Yoshimi Yamagata Aoyagi

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Hison Shin

I apologize for the delay.

Here's my diary entry from May 26th.

Thank you for your continued support.

Recently, things have been quite challenging, and establishing a routine in my daily life has been difficult. However, in the long run, sticking to a routine is more efficient. To ensure I have time to rest and study, I want to increase my drawing speed. It's frustrating not being able to draw as much as I'd like, but I will keep working hard to draw better and faster. I'm v...

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Okumura

Hello, this is Okumura. Here's my diary entry from May.

At our studio, "Otsukaresama" is the default greeting. It's nice because it doesn't give me the chance to nervously flub and say "Konnichiwa" in the dead of night...

(Translation note: Japanese has 3 different greetings typically. Ohayō for the morning, Konnichiwa for noon, and Konbanwa for evenings. It's really easy to slip up and use th...

June Dormitory Diary Entry - Okabe

Thank you for your support. This is Okabe.

June has been really busy. Spring was relatively slow, but now I'll have to work more overtime going forward.

I'll manage somehow.

I used to start work in the morning, but lately, I've been leaving home around noon. This means I get home late, which I don't like. Flexible hours and not being tied to a fixed schedule have their own challenges.

With the way things have been recently, there is little work to be done in the mornin...

Early Access: Jujutsu Kaisen Animation Director Joins Our Team!?

Early Access: NHK Featured the Animator Dormitory!

June Dormitory Diary Entry - Watanabe Sara

Hello, this is Watanabe.

Here is my June dormitory diary entry.

Recently, I participated in my first 'rush check.' It was a bit nerve-wracking because there were people I don't usually interact with, like the director, finishers, and compositors.

During the rush check, people from different departments suggest retakes. I learned a lot of new things, and it really broadened my perspective. We review the footage cut by cut, and everyone comments on anything that stands out. I'...

May Dormitory Diary Entry ー Aina Sugisawa

Good morning, this is Sugisawa.

Sorry for the delay, but here is my dormitory diary for May!

Recently, I had the chance to visit the post-production department and see some work get finalized. Even though our departments are all a part of the overall animation process, there’s so much I don’t know about these other sections. It was a great learning experience. I wanted to ask more questions and deepen my understanding, but I was too nervous to be forward about it. How frustrat...

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Shin Hison

I apologize for the delay.
I still feel like I haven't quite gotten used to the job. The other day, I briefly attended a dormitory gathering. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to others, but the thought of being constantly evaluated makes me feel like I need to improve quickly. As an animator, I need to not only draw well but also do it quickly. I'm still slow, but I'm determined to get better.

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遅くなりまして申し訳ございません。
中々�...

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Okamoto

I appreciate your patience and sorry for the delay.

Here's the dormitory diary entry for May.

Early in May, I caught a cold... I felt I had to push myself too hard during training because I didn’t want to fall behind my peers.

Now, my cold is completely gone, and my training is progressing smoothly.

I'm not the best at drawing neatly, so training for in-betweens requires full attention. I lose focus quickly compared to my peers, so I feel anxious like...maybe I won't...

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Okabe

Thank you for your continued support. This is Okabe.

The other day, I had my first experience training a new recruit. It was pretty challenging!

I’ve noticed that most issues that arise in animation are due to a lack of communication rather than individual skill levels. Therefore, I want to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable asking anything.

Mainly because our work schedules often don't align with our designated mentors, I want to encourage everyone not to ...

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Yōri Okumura

Hello again from yesterday.

May sure is hot, huh? This is Okumura.

Every day I’m worried about my clothes—I feel like I’m failing them.

My laundry pile stacks higher and higher until I finally wash everything all at once. People say that washing machines don’t have a heart, but I swear I can hear mine crying.

Getting to hear from my seniors at that new animator meet-up I mentioned has taught me so, so much.

I hope to see substantial personal growth from A...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Yōri Okumura

Many apologies for the extremely late post. This is my April dormitory diary entry.

The latter half of April brought with it a change of season, tanking my health in the process. I am Okumura, and I am slowly recovering. 

I’ve been trying to watch what I eat and cook at home as much as possible, but the seasons seem to have other plans for me.

I think my training is going along smoothly, but there’re a lot of concepts I’m uncertain about. One of my biggest goals i...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Yuna Ueno

I apologize for my delay in posting. Here is my dormitory diary entry for April.

In my first year, my focus was on drawing clean, meticulous lines while also trying to increase my output. Having become quite proficient at drawing neatly, this year my goal is to work faster! I also plan to monitor how much time I spend on each task more closely, ensuring that I meet deadlines without delay. The past year flew by incredibly fast, and I'm determined to make this one a year of significant l...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Yōka Okamoto

I apologize for the significant delay. Here is my dormitory diary entry for April.

A month has passed since my training began, and it's been a deeply enlightening experience. Training in animation has truly immersed me in the professional world, highlighting a stark contrast between my previous self-taught animations and the precise standards expected in this field. Receiving detailed feedback on line quality and frame division made me realize how much I've been viewing drawing through ...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Junta Sakurai

Thank you for your support, and my apologies for the significant delay—here is my April diary entry.

When I was a student, I used to sneak a sketchbook under my notebook during class and often doodled. It turns out that even Director Hideaki Anno used to draw flipbook cartoons on the margins of his textbooks during his school days. Experiencing this makes me realize that everyone starts from similar, ordinary beginnings.

Since my last dormitory diary entry, much time has passed,...

May Dormitory Diary Entry - Watanabe

Thank you for your support. This is Watanabe.

This is my dormitory diary entry for May. As the weather has warmed up recently, I've switched out my wardrobe. It's still a bit too chilly for short sleeves yet too warm for long sleeves, making my clothing choices an unexpected battle. 

I wish the season would just make up its mind already so I can do the same.

It's almost a month since I started my job as an animation supervisor. I find myself mostly working on turning an...

Early Access: An Animator's Take on Our Training Program

Early Access: We're Expanding the Animator Dormitory!

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Aina Sugisawa

Here's a late diary entry to welcome the new fiscal year—my apologies. This is Sugisawa. Thank you for your support.

Two weeks have flown by like an arrow. Looking back, the green leaves are already mingling with the pale pink blossoms of the city's cherry trees, making the cherry-lined streets seem almost dreamlike. I find myself shivering at the aloofness of time.

Since my first day at work, I have spent my time drawing at the desk assigned to me. Although the industry is movi...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Naoto Enokida

Thank you for your continued support,

This is Naoto Enokida.

Training began last week at my studio.

They're trying to streamline communication across each sector this year, I suppose!

The week was mostly classroom-based; we listened to presentations on common practices and communication expectations from various instructors, and we had about two hours of talks from representatives of each sector of the studio.

I also went out for lunch with my peers.

I lear...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Shin Hison

Thank you very much for your support, and I apologize for the delay. This is my April dormitory diary entry.

All of the dormitory residents held a gathering toward the back half of March, and now we're in our first week of training.

It was a really valuable experience to mingle with my fellow dormmates. It's not every day you get information outside of the studio you belong to. It was very enjoyable.

Training is also very enjoyable. Physically, I'm very tired from the move, ...

February Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda Ayaka

I apologize for the delay in posting.

Thank you for your continued support.

I'm Kuroda, and this is my diary entry for February.

I've just celebrated my birthday, and frankly, I'm quite taken aback by my age. In the animation industry, many enter right from vocational schools, making me often one of the older ones around. Additionally, there's no shortage of people who are more skilled than I am. Coming into this industry with relatively few peers, I was astounded by the imm...

January Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda Ayaka

I apologize for the delay in posting.

Thank you for your continued support.

This is Kuroda, bringing you my January dormitory diary entry.

Happy New Year.

Reflecting on the past year, it was a rollercoaster of joys and setbacks. Now, stepping into the role of drawing keyframes, I'm brimming with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

My goal for this year is to cultivate a good life, focusing not only on professional achievements but also on maintaining physical ...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Yōri Okumura

Thank you for your continued support. This is Okumura.

I apologize for the late post.

April has arrived, and I have transitioned from a student to a working adult, but I still feel very much like a student.

We started with internal greetings at the studio.

Being still in training, the excitement of facing the unknown continues, just as I said in my previous diary entry.

At home, I don't even have a single cup, and I keep walking past shops every day without buyin...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Watanabe

Thank you very much for your support. This is Watanabe.

Here is my dormitory diary entry for April.

The warm seasons are now underway, and the air is comfortable. Seeing the Sakuras in full bloom on my way to work reminds me that we are in a new year.

Since April, I’ve had the pleasure of becoming an animation supervisor, which I’ve been busy with over the past week. I undertook a preliminary exam a few days ago where I needed to check if certain frames matched their att...

December Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda Ayaka

I apologize for the delay and appreciate your understanding.

This is Kuroda with my December dormitory diary entry.

I've been informed that I might have passed the key animation test. Yet, amidst the excitement of potentially progressing to key animation, there's a layer of concern—stemming from both my personal joy and certain company logistics—that perhaps I wasn't ready to leave in-between animation just yet. Doubts about whether my skills are truly up to par or if it's the...

December Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda Ayaka

I apologize for the delay and appreciate your understanding.

This is Kuroda with my December dormitory diary entry.

I've been informed that I might have passed the key animation test. Yet, amidst the excitement of potentially progressing to key animation, there's a layer of concern—stemming from both my personal joy and certain company logistics—that perhaps I wasn't ready to leave in-between animation just yet. Doubts about whether my skills are truly up to par or if it's the...

Our Next Steps at Animator Supporters

Live Until April 14th (Sun):

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/animatorsupporters/raising-animators-wages-a-music-video-with-aya-hirano

The anime industry is a harsh place to work; it's a miracle that most of our favorite shows make it to TV.  Animators’ wages have been stagnant for over a decade, yet quality standards an...

March Dormitory Diary Entry - Kuroda

Thank you for your support.
This is Kuroda.
Here is my Dormitory Diary Entry for March.
It’s scary to think that we’re already 1/4th through the year.
I’m on my 3rd iteration of the keyframe test, and I just can’t seem to get the hang of it. I thought that, with time, I’d learn, but I just simply don’t feel any growth. 
So, I decided to talk to multiple people about it.
The multiple here is important as If you ask one person, you may get an answer, but ask multipl...

April Dormitory Diary Entry - Okabe

Thank you for your support. This is Okabe. I’m now heading into my second year in animation.

The newest batch of hires is officially part of the studio! There’re way more people in this batch than there were in mine.

I’ve heard some spooky rumors that a lot of the new hires were working remotely with the studio before officially being hired. Apparently, some of them are really skilled. As their senior, I’ll be in charge of checking their work next month, but honestly, I’...