KYOANI & DO FAN DAYS 2017

Since 2013, Kyoto Animation has showcased its growth in a bi-annual event called the Kyoto Animation and DO Fan Appreciation Event (aka KYOANI & DO FAN DAYS) which highlights the studio’s accomplishments of the previous two years. In 2017, the theme of the third such event was known as “This is What We Are Now!” The event showcased over 3,000 pieces of key animation, along with storyboards and background artwork. It further provided interactive opportunities, such as the “Studio Zone,” where fans could watch chosen animators at work, engage the artists in conversation and have questions answered. While sometimes thought otherwise, the studio uses the same tools as other Japanese animation studios: key animation is drawn by hand, RETAS Studio is used for digital coloring and Adobe AfterEffects for compositing. What sets this studio apart is its unique aesthetic and attention to lifelike detail.

In another area of the venue, production materials were displayed as well as life-sized backgrounds and character cut-outs from famous works with whom attendees could pose for photographs. Finally, the event introduced Baja, the studio’s new mascot. A short anime called “Baja’s Studio” depicted Baja in action at screenings scheduled throughout the event with a Japanese Blu-ray edition available for purchase.