 Later that year, Kubota hired Akiyuki Shinbō to direct the television anime series "", impressed by his work directing anime such as "The SoulTaker" and "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette".Following "Moon Phase", Shinbō has collaborated extensively with Shaft staff (notably Shin Ōnuma and Tatsuya Oishi) on virtually all subsequent productions.Under Shinbō's direction, the studio has developed an identifiable visual style characterized by striking color palettes, closeup and angular shots, abstract background designs, rapid cuts, changes in art style, the incorporation of real photographs, and a signature tilted head pose.