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Fewanimestudios are as beloved as the legendary studio Kyoto Animation. Thanks to shows likeK-On!,Violet Evergarden, and2006’sThe Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kyoto Animation has long since earned a reputation for how well they combine gorgeous visuals with heartwarming, character-driven stories, and even with their output having slowed down in recent years, they’re still widely recognized as one of the best anime studios around.
Kyoto Animation has long since earned its prestigious reputation, and that’s about to get even better. For the first time in six years, Kyoto Animation has put out a new anime that isn’t a sequel to a previous project titledCity the Animation, and as presumptuous as it might be to say so right now,City the Animationalready looks to be one of Kyoto Animation’s best anime in years. It’s easy to see why, in terms of visuals and writing, and overall, a show like this was a long time coming for Kyoto Animation.
City The Animation Is Already One Of The Most Gorgeous Anime Of The Year
Why City The Animation Looks So Good
The first thing that stands out aboutCity the Animation, of course, is its visuals. Kyoto Animation is famous for the incredible quality of its productions, and sure enough,City the Animationis filled with vibrant colors and gorgeously fluid animation from the moment it starts, making every scene a great one to watch.
It would be easy to write offCity’s animation because of the simplistic art style, but that is nothing but a disservice to its quality. Not only does the cartoonish art style fit perfectly with the surreal tone of the story, but being so simplistic makes it easier for the anime to be consistent with the fluidity of its animation, as well. It perfectly captures how great Kyoto Animation projects can look, regardless of style, and overall, it’s great to see.
Kyoto Animation’s New Show Is Already A Surreal Masterpiece
What Makes City The Animation So Hilarious
As much as Kyoto Animation projects are known for their emotional storytelling, they’re probably just as famous for their comedy. Whether it’sslice-of-life animelikeK-On!andLove, Chunibyo, & Other Delusionsor full-blown comedies likeLucky StarandFull Metal Panic? Fumoffu, Kyoto Animation always has a knack for visual and verbal comedy with seemingly no limits to the jokes they’ll tell, and that’s a big part of why their projects are so fun to watch.
All of that, of course, is on full display withCity the Animation. The series opens with an absurd story of a phoenix turning to stone and being used for random nonsense, and the rest of the episode is equally nonsensical through its rapid-fire gags that often come from nowhere, yet always find a way to draw a laugh.City the Animationis one of the most surreal anime to come out in recent years, and it’s only going to get crazier from here.
City The Animation Is The Perfect Successor To One Of Kyoto Animation’s Best Shows
How City The Animation Follows Nichijou’s Legacy
Above all else, what will stand out the most aboutCity the Animationis its similarities to another Kyoto Animation project,Nichijou. Both shows are surreal comedies with simple and cartoonish art styles, and that’s hardly a coincidence, as both stories were made by Keiichi Arawi, withCitybeing Arawi’s first new manga afterNichijouwent on hiatus in 2015.
Nichijouis easily one of thebest Kyoto Animation animefor how well it sells itself as a gorgeous and surreal comedy, and withCitycoming from the same creator,any fan ofNichijoucan expect to find all of its great writing and animation inCity the Animation, as well. The series clearly has no reservations about playing into that, and it’s going to be great to watch because of it.
Kyoto Animation’s New Anime Is Nostalgic In The Best Of Ways
What Makes City The Animation Kyoto Animation’s Best Show In Years
There are plenty of things going forCity the Animation, but what probably best sells it as a show is how nostalgic it feels. It’s one thing for it to so heavily resembleNichijou, specifically, but the overall presentation ofCity the Animationfeels reminiscent of the most classic Kyoto Animation style, and with how fun it already is to watch, that’s more than paying off.
2019 saw Kyoto Animation become the victim of a gruesome arson attack that they still haven’t fully recovered from, so if anything,City the Animationbeing such a classic Kyoto Animation project works because it reminds people of how things were beforethe Kyoto Animation arson attack. That might not have been intentional, but the feeling is nonetheless there, and it’s a great one to have.
All in all, there’s been plenty to love aboutCity the Animationfrom day one. With its gorgeous visuals, stunningly surreal comedy, and the generally fun vibes of its overall presentation, it’s already proven to be one of thebest anime of the summer 2025 anime seasonand, above all else, one of the best Kyoto Animation projects in over five years.City the Animationhas all the makings of a modern classic, and even after just a single episode, any Kyoto Animation fan would be remiss to pass it up.
