Shirobako – 04
We need more of Ema in this show
It’s nice when your deadline is over. A lot better than working overtime.
A Bit of Relaxation for Aoi
We also need more of Erika whacking Tarou
After the hectic time getting episode 4 delivered, it’s time for a bit of a rest for Aoi. That doesn’t mean she’s not working on getting episode 9 moved along, but there’s not as much time pressure with the deadline more than 4 weeks away. And that means that it’s time to reconnect with the folks that she had to put on hold during the big rush. Thankfully everyone has understood the pressure and nobody holds it against her.
Just a bit nervous
Not even Shizuka, who becomes the second focus character for the episode. She’s trying to become a voice actor, and has gotten an audition, which is a great first step. But there are 120 people auditioning for the same part, which isn’t that great for her. And one of them is even Rena Souma (I wonder why they didn’t go closer to Yukarin’s name, like they did with the others), someone doing 10 shows the current season. You can bet that she won’t be so nervous that she can’t read the script, or flub the lines like Shizuka does. And the show’s going to leave us in suspense about the results, as we saw the pencil moving but didn’t see what was drawn (I’m guessing the triangle is a ‘no’, especially based on seeing te same thing Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, but I don’t know what circles and Xs mean). There was some interest from the director, but it definitely wasn’t a slam dunk. And Shizuka’s pretty down on her chances.
Gang up on Kantoku
Reconnection
Proud Mom
So Aoi gets the chance to finally decompress a little, getting a day off, despite the wheedling of Tarou who gets the best description from Erika: “I don’t know anyone else whose opinion of himself is so far off of everyone else’s opinion of him.” He even tries to invite himself to meet Aoi’s friends, but she rightly doesn’t want to subject them to that. But before meeting with them, we get a really nice phone call from Mom, whose pride in and support for her daughter really shines through. Dad even got cable TV so they could watch her show. It really was quite touching to hear mom say she watched the credits over and over just to see her daughter’s name, and Aoi’s blush at hearing it is not out of embarrassment, but out of happiness.
Talking shop after the movie
Shizuka’s trying to reconnect as well after feeling disappointed at her audition, by watching the show they made in high school before their get-together. And by some measures, everyone’s somewhat successful when they get together: Aoi, Ema, and Mii are all working in anime, Shizuka at least is getting auditions and is with a talent agency, and Rii-chan (Midori) is in college, presumably learning scriptwriting. All of them are doing what they want to do, or at least on the pathway. What the future holds is always uncertain, but they’re doing what they can. Shizuka’s pretty down on her chances, tho, coming from the disappointment of her audition and her lack of success so far. Someone’s gotta be “that guy” at the gathering, the one that gets too drunk, but it’s all good. Still not as bad as being Tarou, who keeps bugging Aoi. He says he needs help, but never seems to ask for help, just about the other girls. Don’t be Tarou.
Just strolling on by
I liked Aoi hanging up on Tarou even as she’s walking right by the studio office. But a little more concerning is Aoi’s worry that she doesn’t really have a goal. The other girls have things they want to accomplish, but Aoi, who I’ve mentioned before doesn’t really have that vocational calling, is more doing this because it’s something she finds interesting. And what I’d like to see her realize is that this is fine. You don’t need to have an overarching goal in your life. It’s enough to be successful at what you’re doing, if you’re happy doing it. And she really does seem to be happy with what she’s doing, when she talks about her work with Erika and Honda. She’s getting more used to it, and she’s got what looks to be a career path ahead of her, no matter what she wants to do.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Team Fortress Nice Hats. Nice Hats: Gotta collect them all!
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
I don’t know about triangles, but the curled are usually positive. There was a show a while back called Hanamaru, which means flower-circle, kind of like a gold star given to kids, Also the main brand of packaged ramen soup available in the US is called “Maruchan”.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, I was more wondering what X’s are, although I’d guess they’re bad as well. I now recall that I’ve seen circles be good.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
I have one theory about where this show will go: Over the two cours of Shirobako there will be 3 in-show-shows. The first two will involve Aoi and friends working and getting to know the anime industry. The last one will actually have Aoi, her high school friends, and some other people she meets along the way actually running the show. I imagine for such a plot to happen, there would have to be a few more time skips. But I could totally see PA works doing this. Any opinions on my theory?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
That sounds possible. They sure aren’t going to get 24 episodes out of one cour of Exodus. The key will be in how they transition between shows. I could see two in-show shows, with a period between in the development of a show focusing more on Midori. Isn’t the scriptwriter mostly out of the picture by the time the show starts production? We sure haven’t seen much representation in the show so far of any writers.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I would assume the script writer is mostly out of the picture once production starts, but I imagine there are times when major rewrites are undertaken during production. For instance, say the first couple episodes of the anime are getting negative reactions from the viewers so the production committee wants a major rewrite starting about halfway through the show. Now that would put the pressure on the studio!
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Since Aoi is already working on Episode 9, yeah, I can’t see Exodus running for the two cours of this show. Your idea of a time skip with all five girls working together on a show sounds plausible. They might not actually be running the show, but having major roles in it, like Aoi directing an episode or two, Ema the lead animator for those episodes, Shizuka voicing the character whose the main focus for those episodes, etc. Just focusing on that could make up the second cour of this show, from the initial decision to make the show all the way through their episodes airing.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I don’t think that Aoi will ever end up as a Director. That’s a ‘talent’ position, much more than a ‘work’ position like Producer.
But even then, there are a ton of positions between where any of them are and those top positions. We would have to have a significant timeskip (like 20 years) and even some leapfrogging to get to that point (like Aoi jumping over Honda in hierarchy) and I don’t know if that would really happen.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Yeah, you’re right. Producer would be more in Aoi’s line. She could get assigned as production assistant for the entire series or one aspect of it rather than just for a couple episodes. Assistant office manager would be another job in her line.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
And this continues to be a great show. I think it’s my favorite of the season, although there are other very good shows airing.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m finally starting to kinda sorta know who everyone is(ish). And I love everyone so much. Even Tarou!
Getting a voyeuristic look at the seiyuu business is always welcome. Shizuka’s flubbed lines were adorable. I still can’t tell if they’ll give her the part because they like her diamond-in-the-rough approach or if they’ll reject her in order to make the story realistic. Beating out 120 seiyuu including one ultra famous one would be a bit of a stretch, but I can’t help but want her to get it TwT
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I like that even though we’re figuring out who people are, like Madoka, Honda, Aoi, Erika, Goth-loli-sama, Ema, and even Tarou, they’re still putting up references for everyone when they show up in an episode. It really helps to reinforce who people are, especially as we see them more in their working relationships with other people. Like who can talk back to whom, who is in charge of what, why Aoi needs to go talk to this person or that person.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
While Shizuka and 119 others read for a particular part, she and some of the others may land different roles. Unless the famous seiyuu isn’t considered right for the role I would expect her to land it, but Shizuka could get a lesser role, especially considering that one of those holding the auditions (the director? Don’t remember) heard something in her voice he liked.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Never ever underestimate the “facilitators”.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
So The Girls Had a habit of…drinking beer! uuh!
And that Guy (Taro). Needs to do a Serious Business here a not to talk about hot women!
and now that the Animator Director is kinda bit pissed off there…