NEW GAME!

New Game! was produced by Doga Kobo and premiered in 2016 as an adaptation of the four-panel manga by Shotaro Tokuno. The series follows Aoba Suzukaze, a high school graduate who begins her career as a character designer at Eagle Jump, the video game studio that developed her favorite childhood title. It was developed during a period when the slice-of-life genre, particularly those depicting workplace environments, saw significant popularity in anime, aiming to provide a grounded yet lighthearted look at the realities of the game development industry.

The series was directed by Yoshiyuki Fujiwara, who collaborated with series composer Fumihiko Shimo to balance the comedic elements of the office dynamic with the technical nuances of game production. Character designs were adapted for animation by Ai Kikuchi, who emphasized the distinct visual styles of the staff at Eagle Jump to mirror the creative personalities within the studio. Upon its release, the series was well-received for its charming character interactions and its relatively authentic depiction of the stresses and collaborative nature of game development, eventually spawning a second season in 2017.