Kobayashi Animation

Kobayashi Animation (株式会社小林動画制作), often abbreviated as KoDo, is a Yamataian animation studio and light novel publisher located in Kobayashi City, Yamashiro Province. The company was founded in 1985 by Hirata Isamu and Hirata Yoko. Since then, it has produced various douga works including The Strange Happenings at Aizawa Secondary School (2006), Wild Flowers in Full Bloom (2009), My Classmate Is A Dictator (2014), Get to the Top! City Boys (2015), and others.

History
Kobayashi Animation has become recognized for its high production values and "sensitivity to the wonders and quandaries of ordinary life". Unlike most animation studios, the company's employees are salaried rather than freelance workers, and are trained in-house. These practices have been cited as encouraging employees to focus on frame quality rather than production quotas. The company has received praise for the positive treatment of its staff, and was honoured in 2020 for its efforts in creating a gender-balanced workforce and encouraging women to enter the industry.