Kyoto Animation



Kyoto Animation is an anime studio responsible for many popular anime series and adaptations of three Key Visual Arts visual novels: AIR, Kanon, and Clannad (although these were all also separately adapted by Toei Animation). Held in high regard for their usually good animation quality, as well as almost disturbingly realistic backgrounds and the generous use of little touches to spice up the character animation. They also know how to tug at viewers' heartstrings, and never let go. Their shows tend to be huge commercial successes, with Haruhi Suzumiya, Lucky Star, and K-On! leading the pack so far.

In 2007, the firing of Yutaka Yamamoto led to lots of people resigning after Lucky Star's original run and creating another studio called Ordet, who made the Black★Rock Shooter anime. But that's another story.

Kyoto Animation is distinguished from other studios for its preferential treatment of employees. Like Studio Ghibli, they pay their employees salaries instead of hiring part time employees and paying them on a piecework basis. Salaries at the studio are usually double of the rest of the industry. A visit to the company's website shows you full time employees earn 202,000 yen ($1549.74 USD) a month, along with commuting allowance and social benefits. While that's not a lot, it's a step in the right direction. Compare that to other studios, where animators are paid per drawing at around 200 yen ($1.53 USD), leading to a monthly salary of 107,833 yen ($827.29 USD) (source: kotaku.com). Employees with children are entitled to childcare leave, reduced working hours, and the ability to work from home. They shut down their studio in the evening, and does not allow their employees to stay up late, making their employees less stressed. All of this is intended to improve the quality of their work, and it shows in the high-quality and detailed animation in the studio's series and films.

In what was one of the deadliest massacres since World War II, Studio one of Kyoto Animation was set on fire on the 18th of July 2019, killing thirty-three people and injuring three dozen by the time the fire was extinguished. This delayed projects like Violet Evergarden: The Movie as the studio dealt with the impact of the incident. Around $30 million was raised to help the studio rebuild. By 2022, the studio has largely recovered from the incident, resuming anime production with new talent.

For a greater overview of their complete body of work (they've been around since 1981) see this entry on ANN..


 * Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (2003)
 * AIR (2005)
 * Full Metal Panic!!: The Second Raid (2005)
 * The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006) (2009)
 * Kanon (2006-2007)
 * Lucky Star (2007)
 * Clannad (2007-2008)
 * Cannad After Story (2008-2009)
 * Munto: Sora o Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai (2009)
 * K-On! (2009)
 * K-On!! (2010)
 * Nichijou (2011)
 * Hyouka (2012)
 * Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (2017 - 2022)
 * Violet Evergarden (2018)


 * Munto: Tenjoubito to Akutobito Saigo no Tatakai (April 18, 2009)
 * The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (February 6, 2010)
 * K-On! (December 3, 2011)
 * Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (2019)
 * Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

They have also provided artwork for a small handful of video games, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters.

Future projects include:


 * Chuu-ni Byou Demo Koi ga Shitai! — TV series based on a romance novel by Torako that was one of the honorable mentions in the novel category of the first Kyoto Animation Awards. It's currently "in the works."

No, they didn't make the Little Busters! anime.