Top 10 Anime Made by Kyoto Animation List [Best Recommendations]

zeke changuris

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Final Thoughts

Author: Zeke Changuris

I’m a journalist, writer, photographer, video producer, social media manager and above all a storyteller. I’m located on the east coast of the United States but travel the world with the love of my life. I’ve been a nerd since birth with a love of history and science. I fell in love with anime, watching ROBOTECH and Venus Wars in the 80s when our only source was secondhand VHS dubs. A crazy new thing called the internet changed that, giving me access to new and amazing anime every day. I love to write for work and pleasure. I’m living the dream of every kid, getting paid to watch anime and loving every subtitled line.

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Top 5 Anime by Zeke Changuris

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Original Article Below

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We have already introduced you to a couple of different animation studios on this site. Today, we want to highlight Kyoto Animation and their best anime.

Kyoto Animation, sometimes also called KyoAni, was established in 1981 and is now located in - you might have guessed it - Kyoto, Japan. What started out as a small company founded by a married couple soon became a well-established production studio. Some of their earliest production involvements include shows like InuYasha or Tenchi Universe. Today, Kyoto Animation has produced more than twenty different anime series as well as several films.

Our selection consists of anime where Kyoto Animation acts as the prime contractor without receiving help from any sub-contractors. This being said, lean back and enjoy our small trip into the dream factory of Kyoto Animation.

• Episodes: 24


• Aired: April 2007 - September 2007

Let’s start this list with a feel-good Slice of Life show to lighten up the mood. Lucky Star is an anime with lots of girl power and comedy.

Lucky Star is all about having fun at school as well as all the small events happening on school grounds. The viewers follow Izumi Konata and her friends on their adventures between homework, club activities and examinations. Since Lucky Star is a Slice of Life anime you should not expect lots of action, but rather a relaxed storyline that focuses on the interaction between the different characters and their personal development.

Lucky Star succeeds in getting laughs out of everyday situations that everyone can relate to. Kyoto Animation created a great show out of the original manga which was entertaining enough to create a big franchise. Several video games and OVAs followed and Lucky Star also gained a fanbase abroad. It is a show with lots of jokes, charming characters and an unusual view on current pop culture and that’s why it is the first pick for our Top 10 list.

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• Episodes: 12


• Aired: October 2013 - December 2013

We are continuing with another show set in a school environment, but one that is much darker and more action-filled than Lucky Star.

Kyoukai no Kanata shows the fateful meeting of Kuriyama Mirai and Kanbara Akihito. Even though both of them look like normal students, they hide a dark secret. Akihito is half youmu, half human, whereas Mirai hunts monster-like youmu with her blood-manipulating abilities. In this fantasy universe the two of them have to work together in order to save their loved ones from the danger that comes from the other side.

The original light novel series won an honorable mention in the Kyoto Animation Award competition of 2011 and was adapted into an anime two years later. After a great response from fans and the release of an OVA episode in spring 2015, a two-part anime movie premiered in Tokyo which recaptured the events of Akihito’s and Mirai’s story.

Kyoto Animation not only realized the potential of the original light novel, but also managed to create a great adaptation. What really drew the fans in, however, was the outstanding top-of-the-art animation that really brought each action scene to life. Great job, Kyoto Animation!

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• Episodes: 13


• Aired: January 2005 - April 2005

Let’s move back in time to the beginnings of Kyoto Animation and highlight one of their earliest successes: Air.

Hero Yukito Kunisaki is on a mission to find the Winged Maiden, a woman that according to the old tales of his childhood is bound to the sky. He has to change his plans when he stumbles across a small town as well as an usual girl named Misuzu. Yukito decides to stay and get closer to the towns people, always having the Winged Maiden at the back of his mind. Will he be able to fulfill his mission?

Similar to Kyoukai no Kanata, the story was adapted from a light novel series. It came a long way, starting out as a book, moving on to the production of a manga, several art books and audio dramas, an anime series and finally an anime film in 2005. What Kyoto Animation proved with this anime is their ability to understand the material that they are adapting.

The original story consists of multiple story arcs that the producers interpreted by splitting the series into three parts. The fans just couldn’t get enough of this masterpiece and several additional episodes in the form of mini-series followed.

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• Episodes: 13


• Aired: April 2009 - June 2009

I think it’s time to move on to a more musical show with K-On!

This show follows Hirasawa Yui’s daily life as a first year student in high school. She soon decides to join a music club, despite having one big problem - she has yet to make any musical experiences. The viewers join her on her journey as she struggles to give her best and to find her place in high school.

When it comes to popular music-related anime, K-On! is almost certainly named. With this show Kyoto Animation has created a staple show in the genres of Slice of Life, School as well as Music of course. The fans seem to appreciate the quirky characters with their outstanding character design, since an OVA episode, a second season and even a movie followed soon after.

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• Episodes: 22


• Aired: April 2012 - September 2012

Are you ready for an anime that combines school and Slice of Life with mystery elements?

High school boy Oreki Houtarou just recently joined the Classical Literature Club of his school and would actually rather do something else. Soon enough, however, he gets to know the weird and unique members of the club that couldn’t be any more different from each other. Together, they investigate a case from over 40 years ago in order to uncover the truth.

You might have noticed that there are quite a lot school-related anime on this list so far. Yet, Kyoto Animation is able to constantly combine the common school genre with other genres and create completely new masterpieces. Hyouka is based on a mystery novel written by Honobu Yonezawa and Kyoto Animation truly did a great job at adapting the first volume of his Classic Literature Club series. Kyoto Animation outdid themselves when it comes to creating a dense storyline with a great atmosphere from beginning until the very end.

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• Episodes: 12


• Aired: October 2012 - December 2012

Next up on our list is Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, or Chuu-2 for short, a comedic drama with a more than unique girl.

It’s the story of high school freshman Yuuta Togashi who wants to move on with his life and leave his past self behind. In middle school, he thought of himself as the Dark Flame Master and lived a delusional dream. He thinks he can forget about his former identity, but soon enough he meets Rikka Takanashi - a former classmate who is still trapped in her own delusional world.

Similar to Kyoukai no Kanata, the original light novel series of Chuu-2 won an honorable mention in the Kyoto Animation Award competition of 2010. Again, Kyoto Animation did a great job at seeing the potential in an original story and creating a show that earned a great response from its viewers. This lead to the production of additional episodes, an animated film as well as a second season.

Kyoto Animation’s biggest success, however, is the creation of Rikka Takanashi - a character so lovable and unique that even people who didn’t watch the anime know her face; one of the biggest achievements possible for an animation house.

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• Episodes: 12


• Aired: August 2003 - October 2003

It’s time to bring some action back onto this list and what anime would be more suited for that than Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu?

Fumoffu is a companion series to the Full Metal Panic! series and set between the first and second season. In this show it’s back-to-school season and Kaname Chidori and Sousuke Sagara have to deal with a fairly normal high school life on top of emotional struggles. With eccentric mascot Bonta-kun by their side their new high school life begins.

Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu is in fact the very first anime that Kyoto Animation was ever listed for as the main producer. Since then, their style and level of experience have changed of course, but what makes Kyoto Animation so unique is already noticeable in this anime. Even though it was their first production, the producer weren’t afraid to take the original material and change it completely.

In Fumoffu, they focus more on the high school rom-com aspects of the story while parodying anime stereotypes. It was a brave and successful way to put their name out there and to start their production career.

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• Episodes: 12


• Aired: July 2013 - September 2013

Free! is a show that grants you an eternal summer filled with fun, action and lots of laughter.

It follows the journey of five boys who are connected through their passion for swimming. Protagonist Haruka Nanase has always enjoyed being in water and never stopped trying to push himself past his limits. After being challenged by his former classmate Rin, Haruka forms the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club. Will the members be able to defeat Rin?

Kyoto Animations is exploring new grounds with a sports-related show. It seems to work out for them since Free! became a huge success. Even if you are not interested in sports anime, chances are pretty high that you have at least stumbled across this anime or have one or two friends that cannot stop talking about it. The successful first season was followed by a second season and an animated film is already in production.

With Free!, Kyoto Animation shows that they clearly know what the viewers want and that they can produce high-quality anime even in genres they are not completely familiar with.

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• Episodes: 14


• Aired: April 2006 - July 2006

We already talked about one infamous anime girl - Rikka from Chuu-2 -, but now it’s time to talk about Haruhi Suzumiya.

High school student Kyon has completely lost his interest in everything supernatural - until he meets Suzumiya Haruhi, a girl that is more than just interested in unnatural occurrences of all kinds. Together they form the SOS Brigade, a club dedicated to the supernatural. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya tells the story of the adventures of the club members.

Kyoto Animation clearly understands what they need to focus on. Here we have another great Slice of Life/School/Comedy combination. What could have ended as a boring and unspectacular anime gained great recognition by a big fanbase. The second season was hyped enough to get a full-page advertisement in the Asahi Shimbun - one of Japan’s most popular newspapers - in 2007. The producers outdid themselves when creating the unique characters of this show and combining them with great animation and fun jokes.

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• Episodes: 23


• Aired: October 2007 - March 2008

Last but definitely not least we have a show that even several years after its production still belongs to one of the most famous anime shows in existence. Of course, we are talking about Clannad.

Tomoya Okazaki couldn’t be less interested in school life. He doesn’t really care about showing up to class nor socializing with his classmates. This changes when he meets five unique girls, all with their own stories and backgrounds. Soon enough he gets closer to them, helps them overcome their personal obstacles and realizes that school life isn’t as dull as he previously thought.

Do I even need to explain why Clannad definitely belongs on this list? It is an anime legend showing one of the greatest love stories in anime history. It is one of those shows that have the whole package: you will see lots of drama, romance, school life and comedy. Only a couple of years after their first production, Kyoto Animation really established themselves with this gem.

The franchise of Clannad reaches from an original game and light novel to OVAs, a second season and even an animated movie. If you had to watch just one of Kyoto Animation’s creations, I dare to say that Clannad is the one you should be going for.

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Hibike! Euphonium

Amagi Brilliant Park

This concludes our list for today. As always, it’s really hard to narrow down all the creations of a production studio to just ten choices. We tried to cover Kyoto Animation’s most popular creations as well as the shows that either made an impact on the company itself or shaped the anime industry as a whole.

Your personal Top 10 list might look different from the one we presented today, so feel free to share your own recommendations down below. Which shows did we miss out on and why do they belong to your favorites? Your opinions and thoughts are more than welcome.

Author: Cornelia Wagner

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RELEASE THE SPYCE Anime

RELEASE THE SPYCE

Seinen, Action, Spy, Comedy

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Airing Date:

October 2018

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『RELEASE THE SPYCE』の新アニメキービジュアルがAnimeJapan2018にて公開されました！作品の舞台である夜の空崎市をツキカゲの6人が躍動する格好良いキービジュアルになってますよ！公式HPも更新されましたので、ぜひチェックしてください！#リリスパhttps://t.co/WCsi6EpuQR pic.twitter.com/jpEHIQygWn

— RELEASE THE SPYCE (@releasethespyce) March 25, 2018

キャラクター原案・なもり氏×企画原案／シリーズ構成・タカヒロ氏による新作アニメ―ション「RELEASE THE SPYCE」の制作が決定しました！合わせて、なもり氏による主人公モモの第１報キービジュアルを公開！　#リリスパ pic.twitter.com/KRksWzcnU1

— RELEASE THE SPYCE (@releasethespyce) January 29, 2018

(Credit Honey’s Anime when you use our description.)

World Premiere of "Attack on Titan" Season 3 to Screen in NA this July!

What You Need to Know:

• Funimation Films will present “Attack on Titan Season 2 Movie: Roar of Awakening” and the “Attack on Titan” Season 3 world premiere as a two-night only event, July 10 - 11, 2018, in select U.S. and Canadian theaters. The “Attack on Titan” Season 3 world premiere immediately follows the recap movie with a special presentation of Episode 1 of the new season. This North American world premiere will be the first ever for the franchise and is a must-see event for U.S. and Canadian fans to experience “Attack on Titan” Season 3 nearly two weeks before the series’ scheduled television debut in Japan on July 22.


• For more information about “Attack on Titan Season 2 Movie: Roar of Awakening,” visit the official movie website at funimationfilms.com/attackontitan.

Source: Official Press Release

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Well I"d better get my wallet ready for those tickets!

I"m totally down for it!

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Best Game Ranking [Weekly Sales Chart]

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What You Need to Know:

• The week is almost over, so let"s make it through another day with a blessing in disguise, the gaming chart!


• Last week, Detroit: Become Human crushed the chart. Dark Souls Reamstered and the Persona Dancing All Star Triple Pack rose up keeping Battlefield V from getting close to even the top three spots. We also ssaw Etrian Odyssey X return and Kirby Star Allies hold on to the final postition.


• Can Detroit: Become Human hold on again? Find out below!

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Detroit: Become Human (PS4)

Megaman 11 Unmei no Haguruma (Switch)

Splatoon 2 (Switch)

New Gundam Breaker (PS4)

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)

Monster Hunter World (PS4)

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Sen no Kiseki IV (PS4)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)

Battlefield V (PS4)

Source: Amazon

Detroit: Become Human was good. It was a breath of fresh air.

I"m just excited to see Megaman 11 here!

Latest Weekly Rankings

ANIME MUSIC

LIGHT NOVEL

What is a Psychological Anime ? [Definition, Meaning]

Nagareboshi

As the term implies, Psychological anime want you to think, and they really want you to think hard. Nothing is as it seems and every step that the main character takes forward only makes the story more twisted and difficult. Let us repeat that psychological anime will NEVER spoon feed you anything. You must either deduce it for yourself or wait for the main character’s exposition where they will rationalize everything for themselves thus cluing in the viewers. Sometimes too, that doesn’t even happen! You are given crumbs as you try to piece together what would have been the loaf of bread that was the story. If you love a good brain massage where you actually have to think and enjoy a story rather than be told everything, then psychological anime are where you want to be. Let’s take a look at a classic.

Mousou Dairinin (Paranoia Agent)

• Episodes: 13


• Aired: Feb. 2004 - May 2004

Paranoia Agent sets us in the popular-to-live-in city of Musashino in Tokyo. When a popular character designer known as Tsukiko Sagi is attacked, the city barely makes note. However, as incidents mount in the city, they all seem to have a similar story: a boy with golden rollerblades and a baseball bat attacked them. His face was impossible to see however, so it’s hard to land a perp, which is the issue facing two detectives Keiichi and Mitsuhiro as they investigate just what the heck is going on. When they try to pump the victims for information, it gets them nowhere as all seem to have had their psyche broken. If things couldn"t be any worse, paranoia sets in among the townspeople as they try to make sense of what is happening. Now it becomes a race to see if they can get to the truth behind lil slugger or if they too will succumb to paranoia agent.

Paranoia Agent is about as good as it gets when it comes to a quintessential psychological anime that every anime fan should see at least once. Satoshi Kon, the mastermind behind Perfect Blue and Paprika was the director for the series and his skills and talent really shine in this series. The scenes effortlessly flow to the next one leaving the viewer often perplexed as to why it changes so suddenly, but also why, randomly, there is an old man mumbling to himself and writing a massive formula on the sidewalk or why a stuffed animal has now come to life only to stop moments later. There are also great–for lack of a better word–torture moments where say, Sagi will hear something that sounds like rollerblades and panic thinking that Lil slugger is back to get her once again. The ending may just leave you scratching your head, but know that not every anime out there requires a solid conclusion.

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Another great aspect that psychological anime enjoy toying with, is the concept of what could be should the task in front of you not be completed. This usually involves dark, grim games or realities that the protagonist will face should they not be able to complete whatever the task is at hand. It could be saving someone from being murdered by exposing the killer, and it could also be something much more simple like bowling or an arcade game. One thing is for sure, we get to watch the main character anguish through exposition after exposition as they struggle to rationalize how to solve the problem at hand. Thankfully though, these almost always make for excellent anime.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

• Episodes: 12


• Aired: Jan 2016 - Mar 2016

Satoru Fujinuma has this strange ability. When some kind of accident is about to occur, he is given the chance to re-do his most recent few moments. He always takes this as a chance to prevent or obstruct whatever incident is about to occur. When he is framed for the murder of a very close family member though, in a moment of desperation, he begins to flee, only to see a butterfly? Suddenly he is back in the past. You see, Satoru didn’t live in a metropolis; he lived in cold, lonely Hokkaido. He realizes, in his young body, that there must be a reason why he is sent back. It must be connected with his classmate, a girl named Kayo Hinazuki, who died when he was his current age. Satoru makes up his mind to pull the curtain back on this masked killer and set the record straight once and for all, but with the killer still trying to kill Kayo, what can a young boy do against cruel fate?

Boku dake ga Inai Machi hits the ground running and does not stop till the end of the series. Every time that you think and he thinks that the mystery has been solved, he is ripped back to the present, or the past, in order to try again. The crushing reality that he might not be able to save Kayo from dying is ever present. That and the fact that the further he sticks his nose into things, the more it puts those from his past in the eyes of danger. The real winning psychological aspect is that a lot like Paranoia Agent, there is so little that you are privy to see even though Satoru’s eyes and explanations that you too have to come to conclusions on your own. Married to the thriller genre means that this series is really going to keep you thinking hard while rushing to watch the next episode!

Boku dake ga Inai Machi Trailer

Occultic;Nine

• Episodes: 12


• Aired: Oct 2016 - Dec 2016

Yuuta Gamon runs a blog mocking the supernatural along with his friend and canon big breasted anime character, Ryouka Narusawa. He runs it wanting to make money, but one day, he happens to stumble across something and investigates. This takes him on a path to meet people who would never have even bothered to read his blog or even care what he has to say. However, fate, ever the cruel mistress, has bound these nine individuals together in a way that is beyond unexpected; it’s flat out outlandish. Yuuta must now confront that something supernatural is going on as he tries to solve the mystery plaguing both the city and their lives.

Occultic;Nine is like a puzzle box. It’s a puzzle box that has been mixed with about four other puzzles, or eight if you would like. Somehow at the end of all of this though, the puzzles will all be put side by side and connected, but never in the way that you would expect. To be honest, that is the story of Occultic;Nine. At first, nothing seems to be connected at all and nothing makes any sense. In fact, it just sounds like characters going down a rabbit hole about nothing and nonsense. But then… somewhere along the line something clicks. Two seemingly unconnected pieces connect. Then that leads to another piece and then another. Occultic;Nine is an anime best enjoyed when you have a large amount of time on your hands because there is so much critical thinking and concentration required, that missing even the slightest piece of information will require you to backtrack so as to not be lost. If you really want to exercise your brain, then this dangerous incident is something to get involved in.

Occultic;Nine PV:

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Death Parade

• Episodes: 12


• Aired: Jan 2015 - Mar 2015

When you die, there is no heaven or hell. There is just one thing: a bar. This bar is purgatory and helps find out which of us deserve to move on to reincarnation and which of us are doomed for oblivion. Two people always arrive here and when they do, the meet Decim. After Decim makes them a drink, he proposes a game. This game is much more than it seems as it is actually part of Decim’s job. Through the game, he sees the darkness residing in someone’s heart and will send the one who harbors it to oblivion while the other heads to reincarnation. When a strange woman with no memories shows up through, cracks begin to appear in the foundation.

Death Parade caught almost everyone off guard when it came out. The series was adapted from a one-shot called Death Billiards and while the premise seems simple and there are new characters each time, the story is incredibly captivating. One major aspect of psychological anime that is often overlooked is the line of ethical versus unethical. This permeates through many but is often forgotten by the viewer. Death Parade thrusts this into the center spotlight confronting the viewer with many a question or dilemma as they watch things unfold. If you want something that is equal parts dark and oddly satisfying, Death Parade is an excellent place to start.

Death Parade PV

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Final Thoughts

Editor/Translator

Author: Nagareboshi

American by birth; international by choice. I am trying to bring attention to one of my favorite causes; me. I translate by day and write by night. Aspiring polyglot. My dream would be to be the personal translator for Amuro Namie. Other than that, my hobbies include languages, weightlifting, sleeping, karaoke, GOOD coffee and music. When I’m not doing any of the above, I am most likely laughing hysterically at Willam Belli videos or EV farming. I ain’t gunna Rupologize for it neither. Waifu are Shirai Kuroko & Euaerin.

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Top 5 Anime by Nagareboshi

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Top 10 Psychological Anime Movies [Best Recommendations]