The founder of the major anime studio P.A.WORKS, Kenji Horikawa, feels that the large number of anime productions may be dimming creators’ desire to make original anime. In an interview with Real Sound ahead of the release of Fushigi no Kuni de Alice to -Dive in Wonderland- (Alice in Wonderland anime adaptation), Horikawa said regarding the challenges of creating original works:
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“It’s certainly true that it’s difficult to create original works these days. Anime production costs are rising rapidly, so from the investor’s perspective, original works naturally carry a higher risk, and I can understand that to some extent.
On the other hand, with the sheer volume of works becoming overwhelming, leading to a sense of exhaustion from trying to keep up with demand, I feel like that sudden, initial impulse of ‘This is what we want to create’ is weakening.
With original works, the story, worldview, and characters are all created by the creators themselves, so the production effort is high. The important thing is whether there’s something worth going through that effort to create. But, if the current situation continues, I feel a sense of crisis that even if we all want to, we might forget how to make an original work.“
P.A.WORKS has participated in numerous popular anime originals, such as:
- Angel Beats
- Shirobako
- Charlotte
- Nagi no Asukara (Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea)
- Iroduku: The World in Colors
- Appare-Ranman!
- Akiba Maid War
- Buddy Daddies
- Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
- Komada: A Whisky Family
P.A.WORKS will produce Dusk Beyond the End of the World, the upcoming sci-fi original series for the studio’s 25th anniversary. HIDIVE confirmed that it will stream the series in the fall of 2025. The studio’s adaptation of the Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze manga is currently streaming, while its Alice in Wonderland film adaptation debuts later this month. P.A.WORKS is developing the second season of Skip and Loafer.
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In the interview, Horikawa also discusses the studio’s approach to planning original works, adding that the studio aims to continue doing so into the 2030s. He also discusses the studio’s headquarters in Toyama, notably outside Tokyo, where many anime studios are situated, and the importance of setting up in rural areas.
Source: Real Sound
©VisualArt’s/Key ©VisualArt’s/Key/Angel Beats! Project © Misaki Takamatsu, Kodansha/ “Skip and Loafer” Production Committee
