Yoshimi Yamagata Aoyagi

Early Access: The New Animator Dorm Project 2025 is Officially Live!

February Dormitory Diary Entry - Watanabe

Thank you very much for your support. Watanabe here.

This is my February Dormitory Diary Entry.
Sorry for the late update! I wasn’t feeling great the other day, but after getting plenty of sleep, I’m back to normal. Sleep deprivation really isn’t good.

Everyone, take care of your health!

Work-wise, I had the opportunity to do animation checking for Medalist, which is currently airing this season. Episode 4 was the first one I was assigned to, and while I still had ...

January Dormitory Diary Entry - Okabe

Hello everyone, Okabe here!

Now that animation checks for my assigned episode are wrapped up, things have slowed down a bit compared to before. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of key animation assistance, but to be honest, it’s not my favorite. But I know I'll get better with practice, so I’m pushing through and doing my best.

The other day, we got to visit an outside studio for a demo of a new animation production software. The potential looks really promising, and I’m exci...

January Dormitory Diary Entry - Okabe

Hello everyone, Okabe here!

Now that the animation checks for my assigned episode are wrapped up, things have slowed down a bit compared to before. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of key animation assistance, but to be honest, it’s not my favorite. I know I'll get better with practice, so I’m pushing through and doing my best.

The other day, we got to visit an outside studio for a demo of a new animation production software. The potential looks really promising, and I’m exci...

January Dormitory Diary Entry - Watanabe

Hello, Watanabe here!

This month, I spent a lot of time doing key animation assistance. One of the toughest cuts I worked on was an effects shot. The rough keys were pretty loose, and matching them to the intricate design elements was tricky. Effects animation, especially getting the ghostly, fluid motions right, has always been a weak spot for me, but after getting some pointers from a senior animator, my next pass got a "Much better!" which felt great!

I’m still getting a fair...

January Dormitory Diary Entry - Sakurai

Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for this year. Apologies once again for the late update on my diary.

This entry is actually about something that happened over six months ago... During a company training session, I had the chance to practice drawing various patterns of walking and running animations. One piece of feedback I received repeatedly from the veteran animator guiding us was about the angle of the feet. When drawing diagonal walking or running, I kept making the feet tu...

January Dormitory Diary Entry - Okabe

Happy New Year! Okabe here.

Last fall was incredibly busy for me. I was consistently handling keyframe checks and even tried my hand at assistant key animation for the first time. A big part of the workload came from other responsibilities, but I did my best to push through.

This year, I want to focus on creating even cooler, more dynamic drawings. As I prepare for the key animation exam, I feel like I’ve been getting positive feedback on my assignments so far. I plan to focus o...

Exclusive December Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my exclusive December dorm diary entry.

This year, I was entrusted with key animation work for the first time. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as close to the personal goals I’d set for myself at the start as I’d hoped.

That said, I had the chance to gain a lot more experience compared to last year, and I’m determined to keep learning and growing so I can become a full-fledged animator.

For next year, m...

December Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my December dorm diary entry.

It’s hard to believe the year is almost over.

Recently, I attended a life drawing class that included both regular participants and animators. Being in a space with so many skilled people, all drawing the same subject, was both inspiring and incredibly motivating. It really felt like a great learning experience.

Going forward, I want to make the most of my days off by joining...

October Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my October dorm diary entry.

At my company, we mainly work on paper, and over time, I’ve accumulated a growing stack of corrections from the people reviewing my layouts and key animation. I’m not really sure how to store it all, so for now, I’ve just been keeping it on one of the company’s shelves.

I know I should probably organize it better, but every now and then, I like to go back through the correctio...

September Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my September dorm diary entry.

It looks like work is going to get even busier soon. We don’t have any public holidays until November, but I’ve heard we’ll get about a week off in late November as a substitute break.

Honestly, I’m fine with not having holidays, but I’m already excitedly thinking about how to spend that week off in November. Knowing myself, though, I’ll probably end up just relaxing and...

August Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my August dorm diary entry.

I’ve been watching the Shoushimin Series recently, and it’s been such a fun experience. A mystery without any deaths feels so refreshing, and I love how many desserts show up. It’s such a charming detail!

Lately, if I have any downtime, I’m almost always watching something. I finally got access to dAnime Store, so I’ve been checking off titles I’ve been wanting to watch for...

Early Access: Chatting With Nishii-san While She Corrects My Layout of a Girl Visiting a Grave

July Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my July dorm diary entry.

It’s that time of year when the summer anime season starts up. I’m planning to follow Fairy Tail and The Ordinary People Series this season. Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of older shows, but I figured it’s time to dive into something new.

Oh, and I finally got around to watching Bocchi the Rock! I know I’m late to the party, but it was so good that I binged it in one sitting...

June Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my June dorm diary entry.

I’ve been jotting down notes for this diary on my phone, but things got so busy that I couldn’t post until now. Sorry about that!

I had the chance to contribute to Fairy Tail, which starts airing on July 7. For the first episode, I worked on in-betweens and assistant key animation. There’s just something so exciting about seeing your drawings actually appear on screen. It really ma...

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda Ayaka

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my May dorm diary entry.

I’ve been keeping notes for the diary on my phone, but things got so busy I couldn’t post them until now, sorry about that!

During Golden Week, I didn’t go back home. Instead, I took it easy at the dorm, spent some time drawing, and did some cleaning. It was a nice, relaxing break.

Now that the holiday’s over, things are already picking up again with deadlines and meetings b...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda Ayaka

Hey everyone, Kuroda here.

Sorry for the late update! Here’s my April dorm diary entry.

I’ve been jotting down notes for the diary on my phone, but I got so busy that I couldn’t post them sooner. My apologies!

Anyway, onto the update! In April, we welcomed a new resident. I started chatting with them right away and was thrilled to find out we share the same hobby. We’re both into female idol groups! It feels like we’re going to get along great.

While talking,...

December Dormitory Diary Entry - Watanabe

Hey everyone, Watanabe here.

This is my December dorm diary entry.

I can’t believe we’re down to the last month of the year already. I feel like I say this every year, but time just keeps flying by faster and faster.

This year, I mostly worked as a keyframe checker, and it’s been a huge learning experience. I feel like I’ve really grown a lot. And now, next year, the project I worked on as a checker is finally going to air! I’m excited to see it, but at the sa...

Early Access: Chatting with Nishii-san - Wrapping Up Cut C39

Early Access : Watching Nishii-san Work While We Gab

Early Access : Making Lunch with Genga-chan - A Look Into the Animator Dormitory

Early Access: Talking With Nishii-San While She Corrects My Layouts

Being an Animator The Challenges of Staying on Model

Early Access: Going Over Layout Corrections with Nishii, Our Animation Director!

November Dormitory Diary Entry - Ura Takazumi

Hello! This is an animator speaking. Oh, I mean, Ura speaking!

Here’s my dormitory diary entry for November.

Since starting key animation last month, every day has felt incredibly fulfilling. I almost feel like I don’t even need days off anymore!

I have three colleagues who started key animation at the same time as me, and being as competitive as I am, I’m determined to not get outpaced—not in quality or in the number of cuts I complete. In fact, I’m pushing myself...

Early Access : Chatting with Nishii, our Animation Director!

Exclusive October Dormitory Diary Entry - Ura Takazumi

Hello, this is Ura with my exclusive October diary entry.

In mid-October, our studio’s project finally wrapped up. I had my fair share of frustrations, but for now, I’m just relieved it’s done.

And then—

Finally—

I get to draw KEY ANIMATION!!!

I’m beyond thrilled!

In mid-October, my fellow new hires and I attended a key animation orientation, where they explained the process and shared plans for the future. With the summer project now finished, ...

October Dormitory Diary Entry - Ura Takazumi

Hello, this is Ura with my October dormitory diary.

I’m excited to share that I got the chance to create a licensed illustration for the November issue of Megami Magazine, which hit shelves at the end of September! Apologies for the late update—it's been about a month since it was released!

It all started back in June when our studio held a competition for younger artists to create licensed illustrations. I joined in and, as it turned out, was one of the lucky winners! Then, w...

November Dormitory Diary Entry - Watanabe Sara

Hello, this is Watanabe. Here’s my dormitory diary entry for November.

November has arrived, but it feels warmer than usual for this time of year. The temperature is just right, though, so I wouldn’t mind if it stayed this way for a while!

As for work, starting this month, my main focus will shift to animation practice. Up until now, we animators had four days a month dedicated to practice, with the rest spent on regular work. But it looks like that’s going to be reversed. N...

October Dormitory Diary Entry - Ueno

Hello, this is Ueno with my October dormitory diary.

It finally feels like fall, though the weather has been all over the place...Just as I was thinking it wasn’t gonna cool down, it suddenly did. Now, if only the weather could make up its mind instead of swinging back and forth every day.

Recently, my project director sent me some layout corrections, which pointed out differences between how I interpreted the storyboard and what the director actually envisioned. I’ve come to ...