SHIROBAKO
a review by mimicodots
a review by mimicodots
I’m Production Desk Mimico and this is—
It's fitting the first ending is titled love letter—as the series pays tribute to so many productions and their staff._
Ep 7
Key animator Yasuhara struggles with maintaining quality and output, forcing retakes. Racked with feelings of failure she compares herself to someone regarded as a prodigy, with far more experience in the field.
Sometimes living up a high standard leads to an artist losing sight of who they are to reach their goal.
Ep 8
''When you second guess your art, nothing looks right.''
▶ VideoEp 12
Out of desperation Miyamori tries to recruit The Hideaki Anno to animate horses. She was only looking for anyone that could do it, not what the animator is uniquely good at. Draw bois (girls and everything inbetween) making Idiosyncratic motion is what makes anime so special.
▶ Video(Anno specializes in explosions and mechanical movement)
Ep 15
Seeing Miyamori step into her own and mentor the new production assistants is really rewarding.
Ep 16
From time to time the production inevitably hits a bump, and staff are pushed to their limits. Taking time to set a new mindset or change of pace is a crucial part of not getting burnout as Iguchi points out.
The schedule can be unforgiving, throwing even more strain on production desk, and those under them.
- There are 55 TV shows AIRING IN SPRING 2021 ALONE. Quite frankly, there is too much anime. And so, a short prayer for those that draw our precious cartoons.
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Our director who art in Mappa
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kino come
Thy will be done in the show
As it is in script
Give us this day our weekly episode
And forgive us our critiques
As we do those who mock us
Lead us not into hatred
But deliver us from despair
Amen
Ep 16 (Director's Cut)
Animation is made from love, anyone that would exploit that is made from a special kind of evil. The anime industry sucks, and under any sane system wouldn't even exist.
It's held up by a supply of expendable animators who's biggest crime was being stupid /passionate enough to work in an industry that's on the verge of collapsing, because no country could possibly justify 200 animated shows a year.
Even when anime is making record amounts of profit, capitalist vampires horde all the wealth. To paraphrase an anime blog—
[anime’s riches mysteriously never trickle down to the people making it, most projects are rushed out the door with little conviction, and that’s caused theoretically valid choices like freelancing to morph into a harmful form of itself] - Kvin
Ep 18
Not so funny story, people have died under this workload before—and in the case of Wonder Egg’s animator producer—hospitalized under the stress.
If that sounds insane it's because it is.
While not every studio ends up working it’s staff to the brink of death, things are rough on a good day.
It's a testament to Shirobako that I didn't come out of my re-watch despising the animation industry more than I already do, but rather a deeper appreciation for the work involved.
There are lots of moments sprinkled in that are quite honestly life affirming, alongside nuggets of wisdom.
Ep 20
Which segues into a character who's worldview is the inverse of heartwarming.
[It doesn't matter how much effort you do or don't do as long as they're drawn well from the neck up] - Hiraoka
Anime productions cut corners, largely out of necessity. Techniques such as limited animation are utilized to overcome the limitations imposed by time and budget. But the truth is people can tell, and art you can't take pride in is barely worth making.
▶ VideoAnime is incredibly low budget. Generally below what is practically [and morally] possible.
The fact that there are good anime punching several tiers above their weight class [WEP, One Punch Man, Violet Evergarden] is nothing short of a miracle.
Everyone involved in these productions is trying their best, even when things melt and we get the jank that is Seven Deadly Sins and early Dragon Ball Super.
Frankly, the word lazy should never be brought up in anime discourse. No one wants to turn in sloppy work, especially when reputation is on the line.
Ep 21
Zuka watching other people succeed in the career she wants so bad, and drowning in jealousy hits like a train.
[For fifty years there’s been a ten year old trying to take residence in my heart] - Ookura
[What scares me is not becoming a scriptwriter] - Diesel San
Yasuhara is complimented by her senpai, as he tells her she’s created animation only she can draw. That's when I remembered I want to make art only I can do.
Ep 23
Cathartic and hilarious episode in which based director Kinoshita defeats the goons at the publishing company—striking a compromise with the author of the source material for much needed levity. I could never see something like this anywhere else, and that's why I love anime.
▶ VideoEp 24
Everyone comes together to pull through for the delivery date, with a work load of 10,000 frames! Even the team’s jerk (Hiro not Taro this time) steps up for the sake of the team.
Despite how draining it is everyone involved in the production just can't seem to quit.
The anime industry is full of hopeless immature weirdos, who are children at heart. - Yano
If I truly didn't care about the project I'm working on I wouldn't be so terrified of leaving it unfinished
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