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The List - My 5 Favorite Anime Works by Kyoto Animation


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scowler



Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 92
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 6:42 pm Reply with quote
1. A Silent Voice
2. Hyouka
3. Violet Evergarden
4. Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (if you subtract out the Endless Eight)
5. Air
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12Zwolf12



Joined: 18 Jul 2019
Posts: 36
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:11 pm Reply with quote
For me the list is entirely different, but that just speaks to the power KyoAni and their works have on any individual.
1. Haruhi takes my number one spot, not because of the nearly perfect show alone, but because the movie is one of the best movies ever created (not just in anime).

If we count single movies Liz and the Bluebird comes closest to the Haruhi movie and is one of the most delicate movies ever brought into cinemas. The soundscape alone is something other productions can only dream of achieving.

2. Hyouka is just brilliant. There are people that don't value it as high, but most of those people seem to miss the small character moments that are so subtle and fitting and make me like it even more.

3. Violet Evergarden wasn't valued as highly after my first watch, because it doesn't allow the viewer to see the progress while it happens as much as I wish it did, but regardless, this is the prime example for a show, on how much impact single contained 1 episode stories can have. (Episode 10 is probably one of the best Episodes of Anime ever created.)

4. Lucky Star was to weird for me as an anime beginner, but I fell in love with it later down the line. The references are glorious and how they created dialogue of the most mundane scenes to be as captivating as the climax of another show is simply mind blowing.

5. I want to give this place to FMP 2nd Raid, because this is the most unlike KyoAni show that they ever made and it was an amazing watch. Dark and gritty, with brutal fight scenes and the entry way into the real FMP story introducing the true villains (after all the build up before), while also showing for the first time why the main heroine is indeed the main heroine instead of just a comic relieve straight man was simply amazing.

Honorable mentions go out to the Eupho franchise, Tamako Market, Clannad, Dragon Maid, K-on and as a special shout out to Munto the often overlooked unique piece of empowerment of love and the frail but oh so powerful lead in her own way lead.


Last edited by 12Zwolf12 on Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4064
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:13 pm Reply with quote
Only five when I have an entire shelf dedicated to their work.
1 Kanon
2 Nichijou
3 Haruhi Suzumiya series
3 A Silent Voice
3 Air the TV
4 K-On
5 Love Chuuniyubo and Other Delusions.

That's a five, I'm not shortening it. I keep trying to express my feelings over this very horrible mass murder and the best I can manage is a vague but very large sense of loss. I didn't know these people but I knew, know their work and through it I got a sense of their humanity.
It will take years to fully assess what was lost that day.
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Takkun4343



Joined: 19 Jul 2007
Posts: 1491
Location: Englewood, Ohio
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:15 pm Reply with quote
...You listed six.

As with me and KyoAni, I've only watched five of their works in full: both seasons of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, season one of Clannad, and Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu!. The first three are an awesome franchise - I was more prepared for Endless Eight than I was for Disappearance's two hour-plus runtime - I don't remember much of Clannad but I remember liking it, and while Fumoffu had its moments, it didn't jive with me as well as the first FMP I saw before it. That "thank you for watching" card at the end of the final episode where Sosuke was confronted by a bunch of angry students wielding various weapons and looking downright scared of them pissed me off like you wouldn't believe.

I saw four episodes each of Air and Lucky Star but never pursued them further - though I do plan on catching up with them eventually - and I wasn't really motivated to go past episode 2 of After Story, though I'll probably finish it one day too. I've also got FMP: The Second Raid on my backlog, unwatched after over a decade since I put it there.

I haven't watched any KyoAni works since 2015 when I got two episodes into a rewatch of Haruhi while on vacation, and my inner anime staff nerd is usually more concerned with the interconnected network of creators and assistants outside of the "outsource from no one, outsource to no one" mentality they developed once they found the footing to produce their own content, so when I first heard news of the events, it didn't have as large an impact on me as it had on those who have seen more of KyoAni's works, or those who've seen their most recent stuff. But don't think that my subdued in comparison response is equal to apathy. What happened was a tragedy, no question, and I wish the best for KyoAni, its surviving staff, and the families of the victims.

For what it's worth, I'll be paying tribute by watching Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions sometime later this year. Hopefully sooner rather than later, but it'll definitely get watched, even if I start it in 2020.
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Northlander



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 900
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:48 pm Reply with quote
I have a bit of a mercurial relationship with my liking for the works of Kyoto Animation, but I won't argue against the fact that they're an immensely talented animation house. So... here are my current favorites, although it bears mentioning that I haven't really seen all that much of their works.

1. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid - Kyoto animation generally does comedy very well, and this is the show I will eventually watch again in honor of this animation house and the tragedy it went through. I have absolutely nothing to pick at when it comes to this show; I simply just adore it with every bit of my being.

2. Kanon (2006) - This is most likely the first ever KyoAni show I ever watched, and the one thing that caught my eye... aside from the hilarious female character designs... were the really well made winter landscapes that made up the town in which this show took place.

3. Full Metal Panic: FUMOFFU - Full Metal Panic was a great show, but I remember just liking all the craziness that went on between the serious bits, and wouldn't you know it: here is a full show with nothing but that

4. Free - I checked this out mostly out of curiosity, and then just went and watched the rest of the first season, because... honestly, it's a decently fun show, and I had a good chuckle at its thinly veiled homoeroticism and general doofiness. It also has the most obnoxious character voice I've ever heard in any anime bar none. I only watched the first season, though, partially because from what I heard, it gets considerably angstier in the second season.

5. Lucky Star - Yeah, this show is dated by today's standards, but it's also one of the few that I personally think deserves to flaunt the "it gets better" excuse. First watched it on Crunchy, and while it had a rather slow start -- to put it mildly -- there was still a weird charm to this one that I rather enjoyed.

6. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! - This one might be considered a more modernized Kanon/Clannad by dint of being a fairly straight-laced romance between the lead guy and the weirdest girl on the block. It was cute, it was fun and I think I'll refrain from watching any further seasons here too, since, from what I hear, they don't really improve on anything.

So yeah.


Last edited by Northlander on Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
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zrdb





PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:49 pm Reply with quote
Crazy not-so-nice-people are a world wide phenomenon but why burn an anime studio down with all the totally innocent people inside? I wonder if this is the end for Kyoto Animation or will they try to rise from the ashes? I really hope so because without them there will be a giant sucking hole in anime for a long time.
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7jaws7



Joined: 17 Aug 2013
Posts: 704
Location: New York State
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 8:22 pm Reply with quote
List of my favorite anime from my favorite studio:

1. A Silent Voice
2. Violet Evergarden
3. Sound! Euphonium
4. Haruhi
5. Clannad After Story

Honorable mentions go to Dragon Maid, Hyouka, K-On!, and Air. I hope this isn’t the end for KyoAni, but even if it is, they will never stop being my favorites no matter what.
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killjoy_the



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 2451
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 8:34 pm Reply with quote
Clannad had the privilege of being my first anime so it's almost unfair for me to have it as my best-of-all-time. I know there are aspects of I don't even like - several of the arcs, even in After Story were pretty boring or just too exaggerated - but the parts that hit just hit so well that they compensate and go much further beyond. Of special note I'd say the music is just some of the best in anime period. It got me into anime as a whole, and given how much of an interest that is in my life at the moment, it's the most important anime I've ever watched.

Hyouka was something I had heard about and had very little expectations with everyone around me telling me it was boring. Instead I found some of my favorite characters in all this medium, with absolutely engaging arcs and thoughts. I've read the novels and they're amazing in their own right, but the anime's direction did an absolute killer job getting me invested in the people.

My next favorites didn't have as much of an impact on me but are still great works by most measures - Disappearance is an amazing film in its own right making a grand spectacle of the novel. Euphonium has an absolutely charming cast of characters and an attention to detail that feels like has only ever been topped by KyoAni themselves, and Tamako Love Story removed the damn bird and focused on the good things about the show, and is probably one of my favorite romances ever.

KyoAni anime were the kind of shows I would always watch, regardless of premise. I knew that they could make anything into something special, and while not all of them were hits with me, they always had an overflowing sense of personality. I really, really hope that this tragedy is something that'll never happen again to any other kind of studio, any other kind of business, anyone person, and that the people who have survived this ordeal are able to keep living and expressing themselves the best way they can, even if it's not in anime anymore.
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vanfanel



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 1239
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 8:58 pm Reply with quote
I haven't actually seen many of KyoAni's works. I was never into the whole moe/cute-girls-doing-random-stuff thing, and had it in my mind that that was kind of their wheelhouse, so in spite of their reputation for quality, I didn't seek their works out.

That said, I did get into Hyouka during its TV run in Japan, and absolutely loved it. The studio's craftsmanship and attention to detail were as amazing as I'd heard. They put commercials for their studio in the breaks, and some of those were gorgeous.

I've heard that KyoAni also sought to be a animator-friendly alternative to the cheapskate Tokyo anime industry, and that is certainly to be lauded. I hope and pray the studio can someday recover from this absolutely senseless act.

PS: stopped reading the article at the F-bomb.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11288
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:02 pm Reply with quote
Can someone tell me what the 11 sec video at the top is? When I click it on Firefox it disappears, and on Safari it's just a blank screen for 11 seconds. Am I missing something profound or is it just a glitch? Also the Nichijou image doesn't seem to be a gif, at least not an animated one.

Clannad/After Story are probably the KyoAni titles that destroy me on every viewing, especially AS. Kinda how I've felt the last few days.

A Silent Voice was a marvelous adaptation, though it emphasized some of the few parts I had issue with in the manga. Will be rewatching to remind me of the voices silenced.

Free! was a delight across the board, fujoshi-baiting and all, just because it was so in your face while maintaining plausible deniability and without a cynical bone in its body. "Moi? BL? Non, non, non. ::heh::" It was just fun to watch them so deftly walk that tightrope to please everyone. Unfortunately they lost sight of the story in the sequels trying to give equal time to all the dozens of characters and doing none of them justice. I just hope the work done on the 2020 movie was in Tokyo, because the box office from that will help them get back on their feet financially, and they wouldn't have to spend money reproducing lost work (and I'd really hate to be an animator tasked with recreating the art of a lost colleague).

Hyouka doesn't get the attention it deserves, even by me. I keep wanting to watch it again, but never find the time.

FMP? Fumoffu and 2nd Raid are not the type of offerings you'd expect from KyoAni, but they did not disappoint. These two also couldn't be much more different from each other.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5400
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:42 pm Reply with quote
1. Kanon - I really like its characters, the atmosphere, and the conclusion is very powerful.

2. Chuunibyou - This romantic comedy is entertaining, sweet and poignant.

3. Hyouka - This masterfully crafted show offers a unique take on the high school anime genre.

4. Sound! Euphonium - I think this show has the best character writing of all KyoAni anime.

5. Haruhi Suzumiya - Even with its ups and downs this franchises continues to appeal to me.


I hope for the best for the survivors and the relatives and friends of the victims. I selfishly want to see Kyoto Animation rise up and continue to be the gold standard of Japanese animation. But whatever the studio decides to do I will support them.
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joeydoa



Joined: 30 Dec 2014
Posts: 121
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:52 pm Reply with quote
I love most of Kyoto Animations works - as the article is a top five - I'll adhere to that although I'll have to be leaving out Clannad and Clannad After Story (even though I watched it twice and played through the visual novel); as well as Tamako Market, Sound Euphonium, and Amagi Brilliant Park. Kanon almost made my top five:
Quote:
The original adaptation isn't really looked back on fondly anymore but Ayu's story really got to me.
I haven't seen the Toei adaption but I absolutely loved the Kyoani adaption, especially the ED song. Ayu's arc is heart-rendering. The one Kyoani show haven't seen an episode of is Free!. I'll have to check it out one of these days.


1. K-On - one of my favorite if not favorite anime series of all time, I still rewatch episodes a couple times a week.

2. Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi - Another one I'll watch a few episodes a month even after seeing the entire series several times; The Endless Eight is an endurance test and a work of brilliance. Both this series and K-on share fantastic music - in fact the album Imaginary ENOZ featuring HARUHI is one of my favorite rock albums.

3. A Silent Voice - Out of the thousands of movies I've seen - this one found a place in my top ten. A fantastic meditation on alienation, bullying, suicide and anxiety in a teenage milieu.

4. Hyouka - a fantastic slice of life mystery - the first four novels are adapted for the 22 episode series, there are two more - enough for a new cour - one can only hope.

5. Love, Chuunibyou and other Delusions - the first season is absolutely fantastic, especially the tsundere between Dekomori and Nibutani.
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zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3767
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:15 pm Reply with quote
1. A Silent Voice - A great film by a very talented director (and staff). The way Shoko spoke reminded me of my late grandmother, who was deaf, though that wasn't the only reason the film spoke to me.

2. Sound Euphonium (including Liz and the Blue Bird) - As someone who was in the band up through high school and played euphonium for 3 out of 4 years of high school, this show really connected with me, and this was the show that made KyoAni my favorite studio. If I were to rank the parts separately, I'd definitely put Liz and the Bluebird on top, which was a really evocative movie and second only to my top pick, and it is no coincidence that this too is a Naoko Yamada work. I'd like to watch the Chikai no Finale again before ranking it, not least because the screening I went to was...not great to say the least (much of the theater marched over to guest services afterwards). I did really connect with the part where they discuss the relative unpopularity of the euphonium, as in high school much of our section was comprised of people pulled off other instruments, including myself.

3. Dragon Maid - a really great comedy with a lot of heart and some great animation. While it hadn't topped the season for me when it aired, my affection grew over time and it became one of my favorite of its year and of course one of my favorite of the studio's.

4. Violet Evergarden - Possibly the most beautifully crafted TV anime I've seen. It didn't rank higher as it hasn't stuck with me as much as Dragon Maid or Euphonium.

5. Nichijou - Another great comedy which makes great use of their great animation. I have the Bluray coming soon so I can actually own more of their series (adding to the aforementioned A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird, and Dragon Maid, as well as my previous number 5 Hyouka, Chu2koi Take On Me, and the K-On! movie that I already own).
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Chrono1000





PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:25 pm Reply with quote
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, A Silent Voice, Lucky Star, K-On!, and Tamako Market. A Silent Voice was one of the best anime movies I have seen and it covered the subject of bullying with both accuracy and consideration.
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Heishi



Joined: 06 Mar 2016
Posts: 1311
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:23 pm Reply with quote
I enjoyed most of KyoAni's work.
Exceptions include, Kobayashi, K On, and Lucky Star.
Love Chunibyo & other Delusions, I liked despite the really pointless Dekomori and Nibutani scenes.
Clannad, I also liked, despite a few certain characters who got on my nerves.
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