Shirobako:
Collection 2 (2014/Sentai Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: C Episodes: B+
As
Shirobako continues in this second season Collection 2
arc, Aoi is promoted to production coordinator of a small but
successful anime company and in charge of scheduling, managing the
various staff/directors/managers and dealing with their whims. In
other words she is in charge of quality and damage control when
things go wrong... They are now in producing a new anime, 3rd
Girls. Aoi is able to work together with her old high school
friends/animation club.
Together,
they will have to learn what does it take to be in the anime business
by keep schedules, working with manga authors, artists, actors and
dealing with troublesome managers and directors. Their dream one day
is to produce their own original anime together. Aoi continues to
deal and over come sudden challenges, will the ladies of of Musashino
Animation rise above and beyond the expectations of artists and
managers? As Aoi begins her second year in the anime business, she
continues to have the heart and passion to make and create
anime.
This anime is about making irony of making anime, the
series is about the anime industry and how many different people it
takes to make an anime. Animation companies are like characters and
they fight an uphill battle against reality, the industry, it's
publishers and the work pressure. However, like in real life, 80% of
the staff does the real work, there is the 20% that sits there and
does nothing. Half the challenge in life is dealing with those
people who is holding everyone back (unless they are stealing the
credit). As you become more successful and work in bigger companies
there will be always those who got there by take credit from standing
on the work of others.
The
1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image on the episodes looks
really good consistently throughout and though it does not represent
Sentai's very top of the crop, it is fine as is the lossless Japanese
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic-like surrounds.
All are worthy of the previous series. Extras include clean opening
and closing anime and trailers.
Episodes
this time out are....
What
Kind of Cloud Do You Like? - After being promoted to Production
Coordinator, Aoi begins searching for new staff members for the new
anime, 3rd Girls.
Audition Meeting Without
Honor and Humanity! - The studio is picking out the seiyuu (voice
actors) for the characters, but instead of talent, all the sponsors
all want their 'voice actors' based on their company connections,
marketing or looks.
You're Okay With This Kind of Artwork?
- After going through the difficulty of picking out character styles,
setting, music they suddenly get a call from the author to redo all
the character designs.
Turning the Tables - Iguchi-san
must re-draw all the characters, unfortunately their orders are just
too vague. Iguchi-san must learn how to draw in the spirit of the
characters. Aoi learns the rest of the staff must help support and
take the pressure off the artists.
Can You Tell Me Where I
Am? - Aoi must sudden create a promotional video in with only 2
weeks notice.
You Set Me Up! - An episode director from
an sub-company quits and Aoi must find a new director for that
episode.
Are They Biting? - Yano returns just in time
help. Yano helps recruit and find a reclusive director to take
charge of the episode behind schedule.
You Simply Mustang!
- Aoi learns everyone enters the anime industry different reasons.
Hiraoka-kun envies those with talent, but especially those with hard
work and good spirit.
Don't Hold the Quality Hostage! -
Aoi gets complaints about Hiraoka and his leadership, but she learns
how Hiraoka-kun lost his passion for anime. Hiraoka learns what he
lacks when compared to Aoi even though he's been in the Anime
business longer.
Noa's in Underwear - It's Miller time,
it's seems like everyone who goes drinking after work is complaining
about something.
Turning the Tables, Continue - The
last episode gets rejected and the mysterious author wants the redo
the story so they have a bad ending. Turn's out the author's manager
has been lazy, manipulating and lying about his job.
A
Delivery Too Far - Now they have all the planning and materials
for he last episode. With everyone working together will they make
the deadline in time?
-
Ricky Chiang
