Kiyotaka Oshiyama is an animator who has decided to forge his own path. Founder of Studio Durian, this young director is not content with the established norms. His vision focuses on the freedom of the line, bringing to life worlds where imagination flows without restrictions. With works like Flip Flappers and the recent Look Back, he demonstrates that animation can be a vehicle for the purest artistic expression, far removed from rigid commercial formulas.
The mechanics of controlled chaos in animation 🎨
Oshiyama's method challenges industrial production. Instead of relying on rigid storyboards, his team prioritizes key animation and irregular spacing, generating an organic movement that seems to breathe. In Look Back, the shaky camera technique and semi-abstract backgrounds create a sense of immediacy. Studio Durian uses digital tools to emulate the texture of pencil, but without losing the fluidity of traditional 2D. The result is an animation that feels alive, even though it technically demands meticulous control of each frame.
When your studio is named after a stinky fruit 🍈
Naming your studio Durian is a statement of intent. For those who don't know, the durian is that Asian fruit that smells like hell but tastes like heaven. Oshiyama basically said: my animation will stink of creativity and no one will care if it's not commercial. While other studios seek photographic realism, he draws girls flying through psychedelic portals in Flip Flappers. It's like a chef deciding that pizza goes better with chocolate. And hey, sometimes it works.