I quite enjoy shows that delve into the production process. Both seasons of New Game (S1: 6/10, S2: 8/10) were enjoyable, though S1 took bit of time to get polished. But both New Game and Shirobako didn't actually explore what goes on in a visionary's mind. How are ideas created? And how is everything put together? And because of this, Masaaki Yuasa is the perfect director, as he is an auteur with seemingly boundless creativity. This has its ups and downs: Ping Pong (8/10) and Devilman Crybaby (8/10) excel from their unconventional presentation, but I felt Tatami Galaxy (6/10) pushed the limits on randomness, and Night is Short Walk on Girl (1/10) set loose the chains. Nevertheless, I feel Yuasa's offbeat style generally executes better than that of Kunihiko Ikuhara, whose shows appear just as random but end up formulaic.
**STORY REVIEW - MINOR SPOILERS**
The creative process reminded me of Stickin' Around, and while it was a cute gimmick at first, I couldn't imagine the show being any good if it stuck to just that. However, as the show progressed, it became clear that the non-creative production process was more interesting. Kanamori is the star of this show. Eizouken, more than New Game and Shirobako, touched on the realities of the business side of production. The show did hurt itself with some unrealistic scenes that suspended disbelief, such as a militant student council, but every negotiation scene involving Kanamori was gold.
However, she is 1/3rd of the team, and the reason why New Game and Shirobako never really covered the creative process is because it's almost impossible to have a creative aspect remain interesting after it's explained. Asakusa's creative vision is haphazard, and I felt increasingly apathetic at her grand explanations of the characters and settings in their anime. When their anime is presented in full at the final episode, it wasn't particularly any good. It was too abstract, which is a weakness of Yuasa in general.
**END SPOILERS**
This show also had the most grating OST I've heard in a while. There aren't a lot of tracks, and having the same "70s Beach" piece play during every creative breakout got old fast.
Western fans who despise moe got on board this show real quick, and I think it'll be an AOTY contender for the mainstream. However, I felt that focusing on the creative process hindered the show overall. Shirobako is definitely the better show, but Kanamori is a much-needed anchor to Asakusa's dreams.
