[Eater of All]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

While there is indeed some creator ego-stroking at play here, I can nonetheless understand why Key would very much want Kyoto Animation to be the animation studio to handle Little Busters.

Commercially, the Key/Kyoto Animation pairing has been very mutually beneficial, and win/win all the way. Air, Kanon, and Clannad helped to cement Kyoto Animation's brand image as a sort of "Master of Moe". At the same time, it's hard to imagine another animation studio doing a better job with Air, Kanon, and Clannad (few would put Toei's Kanon ahead of Kyoto Animation's).

This isn't to say that I think Kyoto Animation is the best animation studio in the business, but rather that their specific talents are ideal for adapting romance drama VNs like Air, Kanon, and Clannad.

I don't see this "creator ego-stroking" you speak of, but maybe just a bit too much reliance on KyoAni. Vava has reason to respect KyoAni, for all the reasons you cited and the very obvious difference in quality between Toei's and KyoAni's adaptations of Kanon. So Key is cautious about asking other studios; any businessman in his right mind would want to continue a proven relationship. And from what I've seen in the VN scene, caution is something most VN companies have an abundance of.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

However, times have changed a bit. Like Archon_Wing, I think that today's P.A. Works could solidly handle your standard Key property. Whether they could handle Little Busters specifically is much more questionable, but then that's questionable of every animation studio, even KyoAni, due to the inherent difficulties in adapting Little Busters into an anime.

How well P.A. Works can adapt existing works is still an unknown, at least until Another starts airing. I do think White Fox has the ability though.