P.A. Works
A Japanese animation planning and production company. "PA" is an abbreviation for "Progressive Animation". On November 10, 2000, Kenji Horikawa, the company representative and producer of BEE TRAIN, established Etsuchu Animation Honpo Co., Ltd. in Jobata-cho, Higashi-Tonami-gun, Toyama Prefecture. On January 1, 2002, the company officially changed its name to PA Works (PA Works Co., Ltd.), and immediately moved the studio to its current location. The reason for its establishment is that Horikawa needs to return to the local area according to the family's agreement, and seeing that there is no mature animation studio in the local area, he decided to start a business. At the beginning of its establishment, due to limited funds, it was necessary to borrow an abandoned hospital for reconstruction, and to borrow the cable TV network to handle various administrative work. Since its establishment, the company has long been one of the cooperative partners of BEE TRAIN, Production IG and BONES. With the development of the company's business, the company has not only established a branch in the capital, Tokyo, but also committed to improving the health and dormitory welfare of employees. At present, Toyama Head Office is mainly responsible for painting and 3D-CG production, while Tokyo office P-10 is responsible for performance and distribution production. In 2008, the company invested in the independent production of "true tears" for the first time, and used this to set a route for its early promotion of original animation and to maintain the high quality of the finished product. At the same time, the company also invested in the production of Q-style prints of "Professor Layton Series". As for the future outlook, the president has expressed the hope that one day he will be able to independently produce two films a year on average, with a total of more than 50 episodes of animation production throughout the year.
The timeline
Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-26
1. Niwa ni wa Niwa Niwatori ga Ita. (A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard) 2. Sasaki-kun ga Juudan Tometa (Sasaki Stopped a Bullet) 3. Koi wa Moumoku (Love Is Blind) 4. Shikaku 5. Ningyo Rhapsody (Mermaid Rhapsody) 6. Me ga Sametara Onnanoko ni Natteita Yamai (Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome) 7. Yogen no Nayuta (Nayuta of the Prophecy) 8. Imouto no Ane (Sisters)
Hibi wa Sugiredo Meshi Umashi
Introverted university student Mako Kawai has a hobby of watching food videos and cooking what she learns from them. She is now a far cry from her energetic self back in elementary school—due to her growing social anxiety, she fears trying new things, such as going to restaurants alone or even making friends. Enter Shinon Ogawa, one of Mako's childhood friends with whom she reunites in college. Still as extroverted as ever, Shinon quickly adopts Mako into her friend group, which includes the easygoing Tsutsuji Higa and the level-headed Kurea Furutachi. Together, they are planning to start a Food Culture Research Club and invite Mako to join as their fourth member. Though she initially declines, Mako soon realizes that this is her chance to finally brighten up her days, enjoy life surrounded by friends, and eat delicious food with everyone! [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Project Sekai Movie: Kowareta Sekai to Utaenai Miku
At a CD store, Ichika Hoshino hears a song by Miku that she has never heard before. On the monitor, she sees a "Hatsune Miku" in a form she has never seen before, and couldn't help say it out loud, "Miku!?" Miku was surprised at the voice, her eyes meet Ichika's, but she disappears shortly after. Later, after a live performance on the street, the Miku that Ichika saw before appears on her smartphone. Miku looks sad and downcast, and when Ichika quietly asks Miku about her story, she tells Ichika that there are people to whom she wants to deliver her songs, but no matter how much she sings, her songs are not reaching them. Miku, who saw Ichika singing to the hearts of many people at her live performances, thought that if she learns more about Ichika, she can do the same, and came to Ichika. Ichika smiles at Miku and says, "If it's all right with me." And a new story of Hatsune Miku and the boys and girls begins—. (Source: Crunchyroll)
Mikadono Sanshimai wa Angai, Choroi.
The Mikadono sisters—Miwa, Niko, and Kazuki—stand at the pinnacle of Saika Academy as its Three Royals, renowned respectively as prodigies in shogi, karate, and theater. Unfortunately, they have drifted apart from each other due to their overwhelming dedication to their fields, effectively turning them into strangers living under the same roof. Enter Yuu Ayase, the son of the late Subaru Ayase, a legendary actress who graduated from Saika. Unlike his mother, Yuu lacks any extraordinary talent whatsoever, much to the disappointment of those who knew her. Still, he transfers to her alma mater with one quiet promise in his heart: to fulfill her final wish that he build a true and happy family. It just so happens that the Mikadono patriarch is also Subaru's longtime friend and benefactor, and he offers Yuu both a place to stay and a fresh start. Thrust into the lives of three estranged sisters who act cold toward him, Yuu may not be a genius himself, but the clumsy sincerity he brings might be what they all need to start anew. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Skip to Loafer
In order to pursue her dream of bringing positive changes to Japan, Mitsumi Iwakura leaves her countryside town to attend a prestigious high school in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. As she has already mapped a clear life plan, she has absolute confidence that there will be zero mishaps from then onwards. Despite her ambitious promise, the country girl ends up running late on the first day when she gets lost on her way to school. Fortunately, she meets a fellow first-year student, Sousuke Shima, who is in the same situation and offers to go with her. They eventually make it to school, but the misfortunes do not end there, as Mitsumi leaves an unfavorable first impression in front of her classmates. Nevertheless, the class soon takes notice of her friendship with Sousuke despite their opposing personalities. Only time will tell whether Mitsumi will be able to forge fruitful relationships with her classmates, and she will certainly not be alone. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Buddy Daddies
On Christmas Eve, four-year-old Miri Unasaka arrives in Tokyo completely alone, in search of her father. The bright lights and merry atmosphere guide Miri to a big hotel and a man with a delicious-looking cake. However, the child has just unknowingly walked into the center of an elaborate, foolproof plan for assassinating a dangerous mafia boss. Professional assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa live together, fleeing memories of their grim childhoods and avoiding emotional connections. When their mission goes awry and they end up bringing Miri home, there is only one reasonable thing to do: return Miri to her mother. But the girl's innocent laugh and pure worldview quickly enamor her to Kazuki, who secretly enjoys playing a parent, and it is not long before Rei's impenetrable heart makes room for Miri. Miri's every move is unpredictable, and Kazuki and Rei find raising an energetic child harder than any of their missions. Although it presents a great risk to their careers, Kazuki and Rei—both assuming the affectionate nickname "papa"—decide to provide Miri with a normal childhood despite all the odds stacked against them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Paripi Koumei
Zhuge Kongming earned a reputation as one of the greatest tacticians of the Three Kingdoms period of third-century China. Having led his army through countless grueling victories, Kongming falls gravely ill during the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. The weariness and regret stemming from the seemingly never-ending war catch up to him, and as he draws his final breath, Kongming wishes that if he were to reincarnate, he would be reborn in a more peaceful era. His wish comes true, and Kongming wakes up in modern-day Tokyo with a younger body and his memories intact. Thrust into an unfamiliar world, he finds his way into a nightclub and meets Eiko Tsukimi, an aspiring singer whose performance immediately captivates him. Pitying his confusion, Eiko takes Kongming under her wing and teaches him about the current world, which leads to Kongming's interest in contemporary music. Seeing Eiko's immense musical potential, Kongming vows to make the world recognize her and soon takes on the role of her manager. Unsurprisingly, the music industry is unforgiving to those who make even the slightest mistakes. Still, Kongming is determined to accomplish his goals—even if he must utilize the war stratagems he famously used in his previous life! [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Akiba Meido Sensou
The innocent Nagomi Wahira has always admired the cute girls serving at maid cafes. Hoping to fulfill her dream of becoming one, she moves to Akihabara to work at the maid cafe Ton Tokoton. Nagomi's first day seems completely normal—until she has to run an "errand" at a rival maid cafe along with her fellow recruit, the mature Ranko Mannen. There, things quickly go south, and Nagomi soon gets her first taste of Akihabara's violent maid wars. As she watches Ranko calmly battle her way through a horde of gun- and knife-wielding maids, Nagomi realizes that maid cafes are drastically unlike what she had envisioned. While struggling to reconcile her expectations with the harsh reality she finds herself in, Nagomi searches for the enjoyment she once saw in the lives of maids. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou
Maquia is a member of a special race called the Iorph—mystical beings who can live for hundreds of years and remain separate from the lives and daily troubles of mankind. However, Maquia has always felt lonely despite being surrounded by her people, as she was orphaned from a young age. She daydreams about the outside world, but dares not travel from her home due to the warnings of the clan's chief. One day however, the outside world finds her, as the power-hungry kingdom of Mezarte invades her homeland. They already have what is left of the giant dragons, the Renato, under their control, and now their king wishes to add the immortality of the Iorph to his bloodline. The humans and their Renato ravage the Iorph homeland and kill most of its inhabitants. Caught in the midst of the attack, Maquia is carried off by one of the Renato that has gone berserk. It soon dies, and she is left deserted in a forest far from home, now truly alone save for the cries of a single baby off in the distance. Maquia finds the baby in a destroyed village and decides to raise him as her own, naming him Ariel. Although she knows nothing of the human world, how to raise a child that ages much faster than her, or how to live with the smoldering loneliness inside, she is determined to make it all work somehow. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara
Despite the kaleidoscopic magic ingrained in everyday life, Hitomi Tsukishiro's monochrome world is deprived of emotion and feeling. On a night as black and white as any other, amidst the fireworks spreading across the sky, Hitomi's grandmother Kohaku conjures a spell, for which she has been harnessing the moon's light for 60 years, to send Hitomi back in time to the year 2018 when Kohaku was in high school. Hitomi's mission seems unclear, but her grandmother assures her that she will know when she gets there. Following a trip through time aboard a train driven by a strange yellow creature, Hitomi finds herself in stoic artist Yuito Aoi's room, and his drawings flood her world with color. What is Hitomi's purpose there, and why do Yuito's drawings return such breathtaking color to her drab world? [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nagi no Asu kara
Long ago, all humans lived beneath the sea. However, some people preferred the surface and abandoned living underwater permanently. As a consequence, they were stripped of their god-given protection called "Ena" which allowed them to breathe underwater. Over time, the rift between the denizens of the sea and of the surface widened, although contact between the two peoples still existed. Nagi no Asu kara follows the story of Hikari Sakishima and Manaka Mukaido, along with their childhood friends Chisaki Hiradaira and Kaname Isaki, who are forced to leave the sea and attend a school on the surface. There, the group also meets Tsumugu Kihara, a fellow student and fisherman who loves the sea. Hikari and his friends' lives are bound to change as they have to deal with the deep-seated hatred and discrimination between the people of sea and of the surface, the storms in their personal lives, as well as an impending tempest which may spell doom for all who dwell on the surface. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Hanasaku Iroha Movie: Home Sweet Home
Ohana Matsumae has been working at Kissui Inn as a waitress for a while now. However, she realizes that she is starting to lose her desire to sparkle, having grown accustomed to the routines of her job. As this was a desire she had when she first moved to the inn, the realization bothers her. While having Yuina Wakura—Ohana's classmate, friend, and the daughter of rival Fukuya Inn's owner—under her as an apprentice, Ohana stumbles upon some old archives that mention her mother, Satsuki. Ohana does not know much about her mother, but these archives could shed some light on her past. Besides learning more about her mother, it is business as usual at Kissui Inn—though with a couple of challenges to test Ohana and the staff of the inn. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Uchouten Kazoku
Kyoto has been populated by groups of tanuki and tengu for years, living alongside humans who are oblivious to the existence of these creatures. Yasaburou Shimogamo is the third son of an influential tanuki family who spends his carefree days taking care of an old tengu, observing humans through his ability to shapeshift, and dealing with the mysterious woman named Benten. Behind the peace and tranquility, however, is a painful memory from long ago as Yasaburou's father, head of the tanuki community, was killed and eaten by a group of humans known as the Friday Fellows. Uchouten Kazoku follows the trials and tribulations of the Shimogamo brothers as they struggle to avoid their own grisly demise while coming ever closer to unraveling the truth behind their father's death. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Angel Beats!
Death is one of many mysteries that has left humanity in the dark since the dawn of time. However, the burning question of what happens to the soul after one dies is soon answered to 17-year-old Yuzuru Otonashi. Waking up with no previous memories in a dimension between life and death, he discovers the unsettling truth of the afterlife. Taking the form of a high school, this bizarre dimension is designated to shelter those who died unwanted deaths. Feeling wronged by God during their earthly lives, the school's residents have decided to form the Afterlife Battlefront—a rebellious faction determined to oppose their god-like student council president, Kanade "Angel" Tachibana. The group's leader, Yuri Nakamura, recruits Otonashi in their fight against Angel in order to take control of their own lives. However, questioning the morality behind their actions, Otonashi takes a step behind the enemy lines to understand the opposing side of their common fate. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Angel Beats! Specials
As the Shinda Sekai Sensen (SSS) continue their vindictive rebellion against God, their leader, Yuri Nakamura, comes up with an ingenious plan to escape the afterlife. Her subordinates prepare to carry out "Operation High Tension Syndrome" to deceive Kanade Tachibana, student council president and alleged associate of God, into thinking that they are ready to pass on. With a week's worth of food on the line and with Heaven as the ultimate prize, will the SSS members be able to fool the inscrutable Kanade? [Written by MAL Rewrite]
