In the short film ame/rité, 2D anime girls battle a 2D, man-eating monster amidst live-action shots of Yamagata City. The idea of combining anime characters with real life environments is not new — I couldn’t tell you which anime was the first to it, but I do know that various indie and short-form works have done so with great results. However, the unexpected sense of ambition and individual sensibility in ame/rité’s cinematography, combined with the indie charm of the animation, instantly made the short one of my favorite independent anime of 2026.
ame/rité, which was released in early August with multiple subtitle options and has more than 40 thousand views at the time of writing, and its upcoming sequel Hikari are the work of Studio Sample. It’s a two-man unit comprising director Killer Washing Machine and animator Nekoless, and through a text-based interview with the former, I was able to learn about the anime’s creation, their inspirations like Kizumonogatari, and why they think Kamiina Botan Fully Blossoms When Drunk is “the most anime anime of 2026.”
How did you get involved with animation production and directing?
Killer Washing Machine: I was already making live-action films in college as part of my film major. In the midst of that, what I felt the most joy from was directing. Internally, I had the thought of wanting to explore that more, and I ended up developing an interest in animation as a way of doing so. I thought that if it’s animation, which allows you to construct every element within the scene yourself unlike live-action, I could truly pursue directing. Thus, I started making animation.
Are there any works and/or creators that influenced you?
Killer Washing Machine: Many works and creators have done so. The most notable ones would be Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo’s Hideaki Anno, Kizumonogatari’s Tatsuya Oishi, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash’s Shuko Murase, Eureka Seven’s Tomoki Kyoda, and Patlabor 2: The Movie’s Mamoru Oshii. Each of these directors possesses strong individuality in their direction and image crafting, and they left an incredibly large mark on me when it comes to making animation.
Is Studio Sample a two-man team comprising yourself and animator Nekoless-san? How was it formed, or how did you join it?
Killer Washing Machine: Studio Sample is a unit comprising Nekoless and myself. The unit was formed for the purpose of producing ame/rité, and we were part of the same college circle. At the time, I was making films, and Nekoless was drawing animation. So, we combined our areas of expertise to make something together, and ame/rité began from there. During production, we made plans for the sequel, Hikari, and so we ended up operating formally as the Studio Sample unit.
How was ame/rité conceived, and its production decided on?
Killer Washing Machine: It began with Nekoless and I having discussions about teaming up. There was also the fact that animation making use of live-action backgrounds was starting to trend, and we thought that if that was the case, maybe we could put our respective areas of expertise to good use. The “strange mystery” theme was established in the early stages, and planning began around the end of 2024. By around spring 2025, we had moved into scriptwriting, storyboarding, and background capture. After that, we each had separate individual productions for about a year, and then in the spring of 2026, we properly began the animation process.
What’s the meaning of the title, âme/rité?
Killer Washing Machine: The title came from Buddhism’s Amrita, a drink that grants the consumer power. In the animation, a Gyuki absorbs human contents. From there, we made a connection between “human contents” and Amrita, which bestows “power.” From there, we distorted one character to form âme/rité (interviewer’s note: in katakana, Amrita is written as アムリタ, while âme/rité changes the last character to become アムリテ). Also, the alphabet version of the title adds the French word “âme,” meaning “soul,” to become âme/rité.
What inspired the use of live-action backgrounds for âme/rité?
Killer Washing Machine: A big reason was making use of my experience shooting live-action films. Although recent years have seen an upward trend in animations that use live-action backgrounds, I felt that many use an aesthetic that feels retro or intentionally low-budget. I thought maybe I could make something that uses live-action backgrounds but goes in a different direction, something with a more cinematic and architectural look. I used live-action movies as references and consciously made scenes with spatial depth and gravitas.
Was there any anime, or work in general, employing live-action backgrounds that served as a model of reference?
Killer Washing Machine: Kizumonogatari was something I particularly studied. In Kizumonogatari, realistic-looking 3DCG and flat cel drawings that appear to be disconnected from them are combined. An aspect I found incredibly fascinating was how the scenes don’t completely blend the two, but intentionally leave a feeling of unease. âme/rité also doesn’t completely meld the characters with the reality of the live-action backgrounds, but maintains the flat texture of the cels in an attempt to create distinctive scenes.
What effect did the use of live-action backgrounds have on the storyboarding and layout phases?
Killer Washing Machine: In a slight deviation from typical animation, we ended up with a “text storyboards → footage capture → image storyboards” workflow. Because we already had our backgrounds at the image storyboarding stage, it became quite easy to improve the accuracy of the layouts. On the other hand, it would be difficult to make big changes to the composition after capturing the backgrounds, so there is the downside of being unable to make adjustments afterward.
What areas were you particular about when location scouting and capturing the images or footage you needed?
Killer Washing Machine: Unlike live-action films, we didn’t have actors on set, so we shot while constantly imagining what the final completed scene would look like. We were especially particular about wide shots and insert cuts that would really make use of live-action’s unique entertainment factor. We were mindful of how to incorporate the spatiality that would be difficult to create with just animation, as well as the level of information distinctive of live-action material, into our scenes.
âme/rité is set in Yamagata, isn’t it?
Killer Washing Machine: We shot all the backgrounds in Yamagata City. There are even locations that overlap with Look Back’s.
Were there cases where a location was featured because you took a liking to it?
Killer Washing Machine: We did have times where we started with, “I want to capture this image,” or “I want this place to appear onscreen.” For example, the scenes like the ones where Shintani stands on the rooftop and pedestrian bridge, we started with wanting to capture that footage or wanting to present those places, and from there we thought of scenes that would make use of them.
There are quite a few memorable cuts in âme/rité. I was especially a fan of the perspectives that seem to emphasize the presence of the environment or character(s). What was the intention behind the construction of âme/rité’s layouts and scenes?
Killer Washing Machine: Regarding the layouts, we referenced Akio Jissoji’s directing style. âme/rité is short in length, and the production budget is limited, so we considered how much of the story we could tell with just the visuals, and whether we could fill in the gaps at the same time. To achieve that, we used CinemaScope scenes and employed many extreme compositions containing depth. By emphasizing the positional relationship of the characters with the environment and the perspectives, we sought to present scenes that could be perceived as single spreads of images instead of simple descriptive layouts.
What camera and lens did you use to capture the backgrounds? What was the reason for your choices?
Killer Washing Machine: We used SONY’s ZV-E10 camera and SIGMA’s 55mm and 70mm prime lenses. The ZV-E10 was something we already had on hand. For the lenses, we went with prime lenses because we wanted to create depth by blurring the live-action backgrounds.
Have you had any professional experience with photo-taking or live-action filming? Or maybe did them as a hobby?
Killer Washing Machine: I made a few live-action films until my second-year of college. I can’t really mention their titles because I worked on them under a different name, but I have experience with direction, scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, and other facets of live-action movie production. I applied what I learned from those experiences to the storyboards and filmmaking for âme/rité.
Tell me more about the aspect ratio for âme/rité.
Killer Washing Machine: âme/rité uses CinemaScope. With CinemaScope, when a character is shot with a bust shot, we get a lot of space on both sides of them. That gives us real estate to figure out how to place the image, so I found it interesting to think about the composition. On the other hand, with VistaVision, when characters are captured, they tend to neatly fit in without fuss. Depending on the situation, that “ease of capture” can make one feel bored. Rather than capturing things with a dull correctness, I wanted to make scenes where an interesting sense of unease lingers.
Was the compositing done with After Effects? What did you focus on during this stage?
Killer Washing Machine: We did the photography and compositing in After Effects. We particularly focused on was how much the cels shouldn’t blend [with the live-action backgrounds]. Since live-action backgrounds are information-heavy, cels would end up getting buried in the midst of all that. Therefore, we aimed to intentionally preserve the flat feeling of the cels. For the action scenes, we looked to analog compositing-era animation to prevent the amount of information from becoming excessive. Instead of only going with flat images, we also replicated cel shadows in some cuts.
Of the two protagonists, Tanita is the taller one, but that’s because of her platform shoes. What was the reason behind this character design element?
Killer Washing Machine: [Tanita] Shintani and [Aya] Kuronjo are both officially 160cm. However, Shintani has the appearance of having a height of 175cm because of her 15cm platform shoes. The reason for this is that we wanted to create the feeling that Shintani stands out a little from her surroundings. We also intended to enable compositions where Shintani is looking down at Kuronjo when the two are lined up together.
The color palette difference between the two is also striking.
Killer Washing Machine: We wanted to convey their characteristics through their designs. Shintani likes monotone clothes, while Kuronjo likes sports brands. The personality difference between the serious Shintani and the energetic Kuronjo is visually represented through the difference in clothing and color.
You have subtitles for not just English, but Chinese, French, Spanish, and so on. How did you go about picking which language to have subtitles for?
First, we developed the English subtitles based on the Japanese ones, then used those to create automatic translations. We picked the languages and prepared their subtitles with a focus on the linguistic spheres where animation was highly popular. We prepared subtitle options for multiple languages because we wanted as many people outside Japan as possible to view our work.
Can you share a little about the sequel, Hikari?
Killer Washing Machine: Hikari is a sequel that connects directly to the post-credits of âme/rité. Shintani is still the lead, but there will be a new character and a new monster. Compared to âme/rité, the scale and the quality will be much greater. At the same time, I think it will be something that’s even more targeted at core fans.
Are there any notable differences between Hikari’s production and âme/rité’s?
Killer Washing Machine: The biggest [difference] would be the greater scale that comes with the longer length. So there is a need for more processes and workload. At the same time, we are optimizing the workflow based on the feedback and areas of reflection that stemmed from âme/rité’s production. We’re improving the parts that didn’t go well previously, while experimenting with a production structure that can produce a larger work.
Are you currently making indie anime on a full-time basis?
Killer Washing Machine: Hikari is my college graduation project. As such, I am focusing on its production as a fourth-year student.
Have you thought about your plans beyond Hikari’s release?
Killer Washing Machine: At present, I have yet to decide on any detailed plans. After Hikari’s completion comes graduating from college, so I think Studio Sample’s activities will slow down, but the plan is for them to continue.
Going off-topic for a bit, I saw a post of yours [on X/Twitter] where you said that Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk is “the most anime anime of 2026.” What did you mean by that?
Killer Washing Machine: I thought that Botan Kamiina was a work where you could really feel the very appeal of animation. First, it was fascinating that the manga’s creator had experience as an animator, and that a studio that had only been recently established was producing it. Then, there’s the fact that each episode brought out a different charm through its production system that made use of the individuality of each episode’s respective staff, with no chief animation director in place. By reflecting the staff’s quirks throughout the entire show in this manner, it became a work where you might think, “It’s interesting because it’s an animation.”
Among recent indie and commercial animation, have there been any that you particularly took a liking to?
Killer Washing Machine: If it’s indie animation, Beyond the Trail (Wadachi o Koeteyuke) was something I especially liked. It’s an indie that took on the challenge of producing something over 30 minutes long, and the insertion of action as a hook in the avan (interviewer’s note: the section before the opening song animation/sequence) made it incredibly fascinating. The fact that it made it to theaters and had “movie-like” craftsmanship that isn’t inferior to commercial anime became a point of reference for Studio Sample’s activities. For commercial anime, I like Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: The Culling Game Part 1. I think its charm is how, even though it’s a work from a massive IP, it adapts a process that allows the individuality of its staff, like director Shota Goshozono and [co-chief animation director] Sota Yamazaki, to shine. I particularly like the ending animation, which was solo-key animated by Shoichi. Also, I thought that The Lenticulars was really fascinating. It’s from director Akira Amemiya, who was involved in the Gridman anime series that includes SSSS.GRIDMAN, so the part I thought was interesting was how it’s a Flash animation-style work that, as a result of Amemiya’s direction, has a style that possesses a unique sense of reality.
Lastly, what would you like to say to our readers and your viewers?
Killer Washing Machine: âme/rité was watched by more people than we expected. We received many positive responses, which we are very happy about. For Hikari, which is currently in production, we plan to make it a comprehensive improvement over âme/rité. We hope we can deliver it to everyone soon, so please look forward to it. Stay tuned.
If you’re interested in Studio Sample’s work, you can follow them on X/Twitter here.
