Studio Sekai: Augmented
On the evening of the 28th of November 2023, when co-founders Glance Oaper and Cyris Rigor cut the ribbon garlanding the glass sliding doors of Studio Sekai’s new headquarters, it was to a thunder of applause, cheers, and camera flashes. This was the highlight of the day-long program celebrating the company’s expansion and the opening of the new studio in Mandaluyong City.
This upgraded studio spans an entire floor of Shaw Boulevard’s MG Tower II. Designed by Yvette Marie Sotelo, it boasts an area that can hold individual work stations for up to 70 employees. It also features a conference room, executive and operations offices, and a furnished break room. The spacious floor likewise encourages brainstorming: employees and executives alike are welcome to the billiard area, the lounge area that features a flatscreen, the chess nook, a number of cozy couches, and a charming table set perfect for huddling up for conversations.
Wreathing half the perimeter of the artists’ workspace, dozens of resin One Piece figurines are meticulously displayed on a bank of shelves. It’s in front of one of these shelves that Studio Sekai’s artists, writers, and staff introduced themselves to their co-workers. Facilitated by the managers Nova, Tito, and Oni, the employees’ orientation and introduction on the morning of November 28th started off the studio’s grand opening day.
The afternoon gave way to a catering event hosted by Tito in the building’s penthouse. The studio’s employees as well as the founders’ families, friends, and business partners dined around elegantly-appointed tables courtesy of D&G Catering Services and enjoyed the drinks whipped up by BARcoholics Mobiles Bar. Speeches were made as the sun was setting. Glance Oaper and Cyris Rigor talked about the company’s journey and thanked all those in attendance, not least of whom were Studio Sekai’s core team which includes Nova, Tito, Oni, and Amos.
Evening found the guests applauding the ribbon-cutting, a ceremony documented by Time Capsule Studios.
Shortly afterwards, the new studio was opened for a tour. Limned by evening lights and clutching complementary copies of Ashcan — the manga prequel for Studio Sekai’s forthcoming animated work — the founders’ business partners and guests milled about the spacious floor, socializing among one another, admiring the world-class amenities, and listening to the core team’s talks on Studio Sekai’s goals and projects for the months ahead.
