Who did the anime for sound and fury?

A couple of weeks ago, The Legend of Korra ended its seven-year run on Nickelodeon.

Since its release in 2025, the show was nominated for dozens of awards and was hailed as a masterpiece. It even spawned two books, an online video series, a comic book, and a video game. As a fan of the franchise myself, it was with great anticipation that I watched each episode from the first season. Even though I was aware of the show's popularity among critics and general audiences alike, I wasn't prepared for the feeling of disappointment I felt when the final credits rolled. In fact, my jaw dropped to the floor; I was so surprised, I just sat there staring at the screen. My friends, meanwhile, couldn't believe how poorly the show had received. It's a miracle, they said.

If you're a fan of anime, this is something you've probably felt before. It's not uncommon for shows to be celebrated as genius only for them to be trashed as a complete train wreck. This phenomenon stems from how closely the anime industry is tied to the entertainment industry. When someone thinks a show is fantastic, they're typically asked to take out the most prominent ad for the series. The resulting article ends up being a huge part of the anime industry's PR strategy, whether the show is good or bad. The public's idea of anime is formed entirely by the praise and criticism the show receives in the media.

So I wanted to know: who creates anime, and what does their role entail? Who does the original work, who does the storyboards, who does the directing? The answers will have a major impact on our own cultural perceptions. For example, it may explain why shows that are universally panned by critics are generally well-liked by fans.

And so I looked into it. The Animation Industry. Anime has existed for nearly half a century. At its inception, the industry primarily consisted of a handful of companies, like Toei Doga, Dentsu, Hayao Miyazaki Productions, Studio Ghibli, and Studio Madhouse. It grew to include more companies in the 1990s, as the industry became recognized for its potential for worldwide appeal.