Kyoto Animation: Studio discussion, speculation, and whatnot.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by rulfo

KyoAni on Noitamina block? That's even more farfetched than ever.

Actually, Hyouka would have been a very natural fit for NoitaminA. Not that it would ever happen, given that KyoAni is more commercially focused than just about any other studio.

[ultimatemegax]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Actually, Hyouka would have been a very natural fit for NoitaminA. Not that it would ever happen, given that KyoAni is more commercially focused than just about any other studio.

Or perhaps it's that Kadokawa's producer Ito had no reason to push for it to have been on notaminA since they've rarely participated in it (Library Wars is the only one that comes to mind). Considering that KyoAni has continued to work with Kadokawa's and TBS/Pony Canyon's producers, they've had no reason to work with Fuji TV's producers since they have been able to obtain funding/projects from other sources. It's all about the production committees.

[leokiko]

I think KyoAni really excells when they are trying to actually tell a story instead of parading moe high-school girls at us, which is why I would be happy with anything that has a mixed female/male cast and that is trying to tell a good story.

I guess what I'm saying is that I want an anime original. Which is also what I think we are gonna get from them.

I've pretty much given up hope on FMP anyway.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by leokiko

I think KyoAni really excells when they are trying to actually tell a story instead of parading moe high-school girls at us, which is why I would be happy with anything that has a mixed female/male cast and that is trying to tell a good story.

That would definitely apply to Haruhi and Hyouka. So I'm not sure why you'd prefer an anime original to sequels for either of them.

[leokiko]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

That would definitely apply to Haruhi and Hyouka. So I'm not sure why you'd prefer an anime original to sequels for either of them.

Haruhi is the only one of those I described that I didn't enjoy too much, and Hyouka(which I loved) doesn't have much more material to be adaptated into a new anime.

So yea, I'm still betting on an original anime.

Originally Posted by Ithekro

If Yamato can come back after 30 years, FMP can come back.

Yamato is legendary, it wasn't that much of a surprise when it came back. FMP didn't sell well nor it was extremely popular.

[Ithekro]

Fumoffu on the other hand is still one of the best comedies around.

[Flying Dagger]

Personally I am guessing that FMP is not getting much love due to the darker/less comedic/more philosophic nature of the novels.

None of the above really suit kyoani's more recent works...

Spoiler:

Kruz's revival was also somewhat wtf. I guess the novel does have a history of granting character immortality...

[mistress_kisara]

I'm leaning towards swimming anime or original. I think people are just forcing it to be FMP, but I'm prepared to eat my words if it is indeed FMP. :P

[Aqua Knight]

Nobody remembers FMP - no money = no FMP sequel.
Nuff said.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Sorry RRR, but I'm all for the anime original camp over any existing franchise. And then any new adaptations (though hoping not LNs since we are saturated by them). Making sequels just screams milking for me a large portion of the time. Unless if you're called Tamako Market, then you might as well be called K-on Season 3.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Sorry RRR, but I'm all for the anime original camp over any existing franchise.

So you don't think there should ever be more Haruhi anime? You think that Haruhi fans like myself should never get to see the narrative we love get adapted to completion?

And then any new adaptations (though hoping not LNs since we are saturated by them). Making sequels just screams milking for me a large portion of the time.

There's "making sequels" and then there's simply animating a story to its completion. This is the difference between the third Madoka Magica movie (which follows an anime narrative that works perfectly well on its own) and a hypothetical new Haruhi season (which would follow a Disappearance movie that makes it crystal clear that there's more story that needs to be told).

Hyouka similarly makes it clear that there's more story to be told.

Unless if you're called Tamako Market, then you might as well be called K-on Season 3.

So given that you weren't a big fan of either of KyoAni's forays into anime original work (I don't recall you thinking highly of Munto either), why is it something you want to see more of? In fact, only about a month ago, you argued this: "Kyoani is no PA works, so it's probably better to stick with adaptations which is what they are good at."

So just a month ago you're writing "KyoAni should stick to adaptations", and now you're saying "KyoAni should do anime originals"? What exactly changed your mind so completely on this?

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Making sequels just screams milking for me a large portion of the time.

I'll be blunter than Triple_R here.
Now imagine if I were to tell you this:
"HBO's already announced a new season of Game of Thrones?Man,that just screams milking,they should do something new instead,and anyway,there's always the novels for the fan of the show that want to know the rest"

Now I think you know how Triple_R feels when you tell him that about Harushi

[Triple_R]

Well, there's two things here.

I can get leokiko's position - "I didn't like Haruhi, so I don't want more of it."

Fine. That makes sense. I disagree, of course, but if I didn't like something, I wouldn't want more of it either.

But I always had the impression that Haruhi was one of KyoAni's better works in Pocari Sweat's opinion. And given that Pocari Sweat wasn't a huge fan of Tamako Market or Munto, I just don't get his position here. So that's one thing.

There's also...

Originally Posted by totoum

I'll be blunter than Triple_R here.
Now imagine if I were to tell you this:
"HBO's already announced a new season of Game of Thrones?Man,that just screams milking,they should do something new instead,and anyway,there's always the novels for the fan of the show that want to know the rest"

Now I think you know how Triple_R feels when you tell him that about Harushi

Right, lol. Truth be told, I've largely given up on KyoAni making more Haruhi, but it still stings a bit when I feel like other anime fans are looking down on the show/its fans and thinking that Haruhi is not deserving of having more anime done for it.

This particularly annoys me given what's commonplace for other prominent anime properties that had some commercial success.

Right now, Ore no Imouto and the Raildex series are getting sequels (yet another sequel in Raildex's case). And many anime shows less commercially successful than Haruhi have had four freakin' seasons. Four! It shouldn't be hard for people to see why Haruhi anime fans would be frustrated.

[NCP]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So just a month ago you're writing "KyoAni should stick to adaptations", and now you're saying "KyoAni should do anime originals"? What exactly changed your mind so completely on this?

Originally Posted by totoum

I'll be blunter than Triple_R here.

And I'll be even more blunt. Pocari Sweet is simply covering all his bases so that he can continue to criticize KyoAni no matter what they decide to do. You see, if they produce more original content, he can sit back and wait until it airs and say "Ha! Strike 3 for Kyoani! They should get some lessons from P.A. Works."

If they decide to produce an adaptation he can join the chorus and proclaim "What's wrong with those folks at Kyoani? Don't they have a single creative person on staff?"

And God forbid they produce a sequel to an already existing work. Then were gonna hear something like, "Man KyoAni is the most commercial studio in the entire industry. Look at those sellouts milking another franchise with a sequel."

A very typical "damned if they do, damned if they don't" kind of setup. And a setup that works quite well against KyoAni considering that they are a studio that has so many differing expectations placed upon them, if the discussions in this thread are anything to go by. Of course there could be some other reasonable explanation for these blatantly contradicting viewpoints, but I doubt it.

Thankfully, KyoAni's new project is being revealed in only a few days. At least then we can all start bashing KyoAni for the decision they are actually making rather than the ones we think they might make.

[ahelo]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Well, there's two things here.

I can get leokiko's position - "I didn't like Haruhi, so I don't want more of it."

Fine. That makes sense. I disagree, of course, but if I didn't like something, I wouldn't want more of it either.

But I always had the impression that Haruhi was one of KyoAni's better works in Pocari Sweat's opinion. And given that Pocari Sweat wasn't a huge fan of Tamako Market or Munto, I just don't get his position here. So that's one thing.

There's also...




Right, lol. Truth be told, I've largely given up on KyoAni making more Haruhi, but it still stings a bit when I feel like other anime fans are looking down on the show/its fans and thinking that Haruhi is not deserving of having more anime done for it.

This particularly annoys me given what's commonplace for other prominent anime properties that had some commercial success.

Right now, Ore no Imouto and the Raildex series are getting sequels (yet another sequel in Raildex's case). And many anime shows less commercially successful than Haruhi have had four freakin' seasons. Four! It shouldn't be hard for people to see why Haruhi anime fans would be frustrated.

Wait what, you've given up with Haruhi? It's only been 3-4 years since the movie came out so I highly doubt KyoAni gave up on it. I get why'd you be frustrated though but then again, do you want another studio handling Haruhi?

[Bri]

Originally Posted by totoum

I'll be blunter than Triple_R here.
Now imagine if I were to tell you this:
"HBO's already announced a new season of Game of Thrones?Man,that just screams milking,they should do something new instead,and anyway,there's always the novels for the fan of the show that want to know the rest"

Now I think you know how Triple_R feels when you tell him that about Harushi

I have strong doubts whether Martin and Tanigawa can complete their respective novel series before the two tv-series catch up . Both have suffered from serious writing blocks

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by ahelo

Wait what, you've given up with Haruhi? It's only been 3-4 years since the movie came out so I highly doubt KyoAni gave up on it. I get why'd you be frustrated though but then again, do you want another studio handling Haruhi?

KyoAni has been pretty clear about their new direction over the past year or so.

Consider the following:

1. Since the K-On! movie, KyoAni has not done any sequels. None. Since then, they have done Hyouka, Chuunibyou, Tamako Market, and will be starting a new LN adaptation later this year (I admittedly forget the name of it off-hand).

2. KyoAni could have had Little Busters if they wanted it. Instead, they let JC Staff have it. KyoAni effectively severed a very mutually beneficial relationship with Key.

3. This is the 10th anniversary of Haruhi. If KyoAni still held the property in high regard, I would think they'd want to do something to celebrate that 10th anniversary. But Haruhi doesn't even seem to be on the radar screen for KyoAni.


So KyoAni is clearly breaking from its traditional approach (all-adaptation, plenty of sequels/spin-offs, building up a few key brand properties) to adopt a new approach (some anime original work, focus on doing many new IPs, trying to 'grow the brand' outwards rather than build up a few key properties). It's a significant philosophical change in approach. And it's one that leaves me highly skeptical of ever seeing another Haruhi anime.

To be fair, I can even understand why KyoAni is taking this new approach. Perhaps they felt they had too many eggs in too few baskets. Perhaps they didn't want to become defined by older works. And there's certainly benefits to producing successful anime originals.

But as a big Haruhi fan, it's not what I'd most like to see, of course.

[ultimatemegax]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

KyoAni has been pretty clear about their new direction over the past year or so.

Consider the following:

1. Since the K-On! movie, KyoAni has not done any sequels. None. Since then, they have done Hyouka, Chuunibyou, Tamako Market, and will be starting a new LN adaptation later this year (I admittedly forget the name of it off-hand).

I'll raise an easy objection here. We have a sequel project (not determined yet) in Chuunibyou (it's not a re-airing, not an OVA, not new novels), so this point is false.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

2. KyoAni could have had Little Busters if they wanted it. Instead, they let JC Staff have it. KyoAni effectively severed a very mutually beneficial relationship with Key.

Another objection here. The production committee for all four KeyAni works was topped by TBS/Pony Canyon, who also topped the production committee for K-On! and the two original works, which were in production since 2010. If Key had waited, perhaps they could've convinced the committee to do it after seeing the reactions to Tamako, but Key wanted to rush it with another committee headed by Warner Home Video. I don't think you can say they "severed" the relationship here.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

3. This is the 10th anniversary of Haruhi. If KyoAni still held the property in high regard, I would think they'd want to do something to celebrate that 10th anniversary. But Haruhi doesn't even seem to be on the radar screen for KyoAni.

There's still more to go in the year (as mentioned on the special website), but yes it looks doubtful for Haruhi from KyoAni at the moment. That doesn't reflect on anything but a negative reaction to anime producer Ito from Kadokawa (his last credit on ANYTHING (including non-KyoAni works) was producer for Hyouka) so I think that's more to do with the lack of Haruhi anime than anything at the moment.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So KyoAni is clearly breaking from its traditional approach (all-adaptation, plenty of sequels/spin-offs, building up a few key brand properties) to adopt a new approach (some anime original work, focus on doing many new IPs, trying to 'grow the brand' outwards rather than build up a few key properties). It's a significant philosophical change in approach. And it's one that leaves me highly skeptical of ever seeing another Haruhi anime.

To be fair, I can even understand why KyoAni is taking this new approach. Perhaps they felt they had too many eggs in too few baskets. Perhaps they didn't want to become defined by older works. And there's certainly benefits to producing successful anime originals.

But as a big Haruhi fan, it's not what I'd most like to see, of course.

What seems to be happening is that we're seeing KyoAni grow yet again. Ten years ago, they moved from a studio who was subcontracted episodes/duties from other productions into a studio in charge of its own works. Now we're starting to see them move from a studio contracted to adapt other material into a studio who produces their own animation from scratch and is able to promote other avenues of entertainment in light novels (and eventually manga). It's not that they're going away from sequels, but rather it seems like they're going away from adaptations of other companies' work. As a fan of the studio (and a fellow Haruhi fan), it's exciting to see a studio grow to do more true original works as most companies are still doing adaptations for the most part.

[Guardian Enzo]

Speaking as someone who finds Haruhi arguably the most overrated anime ever and could care less if they ever make more, I have to agree that throwing all sequels under a blanket "milking" charge is quite silly. If there's source material to be adapted, it certainly isn't milking. With an original project, I think it depends on the circumstances.

totoum used the GoT example. I'll use another - what if I.G. said they were going to adapt the second book of the Moribito novel series? Would that be milking?

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by ultimatemegax

I'll raise an easy objection here. We have a sequel project (not determined yet) in Chuunibyou (it's not a re-airing, not an OVA, not new novels), so this point is false.

We know for sure that the new Chuuni project isn't just your standard issue single-episode OVA (those being all the rage in the anime world today)? If so, I guess I missed the announcement on that.