Summary
Violet Evergardenremains one of the most heartfelt projects by Kyoto Animation and the culmination of its decades of excellence, even survivinga tragedy that could have easily shuttered its doors. It’s been over three years since the series concluded withViolet Evergarden: The Movieand now, the series director is helmingHagureboshi no Uta, a project that’s quite different.
Announced in early December,Hagureboshiis a multimedia project combining an illustrated picture book with a soundtrack by Evan Call (Violet EvergardenandFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End). While certainly a departure from the usual medium, this story should be very exciting for longtime fans, as it unites some familiar creative minds while bolstering a newer generation of talent. The story follows a boy with blue eyes named Lazuli, who on his 12th birthday discovers that he is not truly his mother’s son, leading him to run away from home. Alone, he meets Eden, a blonde boy who recognizes the fruit entrusted to Lazuli by his mother. Together, they venture forth to look for the tree where such fruits grow.
The Director
Taichi Ishidate isn’t a director who needs a lot of lip service to convince people that he’s a talented fellow. One need only mentionViolet Evergardento get a glimpse at his prowess, but it will only be aglimpsein the grand scheme of things.Evergardenwasn’t just the culminationof its studio’s portfolio, but Ishidate’s skill over years of directing in-house.
WhenFull Metal Panicmade the jump from Studio Gonzo to KyoAni, it seemed strange that the sequel would be produced by the team that did the comedy spin-off,Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu. Of course, those fears evaporated the instant that KyoAni proved themselves quite capable of animating action that didn’t just answer the call but went above and beyond. Ishidate directed five of its 13 episodes.
He’d pop up frequently across some of the studio’s tent-pole works, directing episodes ofHaruhi Suzumiya,Lucky Star,Clannad,K-On!,Nichijou, and so on. It was no surprise that the man was bound to be a great director, and thoughViolet Evergardenis considered his masterpiece, his debut was one ofthe studio’s most underrated hits:Kyoukai no Kanata.
While much heavier on action thanViolet Evergarden,Kyoukai no Kanatademonstrates Ishidate’s skill at storytelling, especially that of interpersonal drama, which he is quite adept at exploring. Seeing his penchant for storytelling applied to a less animated medium will be interesting, to say the least, though he is certainly in good company on this project.
The Composer
If Ishidate’s credibility was already easily understood byViolet Evergardenalone, then Evan Call should be no different, but in the latter case, Call is more thanjust the man behind the music. The idea forHagureboshiwas originally his, born from a curiosity to combine music and picture books, which, over a few years, has developed into this project.
The romantic orchestral stylings of this Berklee graduate have captivated anime fans for years, especially this season with his powerful score forFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endat Madhouse. ConsideringViolet Evergardencaused him to blow up in popularity, reuniting with director Ishidate at KyoAni feels like a fitting stage upon which to bring his brainchild to life.
The Writer and the Illustrator
While the above artists are perhaps the most tempting hook to get people interested, the other creative leads on this project speak toone of KyoAni’s greatest strengths: young talent. Many of its artists are graduates of the studio’s own animation school. The aforementionedKyoukai no Kanatawas animated largely by said graduates, which is also why so many of the cuts on Sakugabooru aren’t easily attributed to specific animators like in other series.
While in-studio training isn’t unheard of in the industry, few do it quite like Kyoto Animation. This commitment to passing down techniques to new generations of animators, artists, and directors is how this studio has kept going, even after suffering terrible losses. With that in mind, meet Ayano Sato, the writer of Hagureboshi, and Shiori Yamazaki, the illustrator.
Both of them worked onViolet Evergarden- specifically the OVA and the film, as well asHibike Euphonium The Movie - Our Promise: A Brand New Day(2019). Sato is credited as part of the supporting staff and Yamazaki was one of the background artists. Yamazaki has also illustrated forTsurune: The Linking ShotandMiss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S.
Hagureboshi no Utamight not be a new anime, but it’s no less intriguing thanks to the artwork and music shown thus far, the proven talent behind it, and the new talent eager to impress. The 56-page book and music CD are available for pre-order through Kyoto Animation’s website until January 8 and are set for release in Japan in late January.
MORE:The Kyoto Animation Hidden Gem Every Anime Fan Needs To Watch
