P.A. Works
(or Progressive Animation Works) is a Japanese studio established in 2000 by Tatsunoko Production and Production I.G alumnus Kenji Horikawa. After Horikawa left Production I.G for his native Toyama to fulfill a promise he made to his family, he discovered that there were no animation studios in his home town. So, he formed his own animation studio. While P.A. Works was initially a support studio, it later went on to do some full series like Hanasaku Iroha and Canaan.
Starting in 2011, the studio created a Thematic Series about young women starting out in the workplace: at a hot springs inn, an animation studio, a rural town tourism board, an aquarium, a maid cafe, or as YouTubers. Referred to by fans as the "Girls Working" series.note
The company's full list of projects is here. See also ufotable, GONZO, Rough Draft Studios, Digital eMation and Toon City, other major 2D/CGI companies.
The Canipa Effect has produced an Anime Studio Spotlight about P.A. Works. Watch it here.
Anime done by P.A. Works:
- Akiba Maid War
- Angel Beats!
- Another
- Appare-Ranman!
- The Aquatope on White Sand
- Bannō Yasai Ninninman (for Anime Mirai 2012)
- Buddy Daddies
- COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing
- Canaan
- Charlotte
- The Day I Became a God
- Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze
- Dusk Beyond the End of the World
- The Eccentric Family
- Fairy Gone
- Food for the Soul
- Glasslip
- Hanasaku Iroha (Both Anime and Manga)
- HaruChika
- Iroduku: The World in Colors
- Kuromukuro
- Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
- Mayonaka Punch
- Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (With Production I.G, four episodes)
- Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea
- Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (With OLM Incorporated; Also produced the cutscenes for the games)
- RDG: Red Data Girl
- Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
- Sakura Quest
- Shirobako
- Skip and Loafer
- Spider Riders (With Bee Train; also did In-Between Animation for several episodes)
- Tari Tari
- Tenrou Sirius the Jaeger
- True Tears
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby (2018) (with Studio KAI for Season 2)
- Ya Boy Kongming!
Other Anime worked on by P.A. Works include:
- Aria the Scarlet Ammo (In-Between Animation)
- Attack on Titan (In-Between Animation)
- B: The Beginning (In-Between Animation)
- Black Butler (In-Between Animation)
- Blood+ (In-Between Animation)
- Brave Story (Animation)
- Bungo Stray Dogs (In-Between Animation)
- Campione! (In-Between Animation)
- Le Chevalier d'Eon (In-Between Animation)
- Code:Breaker (In-Between Animation)
- Darker than Black (Production Assistance)
- Dimension W (In-Between Animation)
- Dinosaur King (In-Between Animation)
- Eureka SeveN (In-Between Animation)
- Eureka Seven AO (In-Between Animation)
- Fate/Zero (In-Between Animation)
- Fate/Apocrypha (In-Between Animation)
- FLCL Progressive (CG Cooperation)
- From the New World (In-Between Animation)
- Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) (In-Between Animation)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (In-Between Animation)
- Future Card Buddyfight D (In-Between Animation)
- Godzilla: Singular Point (In-Between Animation)
- Ghost Hound (In-Between Animation)
- Gosick (In-Between Animation)
- Guilty Crown (In-Between Animation)
- Heroman (Key, 2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
- King of Fighters, The: Another Day (in-between animation)
- Little Witch Academia (2013) (In-Between Animation)
- Madlax (In-Between Animation)
- Michiko & Hatchin (In-Between Animation)
- Mob Psycho 100 (In-Between Animation)
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (In-Between Animation)
- Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer (In-Between Animation)
- My Hero Academia (In-Between Animation)
- My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising (In-Between Animation; 3D Modelling assistance)
- Ōkii Ichinensei to Chiisana Ninensei (In-Between Animation)
- Penguindrum (In-Between Animation)
- Persona 5 (In-Between Animation)
- Princess Principal (In-Between Animation)
- Psycho-Pass (In-Between Animation)
- Real Drive (Key, 2nd Key & In-Between Animation; 3D Graphics; Production Cooperation)
- Robotics;Notes (In-Between Animation)
- Shelter (In-Between Animation)
- Soul Eater (Key & In-Between Animation)
- Space☆Dandy (In-Between Animation)
- SPY×FAMILY (In-Between Animation)
- Suicide Squad ISEKAI (In-Between Animation)
- Sword Art Online (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
- Tiger & Bunny (In-Between Animation)
- Wasurenagumo (In-Between Animation)
- White Album (In-Between Animation)
- Zetman (In-Between Animation)
Tropes Associated with P.A. Works:
- Aliens in Cardiff: One of the major exceptions to the Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe. Their work tends to be Toyama-based, including the one with the real aliens.
- Animation Bump: While their animation is already top notch, there are times when it goes up to eleven, like in Professor Layton.
- Anime First: Much - though not all - of what they make is new and original, rather than based off other properties.
- Creator Provincialism: Being one of the few major animation studios based in the sticks, P.A. Works aren't shy about placing most of their original stories in their native Toyama prefecture.
- Costume Porn: As much as they love to draw the pretty scenery, the people at PAW love playing dress-up.
- Production Posse: T2 Studio serves as their full-time photography subcontractor and Studio Easter, Bamboo and Kusanagi are their regular background subcontractors.
- Other regular contractors include FAI International, Nakamura Productions and in recent projects, DR Movie.
- Scenery Porn: One of their trademark and most recognizable feature.
- Start My Own: The company was formed by Kenji Horikawa in his native Toyama after he left Production I.G and Bee Train in 2000.