Episode 24 of Shirobako, titled “The Delivery That Was Too Far Off,” is currently streaming on Crunchyroll for paid subscribers. Free subscribers can check out this final episode six days from now on April 2nd.
This is the final episode of the series, where everybody is rushing to complete Third Aerial Girls Squad.
Everything is going smoothly as Kinoshita was able to speak to the creator of the original manga, where they learn that the creator’s editor was the cause of all the problems. I am glad that the editor is out of the picture, which allows MusAni to actually work on Third Aerial Girls Squad.
The main focus of this episode is finally producing the last episode to Third Aerials Girl Squad, which ran into snags in the previous episode. Everything finally comes together: the animation, the voice acting, the script writing, the sound mixing, the sound effects, the 3D CGI, and more.
One problem that emerges is being able to deliver the final product on time.
It obviously shows how much hard work and effort it takes to produce Japanese anime. Anime fans should really show appreciation for the people working behind the scenes to bring great titles to life.
Everything felt magical at the end of this episode, where everybody came together to make sure the final episode was created and broadcast on time.
Shirobako wraps up on a pleasant note, where all five friends are actually working on a real project together.
What did I think about the overall story of Shirobako?
Shirobako isn’t that different from your typical office drama like The Office or Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, but it goes give an authentic look into the Japanese anime industry. Anime, which became part of mainstream entertainment 10 years ago, is part of everyday life and has become a popular international commodity.
The story centers of five best friends, who graduate from high school with the goal to work on a serious anime project together. It becomes a rocky trip as the five of them have yet to reach their intended destinations.
Shirobako ultimately centers on Aoi Miyamori, who works as a production assistant at MusAni as she is constantly on her feet.
The first half of Shirobako focuses on the production of the anime series Exodus, which has its ups and downs.
The second half of the anime focuses on production of Third Aerial Girls Squad, which is adapted from a manga series. Shirobako gets heated in the second half when they are unable to directly contact the original manga author and uncooperative coworkers.
There is a lot to talk about with Shirobako, but it is important to know that the story gives an accurate account of the production process. It shows that working in the anime industry is not completely fun and games. Shirobako ultimately shows that you need to passionately love anime and have a thick skin for the business if you wish to survive in the industry.
Watching Shirobako’s story should make you think carefully on whether or not you want to work in the animation industry.
As for the format, Shirobako’s episodes are usually self-contained as each one showcases a specific part of anime production like: sound effects, voice acting, auditions, key frame animation, outsourcing, and more. I was surprised to see that studios tend to outsource some of their work to lighten up the load, but it is easier being said than being done because smaller studios also have a heavy workload.
Characters
Shirobako has a huge cast of characters, which can be confusing for any production.
But it ultimately works for Shirobako because the characters have different jobs to do in the industry and they add to the “workplace drama.” I treat the characters of Shirobako as any characters in any massive office or hospital drama.
The characters drive the story of Shirobako.
I don’t want to get into specifics because I ended up caring for all the characters, which includes the arrogant dumb@$$, Taro. Then again, I didn’t care much for the manga author’s editor.
Overall
Shirobako is a must-watch series for anime fans in general.
If you love to watch anime, curious about how the anime industry works, or both, then check out Shirobako.
