#deai kotomi

[animehouse-moe]

Women In Anime

I came across this tweet a few days back, and did give it a response on Twitter back then, but I keep thinking about it, so I wanted to bring a longer discussion here.

I think hating that anime ends up a male dominated industry is totally fair, I think that hating that men end up bringing a lot of negative stereotypes and tropes and whatnot is valid.

There's a mountain of problems with men in the industry, and just the industry in general. But there's also a problem with the awareness of the NA community. Scrolling about the quote tweets and replies, it's probably one in ten responses at best, that show an opening that's actually from a woman.

Hate like this ends up performative, and targeted at the most negative aspects, rather than being used as a tool to shine a light on the people that deserve it. Directionless and generalized points like this do nothing, and in the end can actually take away from uplifting the voices and talents that they should be.

So, I wanted to bring a list of ten women in anime that have worked on openings over the years.

Karneval OP - Satou Akira

Openings that really cut deep into the core of a series can be a little hard to come by sometimes. I think a lot of openings get suckered into "looking cool" and tend to neglect their creative ability to depict something deeper within. Satou Akira falls into no such trap with Karneval, providing an incredibly strong opening that consistently relays several themes to the viewers through its visuals of things like, well, carnivals, for one. Also included is clock faces, butterflies, gears, and a few other pieces. It's really great work, so it's a shame that they haven't returned to the role since then.

They have, however, been in some pretty impressive roles elsewhere. For example, their biggest role was boarding for the second Fate/Grand Order Camelot movie. Important to note that it's the second movie, and not the first, as the second movie is considerably better.

Akira is still only reaching the tip of the iceberg though, as they recently were the lead director on Ao Ashi, and are being tapped for the Kinnukuman anime in 2024. They certainly have a good relationship with Production I.G, so I'm really hopeful to continue to see them on future projects with the studio.

Skip and Loafer OP - Deai Kotomi

Yeah, it hurts my soul to have different embeds, but I've had to source some of these OPs as they don't exist on YouTube.

Anyways, Deai Kotomi definitely had her limelight moment this year with Skip and Loafer and it's very fun and energetic opening. It's a great reflection of the characters and story, which really highlights Kotomi's understanding and ability to work with the content of the series. She did an absolutely wonderful job leading the production of Skip and Loafer, but I think a lot of people don't know about her history and connection. I mean, the reason she's following up Akira and Karneval is because Kotomi actually did the ending for Karneval! Really cool little piece to learn.

Make no mistake though, this isn't Kotomi's first rodeo, it's just the one she's most known for. But man, does she have a good history. Starting off with assistant direction credits for Kids on the Slope and the first season of Silver Spoon, she then moves on to helm the follow up season of Silver Spoon, and take over for Natsume's Book of Friends.

Though with the new season of Natsume's Book of Friends I'm a little sad to see Kotomi relieved of the role as the Chief Director for the series, Hideki Itou, steps into the role. Still have high hopes, but was looking forward to more Kotomi. Just means I need to wait and see where she ends up next, and I highly doubt it'll take too long for her to appear once more.

Sk8 The Infinity OP - Hiroko Utsumi

Speaking of people that I can't wait to see more of Hiroko Utsumi. I'm sure everyone that's seen it is a fan of Sk8 The Infinity and its opening, and there's not really a better person to handle the opening that Utsumi herself. After all, she's the original creator for the series.

But let's rewind a little before I get ahead of myself. Utsumi has probably one of the most prestigious careers on this list. Utsumi originally started with KyoAni, working her way up from second key animation to first key animation, to episode direction and storyboarding, finally making their directorial debut with Free! back in 2013, quickly following it up with the sequel.

Interestingly enough though, Utsumi then goes silent for 2 years before re-appearing outside of KyoAni, doing some storyboarding work with Bones and Mappa, leading into the next crazy piece of her story: the lead director of Banana Fish. Then of course it's to Sk8 The Infinity, and now she has Bucchigiri?! on the horizon, as well as a continuation of Sk8 The Infinity.

Talk about a career with no misses. Even better is that with her new works, we'll almost certainly be getting more of her expert openings, as with every series she's directed, she's also done the openings. So really, lots and lots to look forward to with Utsumi.

Arakawa Under The Bridge OP - Yamamoto Sayo

I know, not the opening that most would pick, but I wanted to be ✨Different✨. Everybody surely knows Yamamoto Sayo from Yuuri!! on Ice, but I just wanted to show off a bit more of a her range with an opening like this one. Clearly, she's a very talented woman, and the industry recognizes that with her work as she's done quite a few openings, especially with Mappa as of late.

These are all of her openings (and some endings), in order of appearance: Rozen Maiden Traumend, Michiko and Hacchin, Arakawa Under The Bridge S1 & S2, Hanamaru Kindergarten (ED), Attack on Titan S1 (ED), Space Dandy S1 (ED), Yuri On Ice, Kakegurui, and Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul.

Quite the list, to be sure. I just wish they did more direction work, as they've been stuck at Mappa for the Yuuri!! on Ice movie. Hopefully that'll come out some day and Sayo will be free of that hell, but all we can do is sit and wait.

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic OP - Eiko Hirayama

I mean, it's Kaguya-Sama, do I really need to say more? Great effort, and great direction from Hirayama here to really cap off the best season of the series. But did you know that she also did the work for the first opening of Love is War?

Hirayama is probably the most curious staff member on this list though. They do have a good few credits for various openings, but by and large they're all special or visual effects credits. For example, they most recently did the visual effects in the opening for the Nier anime, and they also did the same for 2 of the Vivy openings.

I think it's really interesting to see someone like Hirayama step out of their comfort zone to do something like an opening, because you can absolutely feel their experience shape the opening.

Here, let me add a little breakdown of the opening for Kaguya S3. If you pay close attention to the opening, you'll realize that there's not a crazy amount of animation. Rather, there's a lot of camera and 3 dimensional movement, and a lot of interesting composition. I mean, just look at the sequence of Kaguya running, it's a compositor's dream as they shift through all sorts of different visuals and styles.

And I just think that's really cool. Sure, Hirayama isn't a thoroughbred director like the others on this list, but I think their storied experience with composition gives them an angle in this opening that a lot of others just wouldn't find.

Heike Monogatari OP - Naoko Yamada

Naoko, alongside her work with Heike Monogatari, will always have a special place in my heart. Much like Utsumi, Naoko started her career with KyoAni. However, she was a part of the studio for longer, and because of that, was present during the arson attack on the studio in 2019.

This opening, and really the entirety of this story, hits really close to home with its ideas of the loss of family and suffering through a cycle of violence, and she does a beautiful job of juxtaposing that idea against the pieces that Biwa fondly remembers of those around her. It's very, very strong work from Naoko that feels almost like a rebirth as her first major work following the arson attack.

Regardless of what she went through at the end, her time with KyoAni was incredibly impressive. I'm not sure how many will know her name from it, but she was the director behind the incredible success of K-On!. Similarly, she also worked on Tamako Market and the follow up movie. She's an incredibly talented woman, and has continually put her best foot forward with everything she's done, so I'm really hopeful to see her continue that hot streak with wherever she goes next.

Naruto Shippuden OP20 - Chiaki Kon

Had to bring a bit more of a classic pick out, no? Chiaki Kon is certainly not a staff member that tends to really be seen as someone popular, if that makes sense. They're rather light in terms of individual expression, so having a stronger opening like this that hones in on individual character arcs while relating them to larger interactions within the world is really great to see.

Though that's not to say that Chiaki tends to get lost as a staff member, but that I think her work is very subtle. For example, she directed the recent (and popular) Sacrificial Princess anime, which is one of J.C Staff's top 3 anime in the last 5 years. It undoubtedly has Chiaki to thank for a lot of that, where she's kept a reasonable distance on the project while still providing a lot of her overarching vision to it.

But man, has she been active lately. While she does do lead direction, she's insanely present as an episode director and storyboarder, getting anywere from 6 to even 12 or more episodes boarded and/or directed in a year. Odds are if you watch any amount of anime, you've seen an episode done by Chiaki Kon.

Given OP - Hikaru Yamaguchi

Maybe a bit of an odd choice, but I feel like that makes it all the better to give them some spotlight. Not everyone is going to be a "knock it out of the park anime rockstar", and that's perfectly fine. Though I might still argue that Yamaguchi fits that bill. It's just that they're not as productive as others on this list.

After all, they did the OP for Given and directed the series (as well as the movie), and it's a very good show. It's interesting though how long it took her to get another lead direction role. There was 3 years between the Given movie, and the Osomatusu-San movie that she directed in 2023. And you might be thinking, "well hey, what about smaller roles to fill the gap?". Nope, not really any of that.

There was a 2 year gap between the Given movie and her next staff position. Though I mean, it's a pretty damn cool one. She did the storyboard for episode 3 of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War. For those that don't know, that's the episode of Ichigo vs Quilge Opie (which was very cool, by the way).

Yamaguchi is certainly an interesting staff member in that regard, as she doesn't have many projects she's worked on, but they've almost all been very big name ones. Certainly has me curious to see what she'll manage to appear on next.

Dance Dance Danseur OP - Sarisa Kawamura

If you thought Kawaguchi was an odd pick, wait until you hear about Kawamura. This is the second ever credit for her that I've been able to track down. The other comes from VFX assistant role on the Undead Girl Murder farce ending. So you can imagine my surprise considering the insane quality and creativity displayed with this opening that she boarded for.

I mean, when I first watched it when the anime aired, I was stunned. Absolutely incredible work with the first person perspective and the ideas with all the reflections and the wild expressiveness of the characters. Seriously, this was a shoe-in for opening of the year back in 2022, and I'd still say one of the standouts in this decade for sure.

I just, really, really hope that we'll see Kawamura board something else soon, because I absolutely need more of her incredible vision.

And that's the end of the 10 women, that I chose to use for this list. Seriously, there's a mountain of them that have done all sorts of other openings, or endings, and an unimaginable amount that have done creative work outside of those things.

I wouldn't say I'm disappointed that nobody talks about anime staff (in general, really, but also more specifically women), but a lot of people just don't have the interest in looking this stuff up. I really, really wish that streaming services would start translating credits to make it easier for people to get a grasp of who it is that's working on their favorite series, but we can't always rely on companies to do things like that.

Thankfully, the community out there is really, really dedicated so you can find staff credits on websites like MAL, Anilist, Anidb, and even Anime News Network. Sure, it takes a little bit of time to go and find those credits, but I think it's really valuable time that's well spent. You're bringing more awareness and understanding into the hobby and community, and that can change the trajectory of it in really wonderful ways.

Highlighting the works of women in anime is just one way of doing that. It inspires people in the community, it makes people aware of the idea of who is making their favorite works, that women are a central and pivotal part of the industry.

I really hope that people found out something cool with this list, and I really do encourage everyone to do a bit of digging into their favorite series to find out the names behind them. I mean, we all know who directs a movie or TV series over here, and we certainly know all about the actors and whatnot, so I'd love to see people bring that same understanding to anime.

[karura]

skip to loafer スキップとローファー (2023-?) • dir. kotomi deai

 @animangacreators​ challenge 18 ☆ favorite spring 2023 anime

[444lpblue]

Skip and Loafer #12 - Shining

Screenplay: Youko Yonaiyama Storyboard: Kotomi Deai Episode Director: Kotomi Deai Chief Animation Directors: Manami Umeshita, Reina Igawa Animation Directors: Yuusuke Inoue, Asuka Kojima, Mirai Tanaka

One of the most surprising shows to me this season, and by the end, it will undoubtedly be one of my top 5 shows of the year. This show was moving; it was beautiful and much more than just your typical high school romance anime.

I genuinely have nothing bad to say about my experience; I've enjoyed every second of it. The character design by Manami Umeshita looked beautiful, and Deai's direction was cute yet emotional. Everything just came together spectacularly.

I've already praised the show many times in my past reviews of episodes to the point where I've run out of words. The subtlety of the storyboarding in this whole show really sells the emotional scenes. Things often feel much more impactful when they aren't in your face. It feels much more powerful when it's something you recognize, something you acknowledge yourself, and the show constantly does that.

The relationships between the characters feel pure, so when you notice they're acting differently, maybe a bit sad or standoffish, you know without them needing to pan to a shot of them frustrated or sad. You instantly get the vibe just from seeing the way they act. It's such a natural progression of emotion throughout the show, and it's the best I've ever seen in this type of environment.

The characters feel extremely realistic, and the conclusion to the show, which I'm not going to spoil, was extremely satisfying. It just makes me want to continue seeing everybody's progression in the manga. Deai's direction also continues to shine in this episode specifically, subtly manifesting Shima's thoughts into imagery throughout the episode: Shima seeing a light through the curtain, deadpan staring at someone he's jealous of. These are all scenes that weren't acknowledged with dialogue, but they create such powerful moments in the show.

He also doesn't just use this to express negative emotions; at the end of the show, when the time naturally changed, the whole color scheme of the school shifted to this orange, warm hue. This change shows the warmth that everyone now feels for each other and the friendships they've developed.

Please just watch this show. Trust me.

[nacso97]

Director Kotomi Deai understand the spirit of Skip to Loafer, giving a great first episode. Deai also made the storyboard and directed the Opening, in which also you can feel the heartwarming atmosphere the series have, having a really well animated tiny bits of cute dance.

Also loved Tomoyo Kurosawa performance as Mitsumi

KANPEKI

[alflychan]

Hi, this is my first post of this year 2023.Hope you like it. 😊💞

This is my first doing Crossover with miraculous ladybug & natsume yuujinchou. Their chinese clothes I base on bunny noir and pennybug. I recreate it into Chinese cloth. I will try to do it in full view on them.. (Ps : it's support to chinese new year post or valentines day but I art block and play to much game.. 😂

Shimizu Hitomi (C) me

Natsume Yuujinchou, Natsume Takashi (C) Takahiro Omori / Kotomi Deai

Miraculous : Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir (C) Thomas Astruc

#natsumeyuujinchou #digitalart #miraculousladybug #illustration #ocs #animegirl

[historyhermann]

Skip and Loafer Spoiler-Filled Review

Skip and Loafer is romantic comedy and slice-of-life anime, written and directed by Kotomi Deai. It is based on an ongoing manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Misaki Takamatsu. This animated series was produced by P.A. Works, known for series such as Canaan, Kuromukuro, Akiba Maid War, and Aquatope on the White Sand. Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine.…

[newsintheshell]

▶️ NUOVO TRAILER ANCHE PER SKIP AND LOAFER OGGI!

La commedia slice of life, tratta dal manga di Misaki Takamatsu, andrà in onda dal 4 aprile e arriverà in simulcast su Crunchyroll.

L'adattamento è diretto e sceneggiato da Kotomi Deai (Natsume Yuujinchou Roku, Rolling Girls) e in lavorazione presso P.A. WORKS (Ya Boy Kongming!, Buddy Daddies).

[ljaesch]

Anime Spotlight: Skip And Loafer

Skip And Loafer is an anime based on the manga series by Misaki Takamatsu. The anime was produced by P.A. Works and directed by Kotomi Deai. The 12 episodes of the series aired on Japanese television from April 4-June 20, 2023. As of this writing, Crunchyroll holds the North American license for the Skip And Loafer anime. The focus of the series is on Mitsumi Iwakura, a 15-year-old girl leaving…

[hybridreviews]

TIME of the SEASON Spring 2023 Edition: SKIP and LOAFER

I don't think one of them is named Skip or Loafer in here.

Why does this sound like a story about a cat and a dog wandering the world together or two dogs and their friendship? Don’t lie. You would see something with either of those two elements I described. This is Skip and Loafer. Director: Kotomi Deai Series Composition: Kotomi Deai Music: Takatsugu Wakabayashi Original creator: Misaki Takamatsu Character Design: Manami Umeshita Art Director:…

[sunkentreasurecove]

[animehouse-moe]

Skip And Loafer Episode 1: Sparkling Fresh

So, this is one of those series that I've been meaning to read for ages, and the anime just snuck up on me, leaving me with no actual knowledge of how things are supposed to go. That said, I'm thoroughly impressed with this first episode, and have lots to dive into.

I think the first thing that stands out is the color design, which (those that follow kViN on Twitter probably already know) is a strong penchant of the director's. They very much lean into pastels and, for lack of a better term softer and flatter colors. By no means is it a DIY!! style palette though, it's got much more saturation to it, but just not near as much contrast or highlights. And what I find most interesting about that is that the color designer, Yuuko Kobari, is arguably most known for those aggressive and strong palettes. They did the color design for series like Great Pretender and Redline, so you wouldn't really think that they'd be so at home with such a passive color palette.

But, they nailed it in just about the same way that Kotomi Deai did the direction of this episode. It's largely a quintessential high school slice of life, but just the right mix of creativity and expectation subversion.

Take, for example, the scene of the students getting dressed. We don't know who they are at that point in time, but such care is placed in how they go about things to help associated them with someone down the road. How they do their tie up, or fretting over having their skirt adjusted just the right way, or fluttering about excitedly in your room before your first day of school. It helps express so many different things without relying on the archetype or association of a character to do so. Plus, it just looks straight up beautiful, P.A is pulling a Cloverworks (and even a MAPPA?) with the clothing sakuga.

So how about something more oriented towards story? I'm certain I've droned on long enough in one go about the technical side. So, like I mentioned with the direction, Skip and Loafer as a story also thrives on that creativity and expectation subversion. Setting up for stereotypical pieces and skits, but either finding ways to reinvent them, or dancing past them. And in that, they create something that remains way more "in the moment".

Running barefoot to school to make it to your entrance ceremony just in time or a sudden change of pace to get home early to go to school tomorrow, these "in the moment" pieces give it a much more organic feeling. You're not left with characters stewing it over in a monologue or taking 3 episodes to make their impact. They think, and then they act, plain and simple.

Pairing that with the characters, who are by far the driving force, the flow of the episode is outstanding. Mitsumi might have snapped at Shima on the train earlier, but it's all washed away in the events of the day, neither thinks anything of it and instead reflect on how wonderful their first day was.

They chatter back in forth, get happy when seeing one another, and overall exemplify what they're going for as characters. Of course, that doesn't mean they're boxed in as their archetypes by any means. Shima is spacy and in with the popular crowd, but he has no issues with bein considerate or acting for his own sake. And Mitsumi may be a country bumpkin at heart, but her ability and will allows her to walk comfortably among her metropolitan peers as she recites her speech from memory or is the first to reach out to her classmates.

It produces something that feels incredibly organic without giving up on the parts that everyone guiltily enjoys so much from these youthful stories. The rose colored glasses are allowed to remain, but they are incredibly faint in comparison to some other pairs out there. There's awkwardness, oddity, and all manner of weird, but none of it gets in the way of allowing it to all be incredibly endearing. Not to repeat myself or talk in circles, but this sort of "wonderful reality" is only possible because of the characters, they all have something up with them, something that might not be considered a "perfect" trait. Something that allows them to be normal, so that outside of performances and perception, they can exist on a deeper level that allows things to stay just close enough to the ground.

Would I say it's the perfect high school slice of life anime? I mean, we're only one episode in so I'd never go that far, but I would say it's setting out to conquer a somewhat similar goal to Akebi's Sailor Uniform (though . That is, it wants to provide something beautiful and warm that shows the process of someone, who might be socially anxious or awkward, getting to enjoy their new station in life to the fullest. Getting to make friends and take part in all the things they dreamed of and make plenty of memories along the way.

[tpab1]

Rolling Girls Review

This is review number four hundred and forty six. This anime is part of the Winter 2015 lineup. It’s called Rolling Girls and it’s a twelve episode anime about girl literally rolling on the ground. Seriously, this show is insane. Of course I’m lying but I would love to see a literal show about rolling girls. Anyways, let’s read on.

(more…)

[otakutale]

Natsume Yuujinchou Season 6 OVA 2 - Promotional Video

http://wp.me/p4jiOt-bN3

The first promotional video has been released for the second OVA for the 6th season of the anime adaptation of Yuki Midorikawa’s Natsume Yuujinchou (Natsume’s Book of Friends) manga, Natsume Yuujinchou Roku. The new video briefly introduces the new characters and youkai that Natsume...

[444lpblue]

Skip and Loafer #1 - Sparkling-Fresh

Skip and Loafer #1 Script/Screenplay: Yonaiyama Youko Storyboard/Episode Direction: Deai Kotomi Animation Direction: Inou Yuusuke

Director Deai Kotomi, who most likely knows her for her work on Natsume's Book of Friends and perhaps Rolling Girls, is back to direct this lovable anime at P.A Works. The look of the show is instantly unique from the first time you look at it, especially in the pastel soft way it was colored. Big credit goes to Kobari Yuuko, who did the color design for this anime and also worked with Deai Kotomi in the past on Rolling Girls.

Onto the actual episode, it's adorable and somewhat nostalgic to me. Admittedly, I haven't been super satisfied with high school rom-com-type anime in recent years as I've felt that they have all been somewhat formulaic and extremely similar. However, this show reminded me why shows like these are well-liked in the first place. It's a reflection of our youth, it's fun, it's casual, and honestly, this first episode was just great.

Our main character, Iwakura, is a countryside girl who's an adorable dork. She ends up meeting Shima, who's a really nice guy and seems to be captivated by our quirky protagonist. While they've just met and we, as the viewers, have only witnessed a slice of their relationship, it's heartwarming to see how they interact with each other. I highly recommend this series as I believe it will be one of the best anime of the season, alongside Heavenly Delusion and the upcoming Ancient Magus Bride.

P.S. Do not skip the opening; the dance sequence and overall aesthetic are great. Would you guys be interested in a top 10 OP visual list at the end of the season?

[leweebdepoche]

A contemplative anime for the end of your day ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ

NATSUME BOOK OF FRIENDS (Supernatural/Yokais/Life) 2008-2017 - 74 episodes (6 seasons)

Takashiro Omori/Kotomi Deai

Rating 10/10

Animated in shades of pastel, Natsume’s book of friends tells the story of Natsume who finds himself in possession of a notebook full of pacts made with Yokai that was left to him by his deceased grandmother. Even though he could see the Yokai since he was a child, he was unaware of his grandmother's incredible powers. Natsume is forced to keep this book with its coveted powers to protect it from the terrible fox spirit, Madara, that will quickly become the young high school student's companion. He soon finds himself surrounded by many yokai who tell him their memories of his grandmother, Reiko, with whom they made their pact. A quiet and shy young boy, Natsume turns out to be quite capable of handling the burden of the notebook. He will finally feel that he is out of his condition as an orphan marginalized by the others that he silently endured, and will gradually learn to appreciate life with those who made his life difficult during all these years, as well as his new human friends.

The tone of this anime is the same as that of its colors and art: all softness and delicacy. Anime to be classified rather in the contemplative genre, it is the exploration of human relationships and with the Yokai that is highlighted. Confronting two fundamentally different experiences, Reiko's and Natsume's, of the complexity of life with the yokai invisible to most humans, Natsume´s book of friends will make you sail on a gentle wind scented with cherry blossom petals. Even the strongest emotions and the saddest situations will seem infinitely sweet.

This is the charm of this beautiful anime that can be watched by a wide range of ages after a long day of work, for a twenty-minute magical escape. Take a breath, feel the wind and smile. You can finally relax after a hard day.