LogFAQs > #967308565

221. Shirobako
https://myanimelist.net/anime/25835/Shirobako
Fall 2014 (24 episodes)
My Score: 3/10, MAL Score: 8.30/10
Best Character: Sakaki Shizuka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnSpVz1Oa8E

Premise: Five friends have entered the anime industry. Two join the illustrious Musashino Animation company and experience the trials and tribulations of creating an anime.

The Good: Shirobako is a detailed look at anime production from five unique directions, and it was fascinating to see the work that goes into making these shows. Its a lot of stuff I wouldve never really thought about, like how they divide and prioritize scenes or the work that goes into painting a background. The first half was a lot of fun. They only ever hit realistic production snafus, which was a lot better than the second half where one guy was a lazy jerk for no reason.

The Bad: The second half of Shirobako introduced the worst character ever, and within a second of meeting Shinsuke I think most people know how the rest of the season will go. Since the characters arent as savvy, half of Shirobakos runtime is dedicated to a trainwreck that shouldve been easily avoided. It was so annoying to watch that happen with no way to speed the melodrama up. Even in the superior first half, though, the characters werent all that compelling. They worked as perspectives into the anime industry more than as actual characters themselves.

Overall: Shirobako is an interesting look into anime production, and Im glad that I watched it for that reason alone. Even years later I still think about some of the things I learned from this show when watching new stuff. Sadly, the characters are all lacking in terms of being actual characters, and the second half descended into needless drama.

COMING UP TOMORROW:
220: No one in this anime is wearing pants.
219: This anime needed to be killed within a year.