Dany Muhammad (Editor – The Indonesian Anime Times)
Favourite KyoAni Anime: Hyouka, Tamako Love Story, Violet Evergarden, and A Silent Voice
If there is an anime that makes me fall in love with anime, the answer is clearly Hyouka. Not only it has great animation, but Hyouka is also an example of how KyoAni staff understand how to tell a story in the animation medium. Hyouka is a mystery that not only tells mystery story but also discusses what mystery is and how the characters respond to the mystery (the clearest example is the Credit Roll of the Fool Arc). When the characters interact with mystery, KyoAni staff knows how to make even the simplest mysteries look awesome.
Other than that, KyoAni’s works show a lot of humanism and sometimes they could become a microscope of the problems in our everyday life. A Silent Voice is a story that explores the issue of bullying from both the victim and culprit’s perspective. Violet Evergarden is a story of love from many different aspects, from family, friend, and romantic partner. Even when they want to tell something simple, KyoAni knows how to make it feel personal, like how Tamako Love Story explores the awkwardness of first love and confession. Being a sucker of romance story myself, I think Tamako Love Story has the best confession scene in the anime medium.
Not only the animation, but their production practice also left a good impression for me. The staff has been able to make the most of their talents because of their excellent management. If you ever read KAORI staff interview article with Guzzu, then you should have understand how severe the working condition is for animators in Japan. This does not apply in KyoAni. Healthy management, enough monthly salary, and good training (KyoAni has her own animation school) has made KyoAni able to produce the best works. With a conducive work situation, these talented staff have consistently been able to continue to produce their best works.
That’s why I think the KyoAni incident was not only a blow for KyoAni themselves but also to the anime industry as a whole. In the midst of the gloomy condition of animators, KyoAni should become an examplary environment for other studios. This incident not only hurt the talented creators but also hurt what could be the best animation production practice in the industry. I pray with all my heart that KyoAni can continue with their best practices and get back to produce the best works. Thank you for making me fall in love with this medium!
Tanto Dhaneswara (KAORI Newsline)
Favourite KyoAni Anime: Love, Chunibyou and Other Delusions, Nichijou
I have heard about KyoAni when I was in middle school, when I read a friend’s Animonster magazine that has an article discussing some of KyoAni’s works, such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and K-On!. However, at that time I was still really a casual fan (I only watched Doraemon, Dragon Ball, Naruto… and Magical Doremi). I just read the article to spend my free time.
The most memorable KyoAni anime for me are Love, Chunibyou and Other Delusions and Nichijou. I watched them after I become active in anime fandom thanks to SAO. I still remember the time when me and my friends laughed out loud watching this anime.
Chuunibyou is also quite memorable for me. Aside from Rikka’s cute character, the story about high schoolers who imitate various ‘cool’ things from their favourite anime in the real life is quite relatable for me. While I was watching this anime, I remembered that I also got my own memories of ‘chuuni’ times in middle school like Rikka and Yuuta the Dark Flame Master.
When I heard the news of the KyoAni arson incident, I was also sad just like many other people. When I wrote and helped editing news articles about this incident on KAORI’s Indonesian site, I realized the victims are people who has created the anime that I enjoy. Of course, it would take time for the studio to recover and create more works that touch the heart of all anime lovers around the world. Let’s pray for them and give their best support.
Andira Indrawan (Commercial Department)
Favourite KyoAni Anime: Kanon, Air, Clannad, Myriad Colors Phantom World, Violet Evergarden, Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!
I was in middle school when I first became active in anime fandom. I was introduced to anime by my cousin. Normally when I visited his house, we played games or just watched anime. At that time my cousin offered me three anime to watch, they were H2O～footprints on the sand～, Air, and Kanon (2006).
From those three, the one that impressed me the most was Kanon. I watched it until the end. Kanon opened my eyes to another side of anime. That was the first time I felt sad from watching anime and empathizing with the characters (I was sad when Makoto was about to disappear and finally knew who Ayumu was). Through Kanon, I started to try genres other than mecha.
During high school, I became more interested in anime. I watched UC Gundam series and many other Gundam series at that time. It was also during this time I met my other otaku friends. we shared anime with each other. While I watched Full Metal Panic on Indonesian TV in my elementary school days, it was in high school when I managed to watch the sequel. Initially, I watched this because there are giant robots. But later, I also liked the girl characters, especially Chidori Kaname and Teletha Testarossa. Then another anime gave me a direct hit, Clannad. I watched Clannad until I cried.
I was in the middle of college when Myriad Colors Phantom World aired. It was entertaining to me because it’s neither a dark, heavy, nor edgy series. Episode one is a moment where I can be honest with my own fetish (Mai-senpai).
Halimun Muhammad (Editor – The Indonesian Anime Times)
Favourite KyoAni Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Tamako Love Story, Liz and the Blue Bird
Haruhi has been an important series for me as a fan, for it was one of the series that, during the period when I was reintroduced to anime in the late 2000s, taught me how to read fiction the way otaku does. Still haven’t seen much anime yet, I was able to devote a lot of my fan passion for the series for more than five years. While the style may look outdated now, it’s still amazing to think how much KyoAni has been able to make the anime feels brimming with life that can make viewers feel absorbed to it. Even the details like the recreation of the author’s hometown as the series setting, and the background characters who are given their own personalities and show those if you pay attention close enough to what they’re doing in the background, really help to build the sense of a world with its own existence, that makes you feel you can inhabit too. And let’s not forget how the characters’ are animated really brings their personalities to life. We can just look at the opening sequence of the first season, where looking at Haruhi’s strut really can give you the sense of what an energetic and determined character she is. Her movements draws you in like a rushing stream!
Such example shows that KyoAni has always taken great care with character animation all along. And they continue to develop further the ways they express their characters through animation over the years, until I finally learn how to appreciate it when I watched Tamako Love Story in Japan Foundation’s Japan Film Festival in 2020, that really charmed me with the delicateness of the lovestruck Mochizou. KyoAni has polished their use of non-verbal expressions, with films like A Silent Voice and Liz and the Bluebird taking the artistry to another level. When Mizore plays her solo part in Liz, the skillfully performed music, along with the emotions the characters show through their bodies, really make the performance, and the scene itself, soar to unrivaled heights.
And it feels painful to remember that many of the artists who worked at the studio can no longer fly themselves because of the tragedy; they could have still soared to even greater heights through their creations. But what has happened can’t be changed. I can only put my faith that the studio will honor the legacy of those who has gone as the studio continue creating more anime that can touch the hearts of many as they had been doing all these time.
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Thus were the testimonials of KAORI Nusantara Staff for Kyoto Animation. Hopefully, as time goes by Kyoto Animation will be able to endure the tragedy and continue to produce works that touch the hearts of their audience, anywhere.
The Indonesian Anime Times
