Shirobako – 06
Maybe the robot could blow Tarou’s head off?
Idepon!
Bringing In the Big Guns
Tarou continues to be the show’s biggest F-up
While Tarou still hasn’t learned his lesson about problem escalation, Aoi has. This time, as soon as it becomes a problem that she has any responsibility for, she goes straight to Honda, who rightly excoriates Tarou for not telling him, again, about a major problem. This isn’t about not being able to solve problems. This is about bringing in the resources to solve the problem. In this case, it’s trying to bring the problem-solving of Honda to bear on the clash between Endou and Shimoyanagi. And it’s not even that those two are clashing, it’s that they are just representing the two sides in this instance of an old debate.
Sometimes letting him save face goes a long way
Not that Honda’s doing that great himself, with Kinoshita on the lam, the storyboards completely late, and now another problem to try to mediate. But he makes the right call with the director, not demanding he come straight back to jail when he tracks him down at the after-recording session. And by letting him save a little face, the Director feels a little more charitable towards Honda, and willingly returns to his incarceration, to finish the storyboards.
Reconnection Again
Shizuka gets that fire relit
The show is really adamant about the theme of reconnection. While a couple episodes ago it was Aoi reconnecting with her mom and her friends, this time it’s more of a reconnection with inspiration. Shizuka’s faith in herself is fading a little after not hearing back from the audition (which means ‘no’). But she has a fortuitous run-in with her mentor from school. It’s interesting that they mention there aren’t many people from her class still in the field. But this is only supposed to be a few years (three?) after the intro in high school, so that’s an awfully short time for people to give up. Shizuka herself has only gotten one audition. But I guess if you’re not getting any auditions, you see the writing on the wall. Tateo-san invites Shizuka to a play rehearsal that she’s running, and that fires Shizuka back up, seeing people acting and being close to it. There’s even a message for her in the “Waiting for Godot” performance.
Segawa sure knows a lot about Endou
Similarly, the Idepon Exhibit provides a chance for Endou to get back to his motivation. After Segawa mentions that it was a big influence on him, Aoi does whatever she can to get him to go to the exhibit, not knowing that Shimoyanagi (and unfortunately Tarou) will be there. Finding common ground, relighting that fire, remembering what it was about anime that got them into it in the first place. And having that common thread between Endou and Shimoyanagi helps to remind them that no matter what side of one intra-office debate they’re on, they’re still working together to make something beautiful and creative like that. And that’s reinforced when Aoi has the idea that they all go see ‘it’: the giant Exodus sign that’s up in Akihabara. I gotta say that seeing that kind of thing that you’ve worked on can really work you up. There’s even more for the future when Endou and Shimoyanagi find some common ground in each other’s work. Both of them realize they need the other, and need to expand their skills to keep relevant.
Cool lines need Cool Line Face
Another good episode, and one that really has Aoi coming into her own as a production assistant. The others on the staff are noticing it, too, like Erika and Ochiai (who it seems is going to be on his way to another studio – Studio Canaan… a show by PA Works…). There were also some interesting things that the show did visually and directorally. Like the old-style character closeups of Endou and Shimoyanagi when they were reciting lines from Idepon, or finishing the show with 12 seconds of silent key animation. We’ll see what they get into next week, since we’re now finished with the issues with episode 8 and 9… at least for now. One more note: Who reminded everyone of the Idepon exhibit? That’s right, “The Fixer”: Okitsu-san.
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: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
I loved this episode, but I have just one problem with this recap. So many names, so little time to know them all. Which one was Okitsu again?
Also, what do you think Idepon is a reference to? Is it Gundam or Macross or Great Mazinger or any other super robot show I can’t think of?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Okitsu is the general manager who is always fixing things for everyone: the one who gave Honda the key to the storage room, the one who went to the meetings for Aoi, the one who arranged for the hand delivery of the coloring data for episode 4 (on the phone on the right), and this time the one who reminded the production staff about the Idepon tickets.
I doubt that Idepon is a straight reference to any other particular show or property. I think it’s more of a general ‘throw things together and make a new plot that seems familiar and epic enough that the audience understands the connection’. I know that both Gundam and Macross have both had exhibitions like that, with models and artwork and homages, etc. And there are probably other properties that have as well.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Oh, and I’ll see what I can do to try to make it more clear with the names. I do like that the show consistently is labeling all the people, even 6 episodes in with characters that we should know by now. It’s not done obtrusively, and it does give that reminder.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
If you do what the show does and put their jobs next to their names, I’d bet it woe be a lot easier to know who’s who.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
Idepon…it’s more like…Ideous…
and, The Guy (Endou) works overtime without any…any…energy drinks!
POWUH: iLurker with 7 comments
I really hate Tarou’s guts, but I have to give him credit for coining Aoi’s new nickname, “Idepon Miyamori”. That name has been stuck in my head these past few days and I keep finding myself uttering it out loud every now and then.
Loved Endou and Shimoyanagi geeking out and bonding over Idepon, the anime that inspired them to join the industry. Especially liked it when they started quoting their favorite scenes from Idepon.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I do wonder what the show will do after the end of Exodus. I don’t really know what the continuity hiring practice is for anime studios. It’s certainly not a salaryman kind of job where as long as you didn’t royally screw up, you wouldn’t get fired. Now, maybe they won’t fire Tarou during the run, but do they lay off everyone and then rehire for the next show? Or do they just move everyone onto the next show, with no performance evaluation? I’m pretty sure the show will keep a jackass like Tarou around to be the ‘bad guy’ throughout, because he works so well as a clownish character.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
Well since this show is basically the real world, I guess one of a few things might happen. Maybe they will work on animating an adaptation, or even a new original work. They might just work as production assistance, but I bet that would be boring to watch. Personally, I would absolutely love it if the show tackled a international co-operative project. Maybe have a Dreamworks or Pixar equivalent appear for a multinational project. I think that is a little too ambitious, but damn that would be cool to watch.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 27 comments
Is Takanashi going to have character development after all? This anime spends absurd amount of time focusing on him. I’d like to have other staff members introduced too as I like to see what they experience under the direction of irresponsible director.
If there is one thing I like about this anime overall is the whole subplot between Endou and Shimoyanagi. It seems Endou is sort of hostile around everyone wearing displeased frown every time. With Tarou, it is understandable but he seemed to dislike Segawa too a few episodes ago.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
They’ve just portrayed Endou as a bit prickly. I don’t really know if you can connect the 2D / 3D disagreement to his issues with Segawa earlier. I felt the point with Segawa was that both of them have respect for the other’s skills, but have creative differences in the way they draw. I wonder how much autonomy the individual episode animation supervisors have over the selection of their key animators, to make it match their vision of how it should go, and that was just a situation where Endou had to go with someone who he thinks is good, just wouldn’t be his first pick to work for him.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
YES PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! I HATE HIM!
Ahh the age old question with anime fans! 2D or 3D! Which is the better choice for anime? This episode really shows you WHY some studios choose to animate CGI scenes especially cars, explosions and mechs rather than use traditional hand drawn techniques and I guess time and money also play a role if you are on a deadline 3D seems the way to go.
I loved how the two butting animators eventually found common ground with some old school anime and I loved how each of them want to learn from each other and brush up on 3D/2D drawing stuffs.
And again Tarou go die.