{"rewrite":{"id":"r_0128d375826b460de2ed04f7","clusterId":"c_9b5acc6c8dfca2ffb55853d2","slug":"takushi-koide-discusses-hand-drawn-animation-in-goodbye-lara-at-anime-expo","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Takushi Koide Discusses Hand-Drawn Animation in Goodbye, Lara at Anime Expo","summary":"Director Takushi Koide appeared at Anime Expo 2026 after a screening of the first episode of his original anime Goodbye, Lara. The project, five years in the making, uses hand-painted backgrounds and thick-lined character designs to evoke 1990s anime aesthetics. Koide worked with Studio Pablo for the hand-drawn backgrounds and emphasized traditional methods over 3D-CG or AI-assisted art.","whyItMatters":"Goodbye, Lara represents a deliberate stylistic return to 1990s hand-drawn animation techniques in an industry that has largely shifted to digital production.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eDirector Takushi Koide appeared as a special guest on Day One of Anime Expo 2026 after a screening of the first episode of his original anime Goodbye, Lara. The project has been five years in the making, with about two years spent on the original concept alone. Koide, a veteran animator on Made in Abyss and Revue Starlight, said directing an original anime had always been his dream. The series uses hand-painted backgrounds created with Mari Fujino from Studio Pablo, one of three remaining studios specializing in hand-drawn backgrounds. Koide said he never wants to lose the hand-drawing method.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Goodbye, Lara's thick lines and hand-painted backgrounds come from director Takushi Koide's deliberate rejection of 3D-CG and AI tools, not from budget constraints.","twitterPost":"Goodbye, Lara's hand-drawn look is a deliberate rejection of 3D-CG and AI, not a budget choice.","threadsPost":"Goodbye, Lara's thick lines and hand-painted backgrounds are a deliberate choice by director Takushi Koide, who rejected 3D-CG and AI-assisted art to evoke 1990s anime aesthetics. The project took five years.","newsletterBlurb":"Director Takushi Koide appeared at Anime Expo 2026 to discuss his original anime Goodbye, Lara. The project, five years in development, uses hand-painted backgrounds and thick-lined character designs to evoke 1990s anime. Koide worked with Studio Pablo for the backgrounds and emphasized traditional methods.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2026/all-the-news-and-reviews-from-anime-expo/takushi-koide-keeps-the-90s-alive-with-goodbye-lara-thick-lines-hand-drawn-animation/.239231\",\"title\":\"All the News and Reviews from Anime Expo 2026: Takushi Koide Keeps the '90s Alive with Goodbye, Lara's Thick Lines, Hand-Drawn Animation\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4664,"outputTokens":601,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783037876,"createdAt":"2026-07-03T00:05:49.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-03T00:09:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-03T00:09:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_9b5acc6c8dfca2ffb55853d2","canonicalTitle":"All the News and Reviews from Anime Expo 2026\nTakushi Koide Keeps the '90s Alive with Goodbye, Lara's Thick Lines, Hand-Drawn Animation","representativeArticleId":"a_7ff5cf19eb0f9d6de6958bdb","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":1,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Goodbye, Lara\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Takushi Koide\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":true}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-02T23:19:21.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-02T23:19:21.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-03T00:09:50.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2026/all-the-news-and-reviews-from-anime-expo/takushi-koide-keeps-the-90s-alive-with-goodbye-lara-thick-lines-hand-drawn-animation/.239231","title":"All the News and Reviews from Anime Expo 2026\nTakushi Koide Keeps the '90s Alive with Goodbye, Lara's Thick Lines, Hand-Drawn Animation"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Goodbye, Lara"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Takushi Koide"],"type":"news","domain":"anime","is_roundup":true},"keyFacts":["Director Takushi Koide appeared at Anime Expo 2026 after a screening of the first episode of his original anime Goodbye, Lara.","The project took five years to make, with about two years spent on the original concept alone.","Goodbye, Lara uses hand-painted backgrounds created by Mari Fujino from Studio Pablo, one of three remaining studios specializing in hand-drawn backgrounds.","Koide emphasized traditional hand-drawing methods over 3D-CG or AI-assisted art.","Koide is a veteran animator on Made in Abyss and Revue Starlight."]}