What is the Shaft Head Tilt?
Kabushiki-gaisha SHAFT, known simply as Studio SHAFT, is a famous Japanese animation studio known for the production of various famous titles, including the Monogatari Series (2009-2019), Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011), and Nisekoi (2016), among several others.
Since the enlistment of director Akiyuki Shinbō in 2004, SHAFT has gained a reputation for its avant-garde cinematography and visual style, culminating in the development of one of the studio's signature visuals: the SHAFT head-tilt. What exactly is the SHAFT head-tilt, and why is it such a major characteristic of SHAFT's productions? Let's find out.
A Beginner's Guide to Studio Trigger
Back in 2004, Akiyuki Shinbō was hired by a Studio SHAFT in transition. The founder of the company, Hiroshi Wakao, retired, with Mitsutoshi Kubota taking over as president. Kubota had the desire to transform SHAFT into a studio with recognizable characteristics, and he saw Shinbō as just the right person to do that, having seen the director's influence over works like The SoulTaker, a 2001 sci-fi anime series.
His first work under the studio was the anime adaptation of Keitarō Arima's Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, but it wasn't until the announcement of the adaptation NisioIsiN's Bakemonogatari in 2008 that the studio found itself being propelled into the kind of fame it is characterized by today. For Bakemonogatari, Shinbō worked alongside character designer Akio Watanabe, with whom he'd worked together on Starship Girl Yamamoto Yōko and Le Portrait de Petit Cossette. Bakemonogatari was a massive success, praised for its visuals and darker atmosphere compared to previous SHAFT titles.
Studio SHAFT Releases Bakemonogatari Manga Promo Video
At first, Shinbō's direction was more subdued, with
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