Animator Spotlight: Taichi Ishidate

All gifs in order
Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid (2005)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya (2006)
Kanon (2006)
Clannad (2007)
Clannad: After Story (2008)
K-On! (2009)
Hyouka (2012)
Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions! (2012)
Beyond the Boundary (2013) Presumed
Tamako Love Story (2014)
Beyond the Boundary: I’ll be Here - Future (2015)
Myriad Colors Phantom World (2016)
Violet Evergarden PV (2017)
Violet Evergreen: The Movie (2020)
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S (2021)
Tsurune - The Linking Shot (2023)

Happy Belated Birthday to Taichi Ishidate born December 20th Kyoto Animation’s resident action animator, and one of the more recent directors to the studio. Trained entirely in house by staff under the mentorship of Yoshiji Kigami and others, Ishidate had a strong affinity for animating effects and fight scenes. Though he is just as prolific at character acting he became one of the best in the studio next to Shinpei Sawa and Tatsuya Satou. Getting a start on Munto and Inuyasha Ishidate made a name for himself enveloping the screen in intense fight scenes while being equally adept at hilarious character acting. From there like most KyoAni animators he would become a part time key animator, episode director, and storyboard artist. As a director Ishidate focused on episodes with drama and like many of their projects there was sensible delegation of where he would best be placed in in a story. It was not until 2015, that Ishidate got to direct his first series Beyond the Boundary, and 2018 with his follow up, the sweeping and histrionic Violet Evergarden. Since the KyoAni Fire, Ishidate has been a creative at the forefront of getting the studio back on its feet, and helping foster in a new generation of in house talent and friendship for years to come.

Ishidate from a young age loved anime. He recalled having fond memories of watching Laputa (Castle in the Sky) so much to the point where the videotape had worn itself down. Once he grew up Ishidate started holding a personal belief that animation was for children, and so on did not put effort into wanting to work as an animator and instead do live action film. He was rejected from many tv shows, and movies for hire and instead looked at Kyoto Animation, where he could still work on films or shows just in the animated medium. One of the main reasons Ishidate joined was a manageable commute being from the Kansai region, and also opting out of an unknown Tokyo animation company during an interview.

Ishidate’s first project was on Munto in 2003

The debut series for director Yoshiji Kigami, Munto was a high powered fantasy action show with Kigami mentoring and teaching the new generation of the in-house staff. For years Kyoto Animation had been an outsourcing company since the 80s under the leadership of husband wife duo Hideaki Hatta (company president) and Yoko Hatta (vice president) (their respective roles have not changed to this day). Since the arrival of Kigami on Generator Gawl in the late 90s, the studio became a corporation since then now able to self fund their own projects without any outside influence or heavy pressure from investors. And due to their salaried work insurance instead of per cut insurance like virtually every other studio, they have had a healthy and balance work force focused on propping up young artists rather than valuing seniority, and auteurism. Munto is a bit of an exception since it is one of the studio’s only anime where the main director was the writer and creator of the project. At the time KyoAni also was not completely in-house with many key animators coming from the Korean production house Ani Village. Still the stars aligned with a lot of young talent with Ishidate, Futoshi Nishiya, Hiroyuki Takahashi, and Noriyuki Kitanohara making their KA debuts here. Satoshi Kadowaki was another young recruit, but he would not stay as long as the others.

For the remainder of the year into the next Ishidate and the other KyoAni staff got to show their animation prowess on Inuyasha

One of the last outsourced KA shows for the studio, here Ishidate got to really pull off some nice action. Shoko Ikeda one of the slightly older KyoAni animators was placed on AD for the studio’s episodes with some occasional help from Sunrise, Doga Kobo, and dozens of other outsourced companies. From the onset many of Ishidate’s attributes come down to diligent effects training by Kigami, much like him his effects have the same amount of personality as the characters themselves making for a bountiful array of tendril like smoke, fire, and liquid. There is also careful consideration into contrasting impact and pursuing the sense of weight and impact in detail without having to show all the nitty gritty details of an attack. KyoAni animators have rather insane drawings skills, so the high value of their fast paced action makes any thing you see them do look like the greatest thing of all time. Also matching that with good character acting is important too

This was exactly what I was going to do Is it really worth it?

After Ishidate worked on Fullmetal Panic! Fumoffu (Yasuhiro Takemoto’s solo directorial debut) and doing nice explosion effects on Air, it was time for the second season of Fullmetal Panic! The Second Raid

Takemoto’s second series, with composition by Shinji Gatoh it was time to ramp up the sprees of action and fighting on the acclaimed mecha series. Kigami and Ishidate were among the two outstanding action animators for the series, most notably taking precedence over Episode 4. The entire opening minutes is nearly all action with a trap sprung against the heroes, Kigami handles the first half, able to do insane acrobatic combat and weighty mecha action too, he likely had the same expectation for Ishidate who follows another bout of convincingly realistic mech on mech blasting(Ishidate was on sakugabooru.com/post/show/116641) the swerve and center of gravity in the robots is done so well with Ishidate having a fluid balance between that and his effects. Ishidate then handles a sword fight near the middle. The action direction is especially interesting here with Ishidate playing around with the timing. Ishidate takes risks relieving the action playing around with semi slow motion, and then bursting quickly on 1s or 2s. While the characters are jutting into their key poses there is build up and anticipation to the next hits on big hits to make the fast sweeps of the swords have better contrast. Episode 12 and 13 also have Ishidate on voluminous mecha fighting, however, Episode 8, was Ishidate’s first directing gig. A more dramatic episode with a brief fight in the middle Ishidate would opt for a more character centric lens going into the future. One thing to note in this episode about the fight is KyoAni action feels like it moves at light speed, not to say they dismiss anticipation or don’t stop, but it moves a lot faster and looks more cleaner since it focuses on everything you need to see and nothing you don’t.

The next year in 2006, had Ishidate working on possibly KyoAni’s most popular series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya

Directed by Tatsuya Ishihara Haruhi was one of the most well regarded show the studio had picked up based off of the popular light novel by Nagaru Tanigawa. Under Shoko Ikeda’s chief animation direction, and character designs the show was destined to be a hit with a blossoming staff that were starting to get along. Animators like Naoko Yamada, Tatsuya Satou, and Yusuke Matsuo started to come into their own, as well as another more controversial member, episode director Yutaka Yamamoto aka Yama-Kan. We will get to him a little later, for now it was time to dance with Ishidate. Ishidate was first placed on the ED doing his first of many dance animations, albeit somewhat short.

Ishidate start to 7 seconds, Kadowaki gets the famous dance bit.
For the remainder of the show Ishidate did the sudden spurts of action that seldom happened, with Ryoko vs Yuki

Ishidate 4:43-4:59, 5:10-5:14, 5:18-5:29
Fast paced fighting. There is a smart amount of camera blur placed into these scenes to make them more thrilling, but Ishidate’s crazy debris paired with smartly integrated cgi makes this fight between two deities be more intriguing and visually engaging. This scene was on Episode 10, which Ishidate directed and storyboarded too. In some instances like Kigami he would go uncredited for KA, but it is clear as day it is him here. He also boarded and directed Episode 7.

Later in Fall of 06, Ishidate joined Kanon

Once again directed by Ishihara, KyoAni kept the train rolling with moe and spurts of melodrama and occasionally action, the studio was going strong on another adaptation. Ishidate got placed on directing duties once again this time doing four episodes of the series. 2, 8, 14, and 20 were the episodes he directed, with 14 having a fantastic dance scene animated by his mentor Kigami, where he was working for him.

After Yama-Kan got fired on Lucky Star bringing Satoshi Kadowaki and Yusuke Matsuo along with him to go freelance, the studio lost a small portion of animators, but nothing too significant. Ishidate was involved on Lucky Star directing and storyboarding several episodes. In fall 2007, and 2008 Ishidate was a primary director on the series Clannad and Clannad: After Story

Now with brand new director Tatsuya Ishihara (JOKE), Clannad would be one of the last visual novel adaptations KyoAni would ever do. Believe it or not this was the series where Ishidate has the most confirmed credits of animation so that is saying something. Once again Ishidate was a director on a ton of episodes. For the first season of Clannad he got placed on the more heartfelt episodes, notably animating the baseball scene in Episode 20.

Ishidate 0:53-end
On After Story Ishidate got more roles with comedy scenes, first being the dad son scene in Episode 14 often regarded as the funniest scene in the show

Ishidate 0:24-0:36
That same episode he does a funny rap scene

Ishidate 0:46 to end?

He did the overtly animated scene where Sunohara gets kicked in Episode 2, and later in the season took on serious fight scenes. Not crazy over the top super powered scenes, but after school brawls. Ishidate heavily corrected the scenes, likely changing the original animators work all by himself

Ishidate 0:15-1:37, 1:41-2:17
One thing I find particularly interesting about this scene is the uncharacteristic and rare deformations you see in some of the character drawings here in shots like this.



Once a character is pushed to their limit Ishidate draws them as thin as paper to illustrate their form breaking apart trying to keep it together. These kind of deformations are not very common in KyoAni shows (at least in serious situations) only when the most unhinged thing could be happening. This case is unique.

Next year Naoko Yamada made her KyoAni directorial debut on K-On!

Another banger in the KyoAni arsenal, this show made an incredible splash on the anime scene. Adapting the manga by Kakifly, the show would start the coveted trend of a person or group of friends with a bit of niche occupation saving what they are passionate about, while also telling a bigger story about growing as an individual around that. This was the second gig for Yuriko Horiguchi on character designs, and chief animation direction, opting for the rag doll look of the manga, being completely different from the visual novel designs the studio had been known for up until then. Ishidate was once again a primary series director, this time doing seven episodes which is the most he had been credited for so far.

Ishidate’s most famous scene comes in on Episode 1 with Yui running to school

Ishidate 0:34-1:33
Boarded by Yamada it is a cute little display of Ishidate’s flexibility with Horiguchi’s designs, being more raggedy looking Ishidate can easily sneak in his little deformations without breaking up too much of the original form. My favorite cut is Yui bouncing at the train light.

He did some fun visual gags like Mio in a maid costume

Ishidate 0:12-23
In fact this scene was boarded by him

And did other cuts like on Episode 12 another sweet running scene with jubilees of fun timing in the animation, and a short cut on the Ending

Ishidate 1:21-1:30

Around the time in 2009, Kyoto Animation took a sizable risk, starting off their Kyoto Animation Awards. The contest is held for nominees to see the possible chance of light novels, manga, or scenarios getting adapted into anime. The results of several shows would come into the following years, with a handful of winning submissions.

2009, to 2010 had a myriad of different releases, Haruhi’s second season, a K-On! special, and of course The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. Ishidate was a director on Haruhi and heavily involved in the boarding process. 2010 saw the release of K-On!! the show’s second season

The more popular season, K-On!! had the team flesh out elements of the story, and improve on what made the first season so great. Ishidate wasn’t to involved on animation, presumably doing a scene with some of the cast in a batting cage

Ishidate 0:12-0:31 presumed

In 2011, the slice of life comedy Nichijou was released

Ishidate’s first role on series assistant director (also script duties for Episode 15) alongside Ishihara, he now had risen up to a potential opportunity for direction on a future series. That time was not now as Ishidate and co had to make up for the belly laughing and hysterical gags that the show provided. Debut character designs by Futoshi Nishiya, these simple somewhat crude designs were a bit of a standout in the studio’s catalogue not necessarily resembling anything that came before it like K-On! pushing the studio into a bit more unfamiliar territory. What was great about the designs and their slight crudeness was their ease of animation.

Ishidate’s first job was directing the first ED

A very cute star crossed ED in a childlike dream, Nao Naitou and Yamada were both principal animators here

Ishidate was director on Episode 2, the scene with Mio’s heavily memed hallway chase

Music is edited in
Mostly animated by Noriyuki Kitanohara in the dirty chase scene, one of his greatest sequences that even puts the best battle shonen action scenes to shame. The scene is covered in dirty sketch lines, very atypical for the studio, although with the simple style they were given the opportunity to do whatever they wanted.

Ishidate direction on ED 2 might be one of the best things the studio produced

A crazy layout for any animator to take on where the entire regional district where the story takes place is all shot in this god's eye like shot.

Ishidate’s last effort was on Episode 26, supposedly he animated the pumpkin hitting scene

Ishidate 0:13-0:31 hilarious

The next year or so had a decent amount of happenings with the studio, the K-On! movie came out, and so did Hyouka

OP directed by Ishidate
Based on the Classic Lit Club mystery books by Honobu Yonezawa, Hyouka was the second series for Yasuhiro Takemoto. Differentiating himself from Ishihara, and Yamada, Takemoto was able to take the incredibly dialogue heavy material and attempt to make it as interesting as he could through solid character development, visual gags, clandestine intrigue, and potential romance. Futoshi Nishiya was once on character designs, adapting Task Onda’s more human and tangible designs. Takemoto assigned Ishidate on the episodes where the mystery ramped up or closed out. Ishidate got to treat that on Episode 3, 17, and even closed the series out on 22.
For animation Ishidate is remembered for doing a breakdance sequence at the start of the Kanta Festival arc

Pouring with reference footage

An announcement was made in 2012 that Taichi Ishidate would get to direct his first series, being Beyond the Boundary one of the contest winners for the Kyoto Animation contest. [A teaser was released in the latter half of 2012

Animation by Chiyoko Ueno, Yamada, Satou, Naitou, Rie Sazaki, and Rika Ota

After doing effects KA on Chunibyo and directing an episode, he stepped up in a more full capacity on Tamako Market

Ishidate first four seconds
The second show from Yamada, Ishidate was placed on four episodes. Not too much of note here other than episode 7 has one of the best looking background animation shots ever so clean.

In fall of 2013, Taichi Ishidate’s directorial debut Beyond the Boundary (Japanese name Kyoukai no Kanata) was released

Ishidate 0:46-1:08 presumed
Adapted from Nagomu Torii’s writing and Tomoyo Kamoi’s illustrations, it was obvious that Ishidate’s first original series would be a supernatural action packed romp. Beyond the Boundary begins with story of Akihito Kanbara a high school student who one day is pitted with the reality that one of his classmates, Mirai Kuriyama, is going to commit suicide. When confronting her, Mirai pulls out a sword made from her blood and attempts to kill Akihito discovering that he is an immortal being, a mix of youmu and a human. Mirai being the last of her spirit clan set out with mission to kill the youmu, acquiesces and the two team up to defeat the youmu of the world while coming to terms with their dynamic and relationship during the series. Much like the devils in Chainsaw Man the youmu are a manifestation of human fears, and negative emotions though much more yokai like and somewhat abstract in their appearance.

The designs for the characters on the series were undertaken by Miku Kadowaki a younger animator than Ishidate getting her start on Lucky Star . Being solely a key animator, and animation director on the studio even into the present, Kadowaki’s designs are a bit more realized than the trailer designs, which were done originally by Tomoyo Kamoi with slight alterations, mainly making the characters look a tad older

Kadowaki was also the Chief Animation Director, where she was in a very unique position. The KyoAni animation school had been consistent at introducing a new string of graduates every few years or so, and in fact a majority of the graduates from the most recent program were animators on the series. Yuuko Myouken, Hidehiro Asama, Maruko Tatsunari, Ayaka Nakahama, and Sana Suzuki were among the list of new graduates placed on the show. Of course all of the old animators were there but an influx of new blood would be quite the rush for the older staff. With compositing of course by Rin Yamamoto on several episodes, and art direction by Mikiko Watanabe this show like any other KyoAni show would look good. Also sounded good too with music by Masumi Itou

A highlight of Beyond the Boundary is of course its action

Animation by Yoshiji Kigami near the back end, with potentially newer animators at the front
With creative creature designs assisting board scenarios, the action was able to stay fast paced yet detailed.

Much like other KyoAni action scenes, there seems to be an ongoing philosophy that action has to show every cool shot in quick spurts, and cutting out all the fat in-between. A pretty efficient way to animate and conserve cuts.

Ishidate for the most part was a director for the first and last episode, and AD likely consulting with the effects artists to make it look more like him. The last episode presumably has all his action and effects in their glory.

Perhaps the show’s most famous bit of animation is the hilarious and out of nowhere idol dance scene in Episode 6, where the group attempts to beat a youmu through dancing. The whole sequence was so good it got a full video in the recap movie

Directed and storyboarded by Taichi Ogawa and animated by Shinpei Sawa and Kohei Okamura it is a near flawless, even accused of rotoscope part that is perhaps even too good for this show. This also lead to a little chibi OVA just focused on the idol stuff

After Beyond the Boundary ended Ishidate did a little animation on Chunibyo and then animated on Tamako Love Story

Yamada’s second movie, after the K-On film, Love Story takes up a short arc from the original Tamako Market and expands on it in a 1 hour and 30 minute film. Ishidate was a key animator on the film, and animated the hilarious cut of Kanna nearly slipping

After doing KA and direction on Free!, and Amagi Brilliant Park, Ishidate directed not one, but two Beyond the Boundary films I’ll be Here - Past and I’ll Be Here - Future


Released in March and April of 2015, Ishidate was ambitious in his rapport. Past is basically a recap film with some new animation, and Future takes place after the series with an original story. In this story Mirai and Akihito are pursued by an evil youmu possessing the bodies of their friends, and loved ones, able to shift shape at will. Once it takes possession of Mirai, it becomes imbued with her learning of her clan’s fate, and leading to the destruction of the surviving spirit warriors. The entity is stopped, and the cast and Mirai and Akihito’s lives go on. Filled to the brim with non stop action, Ishidate gently asserts his power over the animators demanding the most abundant effects and set pieces. The chase with the hooded figure is very impressive with Ishidate and others doing fast paced KyoAni action. Yoshiji Kigami perhaps does one of his best sequences in the movie doing 1 minute and 30 seconds of effects animation, the culmination of nearly 35 years of experience, and through animation saying “I am the best animator at the studio”. All hail King Kigami.

The rest of 2015 wasn’t too crazy for Ishidate, until 2016 where he got some work on Myriad Colors Phantom World

Ishidate got to be on the effects heavy action portions, and he directed two episodes.

Rewinding back a bit to 2014, a little known lite novel called Violet Evergarden swept the Kyoto Animation Awards, winning best manga, novel, and scenarios categories. Ishidate was placed on the task of direction, with animator Haruka Fujita on series direction, and the first visual teaser for the show was released in 2016.

A preview with better animation than an entire season of most anime, this beautiful visualizer encapsulates so much of what happens in the actual show without spoiling anything. A vetted staff of animators handled these cuts with Kigami’s second cut having genga, and non vectorized patterns on Violet’s dress

so goddamn beautiful

A second trailer came out in 2017, this time with Ishidate laying on more effects by himself