few issues that I could't forgive enough to give 10/10. I just moved Lucky Star here a few years ago on a rewatch. When I originally watched Lucky Star in 2007, I honestly gave it a 10/10. As an Otaku-culture fanboy, It was a huge blast for me. But when rewatching it, I felt like the first few episodes were too much of a stain on the show as a whole and took a point off for those episodes. I also have Haruhi Season 2 in this section. Most people took more points off for Endless Eight but there's charts online that explain everything you can skip - makes it far more bearable. And the way Endless Eight connects to the amazing movie helped me look at it as a bigger picture and keep it's score higher for me. I love the franchise so much. Hyouka and Nichijou are also here for me. I literally just started rewatching Hyouka today. I meant to do it last year for the 5-year anniversary but got too busy over the year. Maybe I'll appreciate it more and boost it up to a 10 this year. Nichijou was just too hit-or-miss for me with the comedy. Obviously I still love it, since I gave it a 9/10 but there was a few episodes where I only smirked once or twice rather than laughed, so I couldn't give it full points. The last 9/10 I gave KyoAni was for A Silent voice when I watched it last year. The last 13 are of course my 10/10. This is FAR more than any other studio has from me. This is why KyoAni are my favorite studio.I won't deny part of my love for these is because of nostalgic reasons. In no specific order: 1. Air Air is a mess by almost any standard now. But it was one of the first anime I watched completely blind. I was completely surprised how beautiful it was and of course the overall plot and everything really messed me up emotionally. It will always a special place in my heart 2-3. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya S1 and the Movie Haruhi Season 1 is just legendary at this point. Another one I watched mostly blind. I'll never in my life forget how I felt watching the concert scene, or the spoiler[kiss] scene. Just celebrated it in 2016 for it's 10-year and it was every bit as fun. The movie, especially after Season 2, I truly believe is a masterpiece. I've given up hope for more Haruhi after 9 years since Season 2 aired, but that movie was a great point to stop anyway. 4-5. Clannad (Both Seasons) 6. Kanon Clannad and Kanon...well, anyone that knows me at all calls me a KEY fanboy. But the only good KEY anime comes from KyoAni. Kanon is the anime I've watched more than any other in my life. I watched it every December for 10 years. Most other anime I can barely watch twice, but there's something about Kanon 2006 that touches me in a way that lets me rewatch it endlessly. I think it's beautiful in every way. Music, visuals, story. The ending was also one of happiest and most conclusive in all of anime, IMO. I hate how most anime have non-endings. Clannad, as a whole package, is just a really beautiful family story. I still feel like we don't get enough of those in anime. KEY always has the best parents in anime, too. After Story, especially, though, breaks me every time I watch it. I rarely feel emotion from any TV show or movie, so I give it a lot of points for that. Again, the music is also S-tier for me, the theme songs and the soundtrack as a whole. 7-9. K-On! (Both Seasons) + Movie 10. Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon I love K-On! and Kobayashi for the same reasons. Pure fun. Every episode of these shows, I just felt good. I laughed. I had a great time. Then every now and then they'd do something that was a little touching. Kobayashi talked about family, or acceptance. K-On! talked about growing up and the future. But even while putting actual meaning into the shows, KyoAni still kept true to the overall themes of each show which was still being a "comedy". I have zero complaints about these shows at all. 11. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! I was a chuunibyou in middle school. Barely anyone where I grew up liked anime at all, so I was a massive outsider. I played in my mind like Rikka did. I connected with her instantly. It became clear very quickly that Chuunibyou was far more than a simple comedy, though. In the end it was a really, really beautiful and meaningful story. I always doubt that I'll ever love an anime as much as I loved Chuunibyou when it was airing. I'm really hoping the new movie gives me this kind of feeling and is less like "Ren". 11-12. Hibike! Euphonium (Both Seasons) I basically watch any anime about music. I love music. I had no real expectations but the first season absolutely blew me away with his fantastic audio, S-Tier visuals, S-Tier "camera work", S-Tier characters, and S-Tier plot. Kumiko is still one of my favorite characters in anime. The concert scene at the end of season 1 literally brought me to tears. " Crescent Moon Dance" I think it was what they were performing. This was my review for Hibike! Season 1 back in 2015 “It’s a lie that the gods smile upon those who make an effort”, says Kumiko, because sometimes effort has no rewards. But it’s definitely still better than not putting in any effort at all. KyoAni definitely put a lot of love and effort into Hibike!, and it totally paid off. Starting from the usual KyoAni gorgeous visuals, we get amazing backgrounds, extremely detailed finger/hand positions on the instruments, and stunning lighting..especially in the final episode. But the story about how Oumae Kumiko went from who she was in episode 1 to who she is in episode 13 was not only awesome, but also pretty realistic for once. This anime I think could definitely inspire people. Not only in music either, but in any field in life. The final performance scene was also the first time my eyes watered to a song, and I think it’s because of the struggles the characters had to go through to get that far. I post that now because season 2 didn't ruin those feelings at all. But I think that extends to almost all KyoAni anime. Even if you don't like the particular show (Phantom World and Beyond the Boundry specifically seem to get a lot of hate), you CANNOT deny that KyoAni very clearly puts a ton of effort into everything they do. If anything, they're possibly one of the most passionate studios out there. I know it's extremely fanboyish, but I pretty much automatically get hyped for anything new from KyoAni now days. They're the only studio that's hit far more than they've missed for me. I doubt I'll ever stop loving them and the pieces of art they throw at me. |
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vini64
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I got interested in KyoAni's works recently, also with Chuunibyou. I've watched only 5 of their series so far (counting seasons and related movies as a whole series), but I plan on watching all of them, even those I don't feel they will be good (*cough* Phantom World *cough*). My favorite 'till this point is K-ON!. I was expecting a simple, cute and fun story about five girls and it turned out to be much more than that. The direction fascinated me. It is a sensible and relatable work, full of subtleties. It has become one of my favorite anime of all time.
But the most intriguing KyoAni work has to be Haruhi Suzumiya. I nearly hated both seasons, I couldn't stand the character of Haruhi, and then I went on to watch the movie... Imagine you watching a film with 2 hours and 41 minutes of something you disliked from the bottom of your heart.......and it manages to make you completely change your view of the everything Haruhi-related. Disappearance is so grand, so special, so fantastic, it is more than just a simple movie, it's an experience. I even watched it twice in less than 24h. |
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青白
Posts: 184 |
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Was not disappointed to find Hyouka at #1. But it might be topped by Violet Evergarden very soon.
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king 47
 Posts: 264 |
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I accidentally stumbled on Hyouka and absolutely fell in love with it. It's the only show I've ever bought physically (Thanks Funimation).
After it ended I visited every Kyoani show I could to see if the magic is there, and unfortunately it isn't. Not because the rest of their shows aren't good, but they aren't Hyouka. I do appreciate that Kyoani has really high quality shows, but they aren't always for me. When they announced ABP, I was really excited because it's from the same director, but it was not good at all. Not even close to decent. I quit anime a few years ago, but I still frequent ANN just to see if there are Hyouka news. |
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Trish Pellerito
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Nice job Nick, I really enjoyed the article. KyoAni has to be the hardest working studio in animation. However, a little reminder to you 'young'uns that life at KyoAni did not start with Haruhi. Back in 2000, the staff at KyoAni was honing their craft with (kindly hold your groans...) InuYasha. Action, fantasy, insufferable Rumiko Takahashi, but executed with stunning animation for the era, and one of the best examples of the emerging digipaint and CG technology. Another early millennial fantasy project not mentioned was KyoAni's 2003-ish feature, Munto. Sadly it didn't achieve a wide release, but clips were stunning. Full Metal Panic the Second Raid came along about year later, then Haruhi and the rest you know.
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AholePony
 Posts: 330 Location: Arizona |
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I made the effort a number of years ago to watch the entire kyoani catalogue and came to the conclusion that Munto is a work of genius that the world still isn't ready for.
I even rewatched Inuyasha and Kiddy Grade because they did some work on those productions. The credits for Akira list a Kyoto Animation..... |
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garlogan78
Posts: 171 |
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Difference in taste is so interesting. I hated Nichijou, and Hyouka is one of the most boring series I've ever watched.
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