In recent decades, anime studio Orange (BEASTARS, Trigun Stampede) has become one of Japan's leading creators in the CG anime scene. According to Eiji Inomoto, chief director and representative of Orange, his team had several major obstacles to overcome before achieving success – firstly, that audiences were much less accustomed to CG animation.

Orange opened its doors in 2004; a year when studios were increasingly relying on CG to help facilitate the production of their anime. However, starting a CG anime studio was still relatively risky, as most only did contract work for other major studios. However, Inomoto believed that there were certain things that his team could only achieve effectively using CG. During a recent interview with NataliaInomoto explained why he decided to throw caution to the wind and start building an in-house team to create original productions using CG.

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Inomoto began his career in CG production as a freelancer in the gaming industry. In 1999, he began applying his talent to anime production. One of his first projects was Zooids, a science fiction mecha anime that became a huge domestic hit. He was also responsible for the animation of Production I.G.'s Tachikoma robots Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002). These series opened Inomoto’s mind to the possibilities of CG animation, but he still had some reservations about opening his own studio. “In the anime industry at the time, the demand for CG was increasing in order to compensate for difficult-to-process parts in animation,” Inomoto said. “Due to such an unstable situation, CG production companies were able to continue to make a profit. But to be honest, I didn’t know if I could continue to produce… I didn’t know if a CG company could do business as a business.”

Land of the Lustrous was an opportunity to introduce CG to other types of anime characters.

In the beginning, Orange started out doing subcontract work for studios like Satelight (Genesis of Aquarium) and Kinema Citrus (.Hack // Quantum). In 2017 the studio was chosen as the main contractor for an anime called Land of the Shining. This meant that Orange was responsible for almost every major aspect of the production, including script, storyboards, and animation. Inomoto saw this as a golden opportunity to start using CG for things that audiences were less familiar with at the time. “I did this work with the idea that I wanted anime fans to accept CG, and it was great that this work finally achieved that goal. Until then, robots and other devices had been successful, but in Land ofBrightthe CG-drawn characters were well received,” Inomoto explained.

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Trigun Stampede's CG animation has received a more positive reaction than expected

While Inomoto was actively trying to make CG more appealing to mainstream audiences, he still admits that 2017 audience attitudes influenced how he designed the series. “When I was working on Land of the Shining, I was looking for a line that looked like animation and CG. The other day, I was looking back and I thought, 'at the time, I thought this was the best.' But if I did Land of the Shining now, I wouldn't do it that way. Seven years have passed, and both the public's tolerance for CG and my own tastes have changed, because the parts of CG that make people feel comfortable have changed.” Inomoto realized this soon after the release of Trigun Stampede (2023), which quickly gained a dedicated following. “We created Trigun Stampede anticipating that there would be negative reactions, such as 'too much movement'. In fact, there were a few people who said that in the first few days of the broadcast, but the broadcast ended on a much better note than I expected.”

Beastars fans await the long-awaited final season

Orange is currently working on the highly anticipated final season of BEASTS. Adapted from Paru Itagaki’s hit manga, this CG anime is set in a world inhabited entirely by anthropomorphic animals, many of whom struggle to overcome their baser instincts. Additionally, Orange is also developing a new anime inspired by historical events, which Inomoto describes as a “new challenge” for his studio. However, Inomoto approaches the challenge with optimism and has high hopes for the future of his team. “Orange’s next goal is to make a ‘big hit’ with full CG, so I hope we can achieve that and get even more people to accept CG jobs.”

Beasts

In a world of anthropomorphic animals, a reclusive wolf's complicated relationship with a gentle rabbit is tested by the murder of a classmate, the influence of a charismatic deer, and his own growing predatory instincts.

Release date

October 10, 2019

Seasons

2

Studio

Orange

The Creator

Paru Itagaki

Number of episodes

24

Source: Comic Natalie's interview with Eiji Inomoto (parts 1 and 2)