So it’s all about anime (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
Shirobako means white box in Japanese. In the anime industry, this refers to a video recording that is distributed to members of the production staff prior to airing. Nowadays they use discs for it.
Shirobako wasn’t popular until middle of first half (eps 5-6) where the plot started to shine and otakus (or anime enthusiasts) started to spread this anime around forums and blogs. And that was the time where I jumped onto the bandwagon and started to follow the series weekly.
The story is about anime production, and the CONFLICTS AND COMPLICATIONS in making an anime.
Life is hard when dealing with others,such as in real life and in Shirobako.
Too many arseholes around to make an easy job goes haywire.
Sometime it’s a studio,while the other time are the animators,or the production staffs who’re responsible for the project.
A normal anime cast comprises of at least half a hundred of people. And the seasonal nature of anime production means the crew for each anime for a studio won’t be the same.
That’s a perfect recipe for troubles and table-flipping.
Next is the time management issue in this anime. Each episode’s core is literally the race to meet the deadline.
The tension between people is animated fabulously well here, as compromises need to be made all of the time to finish the targets. Quarrels are not rare for this anime. Just like our life.
Humors are placed perfectly, with some very stupid but heart-warming scenes.
For example there’s a scene where the director need to go through a hell’s worth of obstacles just to meet someone important.
AND ALL THE DRIFTS INVOLVED DURING TRANSPORTATION OMG
Details of anime production are included in every episode. One will definitely be more informed about the production of anime for sure. And the characters in the show represents each side of it.
Miyamori,the protagonist is a production assistant whose dream is to make an anime with her friends in high school’s anime club. Her charm is outstanding and it’s what that maintain the flow of first half of Shirobako.
Then you got her friends. Ema, whose dream is to become an animator. Midori who would like to write scripts for anime. Shizuka has a seiyuu dream. Misa is a 3D renderer.
Each of them covers an aspect of anime production, which Miyamori being the one taking the leading role and coordinating in an anime studio.
OTOH,Hiraoka is an arsehole who keeps whining about everything BUT is one interesting character to move the plot in second half.
The characters are all moe-ly designed, as you can expect from P.A. Works that brings us Angel Beats and Nagi no Asukara.
And they are moe in a correct way. Even the big guys are cute =D
The characters are so important in a way that Shirobako is all about the interactions among all of them in making an anime.
One thing that makes Shirobako so unique,and special is the critique towards the anime industry.
The reuse, and recycle of assets are so frequent so that deadline can be met without the need to do a recap chapter.
*recap chapters happen when a studio can’t finish the required episodes in time,so well some editing will grant them an extra week of time :D
Then we got one of the most serious issue, the mediocrity of anime rendering quality, let it be key animations or 3D animations or both.
This happens when a big studio hires some random studios or animators to help with the animations and they have f***ed up.
Sounds familiar isn’t it?
Soundtracks wise is average. Perhaps its the only weak point of Shirobako. BUT the second ending,Platinum Jet,is staggeringly awesome.
Along with the art that showcases how a character is designed,coloured and applied into the background. And the’re six of them. Oh boy 10/10 for that.
The production value is beyond godlike. Every aspect from the opening until the ending is polished to make sure that the anime has an “anime-making” vibe.
Shirobako is just so lovely, and special, and unique in its on way.
I just hope P.A. Works got a sequel ready by now, or stretch the current one to 50 episodes or whatsoever.
Peeps who know me will know that I’m an anime hipster who opposes sequels, but for once in a while I just hope they do one for Shirobako.
Because Shirobako is a gem. One that I found myself feeling so enjoyable and satisfied for the first time since I started my weekly anime watching habit.
In an era where anime industry has bloomed and gained international recognition,the quality control has gone with the past, all it’s left is the swarm of mediocre adaptions for every season.
Current anime is just so generic and alike, shounen ones sure will have harem plot, harem ones will get some shounen plot because it’s mainstream.
All we can do is cross our fingers and hope for the best, and Shirobako S2 (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
