Creator / Studio Live

Studio Live (スタジオ ライブ), established in 1976, is an animation studio founded by renowned animator Toyoo Ashida. Most of their work consists of subcontracting to other studios as well as pre-production in areas such as character design, technical direction, and script writing. They are largely infamous for the atrocious animation for the OVA Roots Search and most of Dragon Ball Z. However, they've also worked on such notable anime as Sailor Moon, Space Battleship Yamato (3rd series), Case Closed, and Magical Princess Minky Momo. One notable alum is Kazuko Tadano, best known as character designer for Sailor Moon and Wedding Peach. Sailor Moon even spoofed the company as "Studio Dive" in one of the studio's episodes.

A complete list can be seen on Anime News Network.

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Other Anime Studio Live has worked on include:

As main studio

• Amon - Apocalypse of Devilman (also did animation work for the 1987 OVA)
• Assemble Insert (Opening)
• Black Blood Brothers (with Group TAC)
• Beyond the Heavens (with Madhouse)
• The Cosmopolitan Prayers
• Crystal Triangle
• Dr. Slump & Arale-chan Hoyoyo! Yume no To Mecha Police (With Toei Animation; also worked on the original series)
• Fist of the North Star (With Toei)
• Grenadier (With Group TAC)
• Guyver: Out of Control (With AIC and others)
• Hunter × Hunter (2011 series and movies with Madhouse, also provided In-Between Animation for the 1999 series)
• Kuso Kagaku Sekai Gulliver Boy (With Toei)
• Love Love?
• Magical Princess Minky Momo (with Ashi Productions)
• Monster of Frankenstein (TV special; with Toei under license from Marvel Entertainment)
• Pink - Water Thieves Rain Thieves (With Toei)
• Super 19th Century Boy Takamaru (With J.C. Staff)
• UFO Senshi Daiapolon
• Ultimate Teacher (With JC Staff)
• Vampire Hunter D (OVA; With Ashi Productions)
• The World of Narue

As Support

• Accel World (2nd Key Animation)
• Ace Attorney (2016) (In-Between Animation)
• Afro Samurai: Resurrection (In-Between Animation)
• Agent Aika (In-Between Animation)
• Ah! My Goddess (In-Between Assistance; Final Line, 2005 series)
• AKB0048 (In-Between Animation)
• Akiba Maid War (2nd Key Animation)
• Angelic Layer (In-Between Animation)
• The Animatrix (In-Between Animation, Beyond)
• Anime-Gataris (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Astro Boy (In-Between Animation; 1980 series)
• Asura's Wrath (Production Support)
• Attack on Titan (In-Between Animation)
• Azumanga Daioh (In-Between Animation)
• Back Arrow (Key & 2nd Key Animation; Production Cooperation)
• Battle Spirits Shonen Toppa Bashin (2nd Key Animation)
• Black God (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Blast of Tempest (2nd Key Animation)
• Bleach (In-Between Animation)
• Blend-S (2nd Key Animation)
• Blood: The Last Vampire (In-Between Animation)
• Blue Drop (In-Between Animation)
• Blue Gender (In-Between Animation)
• Bodacious Space Pirates (In-Between Animation)
• The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird (In-Between Animation)
  • The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn (In-Between Animation)
• Burn Up! Excess (In-Between Animation)
• Case Closed (Key & In-Between Animation Animation; Production Assistance)
• Cat Planet Cuties (2nd Key Animation)
• Chrono Crusade (In-Between Animation)
• City Hunter (In-Between Animation)
• Code Geass (In-Between Animation; both seasons)
• Cowboy Bebop (In-Between Animation)
• Cromartie High School (In-Between Animation)
• Cross Ange (Illustration work)
• Cyborg 009 (Animation for the 1979 series, In-Between Animation for the 2001 series)
• Dai-Guard (In-Between Animation)
• Daily Lives of High School Boys (2nd Key Animation)
• Dancougar (Character Design)
• DARLING in the FRANXX (In-Between Animation)
• Deadman Wonderland (2nd Key Animation, series and OVA)
• Dragon Ball (Animation)
  • Dragon Ball Z (Key & In-Between Animation, Production Cooperation for the movies)
  • Dragon Ball GT (Key & In-Between Animation)
• Dragon Slayer VI: The Legend of Heroes (Graphic production; special thanks)
• Eureka Seven (In-Between Animation)
  • Eureka Seven AO (2nd Key Animation)
• éX-Driver (Production Cooperation, episode 1)
• Fire Force (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Flip Flappers (In-Between Animation)
• Fruits Basket (In-Between Animation for the 2002 series; 2nd Key Animation for the 2019 revival series)
• Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) (In-Between Animation)
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (In-Between Animation)
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (2nd Key Animation)
• Future GPX Cyber Formula (Key & In-Between Animation and Character Designs from the series to Zero. Also provided the opening to the latter).
• Gamers (2nd Key Animation)
• Genesis of Aquarion (In-Between Animation)
  • Aquarion Evol (In-Between Animation)
• Ghost Hound (Clean-Up & In-Between Animation)
• Ghost Stories (In-Between Animation)
• Gintama (In-Between Animation)
• Good Night World (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Heavy Metal L-Gaim (Finish Animation)
• Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You (In-Between Animation)
• Idol Defense Force Hummingbird (In-Between Animation)
• The Idolmaster (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
  • Idolmaster: Xenoglossia (Key & In-Between Animation)
• Intrigue In The Bakumatsu (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Inuyasha (Animation; Key Animation)
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable (2nd Key Animation)
• Junji Ito: Collection (In-Between Animation)
• Karakuri Circus (Creative Cooperation; Key Animation)
• Kure-nai (Key & In-Between Animation)
• Level E (In-Between Animation)
• Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo (Animation)
• M3: The Dark Metal (2nd Key Animation)
• Macross Frontier (In-Between Animation)
  • Macross 30: The Voice that Connects the Galaxy (Key Animation; Storyboards)
  • Macross Zero (In-Between Animation)
• Madou King Granzort (Key Animation; Character Designs)
• Magic User's Club (Final Line)
• Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro (Character Designs)
• Major (Key & In-Between Animation)
• Marvel Anime: Iron Man (2nd Key Animation)
• Mashin Hero Wataru Series (Key Animation; Character Designs; Opening/Ending Animations for series 2)
  • Mashin Hero Wataru The Seven Spirits Of Ryujinmaru (Key Animation)
• MD Geist (Animation Assistance)
• Metal Armor Dragonar (Animation)
• Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (In-Between Animation)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (In-Between Animation)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (In-Between Animation)
  • ∀ Gundam (In-Between Animation)
• Mob Psycho 100 (In-Between Animation)
• Motto To Love Ru (2nd Key Animation)
• Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (In-Between Animation)
• Night Raid 1931 (2nd Key Animation)
• Ninja Resurrection (Animation)
• Noein (In-Between Animation)
• Occult Academy (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Ouran High School Host Club (In-Between Animation)
• Persona 5 (In-Between Animation)
• Pluto (2nd Key Animation)
• Pokémon: The Series (In-Between Animation, series and movies)
  • Pokémon Origins (In-Between Animation)
• Project Blue Earth SOS (In-Between Animation)
• RahXephon (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Rave Master (In-Between Animation)
• Real Drive (In-Between Animation)
• Rideback (Key Animation)
• Rio -Rainbow Gate!- (In-Between Animation)
• Robotics;Notes (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Rurouni Kenshin (In-Between Animation)
• Sacred Seven (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Sailor Moon (Production Association; movies; key & in-between animation and character design for the 1992 series)
• Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die (In-Between Animation)
• Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? (In-Between Animation)
• Sakura Wars: The Movie (In-Between Animation)
• Samurai Champloo (Key Animation)
• School Rumble (In-Between Animation)
• Shaman King (In-Between Animation)
• Shangri-La (In-Between Animation)
• Skip Beat! (2nd Key Animation)
• The Sky Crawlers (In-Between Animation)
• Slayers: The Motion Picture (Production Assistance)
• Softenni (2nd Key Animation)
• Sonic X (Key & In-Between Animation)
• Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (2nd Key Animation)
• Star Driver (In-Between Animation)
• Steamboy (Animation Assistance)
• Supernatural (In-Between Animation)
• Sword Art Online (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Tenchi Muyo! GXP (In-Between Animation)
• Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (In-Between Animation)
• Tokyo Majin (In-Between Animation)
• Trigun (Key & In-Between Animation)
• UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie (In-Between Animation)
• Ulysses 31 (Animation, uncredited)
• Un-Go (2nd Key Animation)
• Uta∽Kata (In-Between Animation)
• Valvrave the Liberator (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Welcome to the Ballroom (In-Between Animation)
• Wolf's Rain (In-Between Animation)
• You're Under Arrest! (In-Between Animation and Animation Direction for Season 1. Also Directed and storyboarded Episodes 19 & 36)
• Zegapain (Key Animation)
• Zetman (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
• Zombie Land Saga (2nd Key Animation)

Unconfirmed

• Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends^* Similar to The Transformers below, the episode "Knights and Demons" bears some similarity to their work, but it's unconfirmed if they were involved with the show.
• The Transformers^* uncredited. While parts of the Season 3 episode "The Dweller in the Depths" has traits of their art style from the period, it remains unconfirmed if they actually were involved.

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Tropes Associated with Studio Live:

• Shout-Out: Episode 21 of Sailor Moon features Usagi, Ami and Rei visiting an animation studio called Studio Dive (which is making an anime based on Codename: Sailor V), with one of the studio's animators targeted by the episode's Monster of the Week. The Victim of the Week's name is Hiromi Matsuno and her best friend's name is Kazuko Tadashita, a reference to Studio Live animators Hiromi Matsushita and Kazuko Tadano (the latter of whom did the original character designs for Sailor Moon).^note Lost in the DiC English dub, as the animation studio was changed to an animation school and the animators were renamed Lori and Cassie.
• Signature Style: Their artwork, especially in more recent years, involves a lot of sharp points and definition in the faces.
• Unreliable Illustrator: A lot of their OVA work. Roots Search is possibly the worst offender. Kanzenshuu also discusses how abysmal their work on DBZ was in comparison to either Seigasha, Studio Junio, Studio Cockpit or Toei themselves. Cosprayers also fits this trope rather nicely.

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