Kyoto Animation Co., Ltd., abbreviated KyoAni, is a Japanese animation studio and light novel publisher located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1981 by former Mushi Prostaff. Presided by Hideaki Hatta, the company is also affiliated with studio Animation Do. As of 2015, Kyoto Animation has produced 21 anime series and numerous films. Unlike most animation studios, Kyoto Animation's animators are salaried employees rather than freelance workers. Therefore, Kyoto Animation animators are able to focus more on the quality of each frame rather than on meeting frame production quotas.
History
The company was co-founded by married couple Yoko Hatta and Hideaki Hatta in 1981. She was employed by Mushi Production until she became independent from the studio when she moved to Kyoto after marrying Hideaki Hatta. Hideaki served as the president, and Yoko as the vice-president. It became a limited company in 1985 and a corporationin 1999. The logo originates from the kyōkanji, the first character of Kyoto. Early in its history, it was involved in the production of Kiddy Grade, InuYasha, Tenchi Universe, Nurse Witch Komugi, and Generator Gawl. Kyoto Animation also produced the vocal opening and ending sequences for four installments of Konami's long-running baseball game series Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū. Since 2009, Kyoto Animation has hosted the annual Kyoto Animation Award to find new stories, later publishing them in their KA Esuma Bunko imprint. Winning submissions have a chance of being adapted into an anime. Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions, Free!, Beyond the Boundary and Myriad Colors Phantom World were based on novels that received an honorable mention in this competition. In 2014, the novelViolet Evergarden became the first work and so far the only one to win a grand prize in any of the three categories. According to Dani Cavallaro, Kyoto Animation has become recognized for its high production values and "sensitivity to the wonders and quandaries of ordinary life". In May 2020, the company announced that they would put their work on hiatus throughout the month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shortly after 10:30 AM JST on July 18, 2019, a fire broke out at Kyoto Animation's first studio, reportedly caused by an individual pouring gasoline inside the building; whom later admitted to committing the arson. Of the approximately 71 people in the building at the time, 36 people have been confirmed deceased, and 34 others had various degrees of injury, requiring treatment in local hospitals.
Animation Do
An affiliate company, Animation Do Co., Ltd., was established to assist production at Kyoto Animation. Originally established as Kyoto Animation's Osaka office, it was incorporated as a limited company in 2000, then a corporation in 2010. Both companies are run by Hideaki Hatta and are run jointly as one. They produce up-and-coming works under the Animation Do label with Kyoto Animation as their main contractor and works where they work as one company alongside Kyoto Animation. They work on most Kyoto Animation projects and many of them have joint signatures.
Works
In the list below, only the productions to which Kyoto Animation was a lead producer are listed.
