In 2018, Ishidate’s magnum opus Violet Evergarden was released

Ishidate 0:24-28, 0:46-0:50, 1:17-1:20
One of the most beautiful looking tv anime series, Evergarden was made with longing and passion. Written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase, the story focuses on a vaguely early 20th century post war European style world. The character of Violet after being wounded in one of her final battles, now possesses steampunk metal arms, and wants to know if her commander Gilbert Bougainvillea is alive. Not knowing of the exact situation from his close friend Claudia Hodgins, she is swept into a new residency and takes up the mantle of an Auto Memory Doll, a female division of a local postal service that writes letters for citizens when they cannot put what they want to say on paper. Through this experience Violet learns the peaks and valleys of human emotions, possibly uncovering what happened to her superior officer, and from his final words discover the meaning of the phrase “I love you”

Firstly let’s get to the character designs. After making her KA debut several years prior on Tamako Market, and working closely with Akatsuki on the manga it was only right to have the illustrator of the actual original lite novel to make the designs for the tv series. Takase is somewhat of a rare case in KyoAni’s history, being a prodigy that went from key animator and manga artist into a CAD, and CD in four years. The first and only person to have that meteoric rise, it was the right decision as every single character on the show is dripping in her incomprehensible penmanship.


I can just imagine the rest of the animators looking at these sheets and saying, “wait we have to make this move?”, but that’s the best part. This is KyoAni.

One person that is deserving of serious praise, is Yui Ishikawa the voice of Violet. Her flat and emotionless delivery is a perfect pairing, and I love that in more emotional moments Ishidate is able to get the goldmines of grit out of her voice in ways that I haven’t heard before. The switch is effortless, without feeling unnatural. Same VA as Mikasa from AoT

Practically everything about the series is stunning, and it’s all due to a combination of background art, compositing, and animation direction. Firstly background art, courtesy of Mikiko Watanabe who all of a sudden turned into Kazuo Oga and Makoto Shinkai combined, which again is very stunning for a tv anime. Also Evan Call’s music excels these scenes

The second is the pure amount of detail put into the little things. They mostly have to with Violet, showing off her busy hair design, and her steampunk prosthetic arms.




in the genga you can see how much time they spent on this. There are other things, like bikes, vehicles, and lampposts that look like they were spent a painstaking amount of time on.

Takase is a god

The more interesting portion of the designs is the old typewriters they used, which surprisingly are entirely cgi

This video details how they managed to seamlessly integrate the 3D and 2D animation together.

Thirdly just very strong boards in each episode. I was so impressed with the amount of boarding and sheer power of awe the episodes were able to instill. The parasol scene comes into mind.

Directed and boarded by Takuya Yakamura and animation done by Tatsuya Satou, the scene relies the universally sad tragedy of losing a child, and using the best of your imagination to honor their memories. Violet’s actions helping others come to terms with their struggles is a running narrative throughout the story and this is one of the strongest examples

Another very powerful scene is the reality of losing a parent and for someone like a child dealing with the wall of pain that comes with that, and unable to understand what is happening

The back end of this scene with Violet and Anne is really well done, animated of course by Yoshiji Kigami.

While everything here is great, one minor nitpick to make in particular is the compositing. Normally its very good, but Episode 9 (and this problem in lies with the flashback scene only) is that so much atmospheric haze is applied that is hard to make out exactly what is happening

This is slightly lower quality then what is presented in the episode, but even if you watched the episode it would still be retained.

When the series was over Violet Evergarden was a massive success both commercially, but also critically getting a myriad of nominations for Anime Awards, winning best animation at the third CrunchyRoll awards, and IGN awards.

In the makings of Evergarden’s success, a thirty minute special was released the same year.

Taking place slightly after the original series, Violet is tasked yet again with writing a letter, this time for an opera singer to her husband who is away. It goes through the typical fashion of Violet struggling to ascertain the feelings of emotions in the letter, and the romantic literature so much so to the point where she nearly gives up, and hilariously stands in a corner.

The episode of course is filled to the brim with beautiful animation, and was surprisingly one of the more comedic parts of the series. I am struggling to figure out why it wasn’t a part of it as it would have fit in perfectly. Perhaps there was too much story to be told. Much like Hyouka Episode 11 it turned out the opera singer had anterior motives with the letter and in a simple twist was trying to get Violet to write lyrics for her next play she would be in. Violet is not too shocked by the revelation, and gives in to help her out. The final song is an entrancing ballad meant to move every woman, and touch the heart of every man.

Some slightly abstract lyrics that I am not fully convinced Violet could deconstruct literally or metaphorically, but still good.

On the morning of July 18th, 2019 one of the worst possible tragedies in animation, and Japan in general had struck KyoAni, as their head Studio One was mercilessly burned by a crazed arsonist

One of the deadliest massacres in Japan in nearly half a century, and one of the only successful massacres carried out on an entertainment company, the attack was perpetrated by Shinji Aoba, a former KyoAni contest submitter who believed the studio had plagiarized his work taking out his perceived ‘revenge’ on the company that ‘wronged him’. This fire took the lives of 36 KyoAni employees and injuring 34 others. Of the list of victims, many of the core staff had been killed; Yatsuhiro Takemoto and Futoshi Nishiya were among the veteran staff that had lost their life. Art director Mikiko Watanabe and production member Keisuke Yokota, and even incredibly young animation staff like Yuki Omura and Yuka Kasama who both had not even been credited on a KyoAni project yet. While the lives of these animators all meant volumes for the world of animation, perhaps the most personal death in the eyes of Ishidate was the death of his elder mentors Yoshiji Kigami and Shoko Ikeda. Two of the senior pillars of the animation department, and the people that had helped foster the community of not just animators but friends over the years.

The tragedy rippled through the world of anime, with a number of other animation studios offering their support, and the condolences of several voice actors, mangakas, composers, and production companies. An outpouring of donations went to the company, with domestic and international donations rose up to 30.27 million dollars, a special measure passed by the National Diet made these donations tax exempt. President Hideaki Hatta, also insisted that a majority of the donations went directly to the victim’s families.

Trying to get back on their feet, many production materials were destroyed in the fire, with some digital assets and drawings being recovered in nearly destroyed studio servers. The surviving staff including Ishidate, Yamada, Takase, and dozens of others all returned to KyoAni’s Studio 2 building. The total staff had gone down from 176 employees to 137, with a total 33 victims coming out of the hospitals to work. Some had taken breaks due to the shell shock the event had placed upon them. With several projects delayed due to the fire, the studio had gotten back to work on their next projects. Finishing where they had left off.

“Continuing to create anime in the same way, we always have, is the greatest counterattack to what the arsonist did.”

This month, prosecutors of the arsonist Shinji Aoba announced that they would be seeking the death penalty.

Nothing after the massacre would be the same for KyoAni, but they dedicated every single ounce of work they did from here on out into the dedication and memorial of their former employees. The first project released was Haruka Fujita’s Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll released August 3rd of 2019 in Germany, and September 6th in Japan

An 1 hour and 30 minute film, taking place 3 years after the original series, the surviving members absolutely knock it out of the park with this stunning addition to the Violet Evergarden world. Completed just a day before the arsonist attack, this was the biggest outpouring of passion made imaginable. The first visibly notable change made from the tv show is the use of a 2:31 widescreen aspect ratio used for a wider depth of field, and outside of that very minor changes. Eternity is centered around Violet assisting a young student Isabella York who is failing at her boarding school where women are taught to be debutante’s. Violet helps assist Isabella being her mentor, while also learning the backstory of how she was tragically separated from her adopted sister, whom she took in when she was working in a small rundown town. The first half focuses on the relationship between Violet and Isabella, and the second half has Violet come into contact with the adopted sister and her being very young comes to work for the postal service. Violet is able to reflect on one of her past relationships through their separations, and the film shows how she has grown when it comes to understanding emotions.

Haruka Fujita and the rest of the traveled to Germany for location scouting, and in their journey came back with stunning background art reflecting the scenic and montainous countryside.


Some interior shots and of the school were also very well done
i.imgur.com/umuXobP.jpg

Fujita reflected on the buildings
“I was so grateful that we were able to have real-life locations to base our work on. Compared to Japan, especially the more modern parts, it’s simply a different world; the animals are different, the doors are larger than you could imagine, the ceilings are high, and the walls are thick… though I was surprised at how tight the inside of the castle we used as a reference for the girls’ school felt. It looked quite large from the outside! That was a discovery I wouldn’t have made if we hadn’t actually visited it. The doors were so large that you couldn’t use them normally as doors; the door itself had a smaller door in it for that reason. As I was scouting it, I thought things like “why would they make that kind of door?”

Plus the sensational boarding throughout, Fujita’s wonderful spatial awareness gives so much impact in the images.

“Much like Violet Evergarden‘s TV series, this side story Eternity and the Auto Memories Doll is a tale about people so wrapped up in their own emotions that they can’t progress in their everyday life. Violet treats them kindly and they are able to move forward once again. In this film, there are people who resent change in an evolving world, those who cling to unwavering feelings even as their environment changes, and even individuals who stand as still as their surroundings, wishing others happiness instead. I wanted to depict those people, each living with different thoughts and feelings in their hearts, all with perspectives of their own. This work features people coming to the realization that they kept warm emotions towards others in their past, and that they still hold those moments dear even as their hearts may change over time. Since I’ve also planned some links between this film and the upcoming Violet Evergarden sequel movie, it’d make me happy if you watched this and carried those feelings over to the next film.” - this interview was done two days before the arson attack

After posthumously releasing Yoshiji Kigami’s Baja Studio short, KyoAni’s sole release in 2020 was Violet Evergarden: The Movie in September

It all ends here. With a majority of materials posthumously credited, and a heavily shortened team, Ishidate and company powered through putting out a 2 hour and 30 minute swan song to the franchise Akatsuki and Takase started nearly 5 years prior from that point on. Retaining the same aspect ratio carried over by Fujita, Ishidate’s direction feels much more personal and close up than what Fujita had done prior. Taking place several years after Eternity, the film actually starts in the future with the granddaughter of Anne Magnolia from Episode 9 of the series. Through the framing device Daisy wants to learn the story of how Violet quit the postal service and lived the rest of her life on a small island. The closing chapters of Violet’s life as a doll revolve around that Gilbert, her commanding officer could be alive. Throughout this tale within several days she comes to terms Claudia, leaves a promise with a dying child, and sees how nothing matter more than finding Gilbert.

It is a miracle the film was released in the condition it was. While feeling some of its runtime the movie is still made up with its gorgeous boarding, stunning backgrounds, breathtaking detailed animation, and a hurricane of emotions from the voice actors.



The movie feels like an unbelievable powerhouse of KyoAni’s beauty and care put into these kinds of stories, and Ishidate places so much visual power into everything. Akio Takase’s CAD has been the glue that has held the nature of movement together in the the series’s brief two year timespan, where so much is packed in such a short amount of time. The production was more around five years, but everything came to a head and her efforts are to be applauded. Tatsunari Maruko and Yuuto Myouken were among the two posthumously credited AD’s working on the film before the arson attack, and their work is irreplaceable. The same can be said to the rest of the deceased staff that sadly did not get to witness their work. Aside from animation, Rin Yamamoto puts his all into the compositing making every shot look as beautiful as the last, and Evan Call’s music is heartbreaking, and trudges through the whirlwind of feelings felt through the characters.

While the film isn’t perfect in some regards overstaying its welcome at points, and getting somewhat too caught up in conveying some unnecessary backstory, some moments are tragic enough to move anyone to tears, its unfortunate it remains somewhat out of the main story. Regardless of my gripes with the storytelling, Takase, Ishidate, the voice actors, and musicians do everything to empower this ending. Ishidate, despite never animating on the original series run of episodes fittingly does the last shot of the film, and the last shot of the franchise.

After Takase, and several others left the studio, likely to distance themselves from the tragedy, Ishidate remained being a pivotal component of the senior staff. The next year, Kyoto Animation returned with Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S in the summer, with the studio’s mainstay director Tatsuya Ishihara taking over the deceased Yasuhiro Takemoto’s position. He is posthumously credited as series director in the credits of each episode.

A boisterous and uplifting comeback, Ishihara’s Dragon Maid S takes advantage of the slice of life fan service haven that Takemoto and series mangaka Coolkyousinniya did, and adds more excitement to everything. Insane action, great character interactions, and surprisingly deep moments, Dragon Maid S ventures further into the series and makes for an extra fun watch. You instantly get that feeling with the first OP where Ishidate participated in key animation

Ishidate 0:21-0:28, 0:32-0:38, 0:43-0:46, 0:51-1:19 Ishidate and Yoshinori Urata
A God mode Ishidate OP, Ishihara’s spontaneous and brightly colored OP perfectly helps with someone like him involved. What is so great about Ishidate’s cuts and the OP in general is it is a mishmash of the studio’s strongest strengths; malleable usage of fan service, gorgeous landscape shots, value over the characters feelings, and animation that is too good to be true.

After helping on Eisaku Kawanami’s Free! movies, Ishidate was back at the key animation position on Tsurune’s second season The Linking Shot released in the winter season of this year

Ishidate start to 0:17, presumed
Directed by Yakuya Namamura, his direction much like Ishidate’s own on Evergarden is placed in the patience of beauty and gorgeous shots, with Namamura, CAD Nobuaki Maruki, and compositing director Rin Yamamoto working together like a well oiled machine. Ishidate was placed on Episode 1 where all of these elements come into fruition perfectly. So much tension and brilliant storyboards are found in the opening of this episode, which in itself lays out events that will take place later in the season. Ishidate appears sporadically throughout the show, taking on long character acting scenes, and the stunning archery sections near the backend

While it hasn’t been confirmed there is no doubt that Ishidate is going to be a supporting staff member in some capacity on Sound! Euphonium Season 3

Taichi Ishidate is an invaluable member of Kyoto Animation. From his fiery, and pluming effects animation, to easy breezy character acting, some of the most exciting moments in the studio’s history can be attributed to Ishidate. His whole journey through the wonderful help of his mentors like Kigami and Ikeda, literally set him up for success, assessing his traits and pulling off being a great director. From his action packed Beyond the Boundary to the quintessential studio staple Violet Evergarden, there is diversity in his work strongly characterizing a fine line of sakuga second, and character first. He has helped so many staff members rise to prominence, and with even some departing KyoAni, I am sure his impact as a mentor has guaranteed their success too. From Takase, to Fujita, to Kadowaki, and others Ishidate is a saint of the KyoAni animation department, an extraordinarily powerful director and animator.

Taichi Ishidate (continued next page)

@ragedsycokiller

tsurune animation cool and all but my archery kids dont fw it they say it bad kyudo anime

Tbf it's ikemen niche after all, the sports comes second

Just a glove

uma musume with movie level production holy s***

Leaf directing oh s***

2024 is gonna be such a stacked year

i dont remember the last time i was this excited about anime as a whole

peakeon meshi next month

Updating OP later this week

Peak this winter season

manga readers know that s*** aint peak

i can tell its not peak just looking at it

copping