NAFCA publishes the English-language edition of the 'Animator Skill Test Textbook' on August 15th

Animator Skill Test Textbook

The Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association "NAFCA" will launch the English edition of the textbook “Animator Skill Test” on Amazon.com from August 15th.

TOKYO, JAPAN, August 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association (hereafter: "NAFCA") will launch the English edition of the textbook “Animator Skill Test: Trace, Tap-wari Test: Levels 6 & 5” on Amazon.com from August 15th. Since the release of the original Japanese edition of this textbook in September 2024 it has become an extraordinary hit selling over 10,000 copies to date. The book – which has been lauded with such praise as, “I wished I had this book when I was just starting out!” from animators currently active in the industry – has been faithfully translated into English with all of the nuances of the original Japanese intact!
Purchase here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/4991379210
　
NAFCA began conducting the Animator Skill Test in 2024 out of serious concerns regarding the decline in human resource development within the anime industry in Japan. With this completely-translated English-language version, we aim to spread this textbook – produced to match the contents of the 6th and 5th levels of the test – to fans of Japanese anime all around the world!
In addition to describing the various types of animator jobs in the industry and what each entails, the textbook also thoroughly explains the procedures of “genga tracing,” “me-pachi” (blinking), and “kuchi-paku” (lip syncing), which are the fundamentals for those animators working as “douga” staff. We hope that not only aspiring animators but also anime fans pick this book up!

[Contents]
・Become an Animator!
・Anime Production Workflow and Animator Job Types
・Reading and Writing the Timesheets
・About Genga Tracing
・About Me-Pachi and Kuchi-Paku
・Points to Pay Attention to
・Interviews (Rie Eyama × Satoshi Koike ー Animators, Tomoko Fukui ー Douga director, Tadashi Hiramatsu × Shunsuke Sakuya × Yuhko Kaida ー Animator and Voice actors)
…and more!

[Book outline]

Textbook for Animator Skill Test
Book Title: “Animator Skill Test – Trace, Tap-wari Skill Test: Levels 6 & 5”
Author: Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association (NAFCA)
Written and supervised by: Rie Eyama, Tomoko Fukui
Main translator: Renato Rivera Rusca
Release date: August 15, 2025
Format: A4
Number of pages: 112 pages
List Price: 60USD
Purchase link: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4991379202

[Profiles of Supervisors:]
Rie Eyama (douga director)
CEO of Takuraranke Co., Ltd and douga-kantoku (douga director). Director of NAFCA as of 2024. She has worked as a douga-kensa (douga checker) on series such as “Mobile Suit Z Gundam” and the “Pokemon” series, as well as “Millennium Actress,” “Steam Boy,” “Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ,” “City Hunter Bay City Wars,” and “The Prince of Tennis: The Movie – The Two Samurai THE FIRST GAME.”
Tomoko Fukui (douga director)
Born in Chiba Prefecture. She began her career at the Tatsunoko Anime Technique Lab, and is currently a freelance animator/ douga kantoku. After working at Tatsunoko Productions and Toei Animation, she is now a douga-kensa mainly at Toei Animation and Sunrise. She participated as douga staff in works such as “Muteking,” “Macross,” the “Time Bokan” series, the “Fist of the North Star” series, etc. As genga staff, she worked on the “Digimon” series, “Tetsujin 28-gou,” and “Naruto.” She was also a douga checker on “Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann,” “Hayate the Combat Butler,” and “Fist of the North Star,” among others.

We at NAFCA aim to implement diverse initiatives in order to continue to pursue solutions to the understaffing issue and various other such industry problems.

About the Animator Skill Test
This is a test that evaluates the skills and knowledge of the field of “douga,” which is the foundation of the skillset of an animator.
For those who want to become professional animators, this is a given, but we also recommend that you take on the challenge and try the test out for yourself whether you are interested in becoming a producer or director, or simply love drawing,
In the “Trace, Tap-wari Test,” currently being regularly held in Japan, all examinees' responses are scored by professional animators and douga directors and sent back to the examinees together with feedback. Anyone over the age of 15 who has a return address in Japan and can read and write in Japanese is eligible to take the test, so please give it a try!
Animator Skill Test Official Website: https://aniken.sikaku.gr.jp/

Ayano Fukumiya
Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association
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