Miyamori Aoi Production Assistant
I don't want to be in the same situation as you, Takanashi-san!
Takanashi Tarou Production Assistant
You brought yourself in, didn't you?
Episode eight's explosion scene ended up being done in CG,
so of course episode nine's scene will be in CG, too, for continuity.
That's what they were arguing about!
Now, now. What good will it do to play the blame game?
We're on the same team, aren't we?
Endou-san...
Endou Ryousuke Animation Supervisor
I don't want to talk to you.
Because you're being childish like that,
Hotta-san is doing the same.
Hotta?
He finished episode nine's explosion scene with key animation!
What are you going to do?
Um... I'm going to go talk to Honda-san about this.
No, no, no, Miyamori...
Endou-san, could you wait for a bit?
I've already dropped out of this.
Jeez! He's being so difficult.
Why'd he show up at the office if he dropped out?
Oh, I think he had something to do...
Then he should have done some work, too...
Okay, I'm going to see Honda-san.
Wait! Don't! Anything but that!
Honda Yutaka Production Desk
Why didn't you tell me sooner?!
I'm sorry.
Oh, I wasn't saying that to you, Miyamori-san.
I meant you!
You're in charge of episode eight, aren't you?!
Well, you're so kind, Honda-san,
so I didn't want to worry you anymore...
You can drop the sycophancy!
What does "sycophancy" mean?
How did everything get so messed up?
I did my best to try to reason with Endou-san,
but he's just so stubborn.
All right.
I'll talk about the explosion scene with the director, as well.
Huh?! Uh, Honda-san?
But the director's in the middle of doing storyboards right now!
Director, I know you're busy with the storyboards,
but I need to discuss somethi—
Director?
This is...
Oh, he climbed up the bars and made a run for it.
I'm going to the after-recording
Sorry
Kinoshita
"I'm going to the after-recording"?
The director's gone! The animation supervisor for episode eight is gone!
What am I supposed to do?!
Honda-san.
I'm out of options!
This is why I didn't tell you, Honda-san.
Anyway, find Endou-san and ask him to come see me. I'll talk to him.
I wonder if I'll be able to find him.
I'll call him.
Connecting to the voicemail service.
See?
Don't "See?" me!
Idepon Miyamori: On the Move
Idepon Miyamori: On the Move.
Ochiai Tatsuya Production Assistant
Are things that rough?
Houjou Hiroaki Studio Canaan Producer
The first desk fled while under enemy fire;
the second left the front line.
Could you come to our front lines two months early?
That won't be possible. Next month, we're dealing with the Battle of Stalingrad ourselves.
Well, we've got the Battle of Imphal.
The situation is like Omaha Beach without any medics.
Kisa Mitsuhide Key Animator
Ochiai from Musani?
Studio Canaan
Why's he in a Canaan car?
We're about to start, but where's the director?
Watanabe Jun Line Producer
We've got a situation with the storyboards for the final episode,
so he won't be participating today.
Please go ahead and start.
Kinoshita Seiichi Director
Everyone working hard?
Yamabuchi Atsushi Nakata Eri Mixer Sound Producer
Fuji Asuka Mixing Assistant
Huh? Director?
Does this mean the storyboards are finished?
Kazushiro Koutarou Maker Producer
Thank goodness!
Um...
Inanami Yoshikazu Sound Director
The director has finished the storyboards for the final episode!
Congratulations!
Thank you for your hard work.
Nakaharu Mei Itou Shizuka Kayana Mui Plays Akane Plays Aya Plays Arupin
Director!
Congratulations!
Thanks...
Yes. Oh, Honda?
Yeah, the director's right next to me. Should I give him the phone?
I don't want the phone.
He says he doesn't want the phone.
What? Seriously?!
Oh, it's nothing...
I don't think talking to him will help, but I'll bring him over as soon as we're done.
Nice one, Director.
Hee-hee...
Huh? What? What?
Will we be able to do next week's after-recording?
We'll talk to you about future plans a little later.
I brought storyboard sheets with me.
This bag works great as a pencil board, too. Handy, right?
Not listening, are you? I'm sorry...
All right, we're starting.
Yano Erika Production Assistant
Welcome back.
Oh, thank you.
Tarou went to see Endou-san.
Ah...
He asked me to go with him.
Ah...
Of course, I refused.
Of course...
Well, having Endou-san drop out is pretty painful.
He's so good, and fast.
Is something wrong?
No...
Just thinking that even good and fast key animators like Endou-san
seem to have a competitive streak toward the 3D crew.
I wonder if hand-drawn animation
is going to keep being replaced with 3D.
The amount of anime keeps increasing, too.
Given the lack of manpower and the quality control,
3D just might become mainstream.
Does that mean hand-drawn animation is going to disappear?
I don't think it will.
Many things are still best expressed by hand-drawn animation.
Really?
Like The Man Who Planted the Flower.
But you can't draw things like that unless
you have the sense and are really good.
Yeah.
But maybe that just means only people with talent and passion can survive.
Well, I guess that's true in any field.
That's rough...
Our work is rough, too.
It's just rough in a different way.
Stop it already!
And you should just get over it already, Endou-san.
There's no way I'm going to draw it!
I don't care about the explosion cut, just please be the supervising animator.
We already have 70 cuts piled up!
What do you mean, you don't care about the explosion cut?!
Idepon Exhibit
35th Anniversary
Ah, Shimoyanagi-san.
Sorry for all the trouble.
What? About the cut in episode eight?
Shimoyanagi Shinichirou 3D Director
Well, I don't mind if it's done in key animation.
But will Endou-san actually do it?
I heard he dropped out as the animation supervisor.
I'll figure it out.
Don't flip things upside-down again.
We're the ones who get dragged around.
I'm sorry.
It's no use! It's all over!
Endou-san?
He's a lion that's been freed from its cage.
On the other hand, I'm a solitary tiger.
Two wild beasts can never understand each other.
Assume you might get eaten if you fail, and work harder.
Hey, I wonder if Hotta-san would draw the last cut in episode eight.
I don't think that's going to happen.
Why?!
Hotta-san finished that early so Endou-san would draw it.
So you don't care what happens to the other episodes,
as long as the key frames are done on the episodes you're in charge of?
Of course not!
Then help!
I think his pride as a key animator
actually makes him pretty admirable.
Yeah. That's why I can't help but wonder myself.
I wonder what Endou-san thought then.
Something is catching up to his art. I think that's what he thought.
You mean CG?
From my point of view,
we have to catch up
Fujidou Misa 3D Creator
to hand-drawn animation.
I'm not as good at drawing as Ema-senpai.
Yasuhara Ema Key Animator
But still, I wanted to work in anime,
so I decided to go to a school specializing in 3D CG.
And when I actually started doing this work,
I realized that just like in hand-drawn animation,
you need artistic sense to do this job, too.
I felt like I had to watch a lot of really good
hand-drawn animation and study how to create good motion.
Actually, it might be faster if an animator like Endou-san
used his know-how to become
a 3D animator himself.
Sakaki Shizuka Newbie Voice Actor
Welcome!
Tateo Mari Voice Actor and Training School Mentor
Tateo-sensei!
Long time, no see.
It really has been a long time!
Oh, are you by yourself?
Yeah. I had some business in the area.
And then I remembered that the place
you work part-time was around here.
Oh, that's right. You came here once before.
Have you kept in contact with your fellow students from the training school?
With some of them...
Restroom
I see. Well, there aren't very many left
in this field anymore.
I haven't been able to land a job in voice acting, either.
But doing jobs like this will help, too.
Communicating with customers, like you're doing right now.
You seem down. Did something happen?
I went to my first anime audition the other day...
But I was so nervous, I messed it all up.
And I haven't heard from them since...
That means you didn't get it.
Huh?!
If you got the part, they'd call you, right?
Right...
Well, it is rough waiting for that call you don't know if you're going to get.
Oh, yes! I'm going to be doing a play soon.
If you like, come see our rehearsal.
Madoka Hironori Animation Director
Huh? Director?
Hello. Good work.
Is it true that you performed a jailbreak?
Don't make me sound like some criminal.
Must be rough.
Yeah... Well, it is my fault.
You can turn on the air conditioner.
Huh?
Isn't it better drawing storyboards here than in that dark storage room?
Yeah...
But Honda-kun's waiting for me.
I'm looking forward to the storyboards for the final episode.
I'll be going, then.
See you.
His engine is always too slow to start up.
That Godot guy is never going to come.
Then why have we been waiting all this time?
It was absolutely pointless.
Yeah.
All right. Let's die.
I'm sorry, what?
Well, Godot's never going to come!
How was it?
I had all the roles played by girls.
It was great!
Make sure you come see the play.
Of course I will!
Now I really want to act, as well!
Next time we do something, I'll give you a call.
Thank you!
It's always hard when you're waiting to hear back from a job...
But what's important is what you do with the time while you're waiting.
If you're just waiting for Godot, you'll never get anywhere.
After we're done here, we're going out for drinks. Want to come?
No... I'm going to head home for today.
Okay. Oh, if you want, take a script home with you.
I will. Thank you very much!
From: Zuka-chan
Looks like I failed the audition. But I'll do my best next time!
Oi-chan?
Ah, I saw your email.
Yeah.
It's too bad...
Yeah... But I'm fine.
Huh?
Today, my mentor from my training school said she was doing a play,
so I went to see their rehearsal.
I see.
It reminded me of how I felt when I first wanted to become a voice actor.
How you felt when you first wanted to become a voice actor, huh...
Is something wrong?
You sound more down than I do.
There's just been some trouble at work.
I see...
You just keep having people spin you around
when you work in production.
Really?
Huh?
When we were in our club,
I always felt like you had a handle on all of us pretty well, Oi-chan.
It'll be fine. I know you can figure this out.
Right... Thanks!
Thanks!
Are the director and Honda-kun still in that room?
Today's the fourth day...
What happened with Endou-san?
It's no use. He won't listen.
Even if I go to his house, he won't answer,
and he's blocking my calls.
I think the only thing left to do is
have Honda-san or the director talk to him.
Okitsu Yuka General Manager
Oh, by the way...
The Idepon Exhibit ends tomorrow, but there are still extra tickets.
Ooh! I want one!
Forget about you. Give them to the key animators.
But I want to go, too.
Segawa-san Incoming Call
Got it!
You again, Miyamori Aoi?!
Sorry, Tomigaya-san! I'm in a hurry.
Accepting Tenants
Thank you for your hard work.
I'll be contacting you again tomorrow.
So what happened with Endou-kun?
Endou-san still hasn't shown up,
and we can't get a hold of him.
I see.
Um... This is only until tomorrow, but if you're interested...
Segawa Misato Animation Supervisor
Idepon Exhibit?
Yes.
Why don't you give it to Endou-kun rather than me?
Huh?
Apparently, he decided to become an animator after seeing that.
Really?
Seeing works that affected you that way boosts your motivation.
You remember the time when you first thought you wanted to do this work.
In my case, I think it was Beauty Dreamer.
Oh, it was Mountain Porcupine Andes Chucky for me!
Huh...
I see... So for Endou-san, it was Idepon...
Segawa-san!
Thank you very much!
Are you there, Endou-san?
Endou-san!
Do you mean us?
"Us"?
I'm Endou.
Oh! It's a pleasure to work with your husband!
I'm Miyamori from Musashino Animation.
Thank you for looking after him, as well.
He should be home... Is he not answering?
Oh, uh...
Maybe he's in the bathroom...
Ah.
Please take these.
Maybe you two could go together.
It's only until tomorrow.
Thank you. I'll give these to my husband.
Thank you very much.
What's with that?
Endou-san!
Are you by yourself?
My wife's not interested in this stuff.
Who told you, anyway?
Segawa-san.
Ah...
The tickets are from Okitsu-san...
Miyamori!
Yo!
So this is Idepon's head...
It's so big.
Shimoyanagi-san!
You're here, too, Shimoyanagi-san?!
Uh, yeah...
You like Idepon, Shimoyanagi-san? So do I!
Apparently, Endou-san likes it, too!
We're the Idepon Trio!
Don't group me in with you.
Anyway, let's look at the exhibit!
What's Shimoyanagi doing here? Did you plan this?
No! This is a total coincidence!
Hey, this is the one that showed up in the theatrical release.
Was it "Giant Weapon Gyutroda"?
No!
This is Kyutrowa.
Oh, right.
This thing's actually the weapon of the final, final boss.
The super big one.
Yeah.
I believe its length was 1,800 kilometers and its height was 700 kilometers.
What's with that size?
Everything about it was insanely huge.
I'm not really familiar with the story.
You haven't seen it?!
I'm sorry.
In short, it's a story about a dramatic battle
to get some awesome infinite energy.
Oh. So there was a lot of action?
No!
That's not the great thing about Idepon.
That enormous energy had a will,
and since humanity just kept fighting and wouldn't learn,
it wanted to crush them and entrust the future to the next generation.
It's so hard-boiled. It makes you feel like living is futile.
No!
It was an ensemble drama about how the humans tried to fight their destiny!
There were so many lines that shot straight through the heart.
"I—
I won't accept this meaningless life!"
"I'll open the path to my own destiny."
"I haven't lost all hope yet!"
There were so many situations that got you fired up.
Like firing missiles from their whole bodies, and the hand-to-hand combat!
Even the lingering after-death thoughts of the Foundation made me cry!
I was amazed that such a picturesque world could be drawn.
One's personal hopes and happiness don't matter.
I wanted to be a part of something grand like that.
That's why I chose a career in anime.
That's exactly how I felt after seeing that movie!
They're really getting into it.
Man, I'm so glad I came.
It reminded me of how I felt when I first started.
I'm really glad, too.
I didn't know what was going to happen when
you two first bumped into each other.
Actually, this might have been your will, Miyamori.
Mine?!
You had them fight so they could
get past their hatred, didn't you,
Idepon Miyamori?
Huh?
Idepon Miyamori has a nice ring to it.
It's true that if we kept arguing about key animation and 3D,
we could never make something like Idepon.
Oh, yeah!
What is it, Idepon Miyamori?
Since we came all the way to Akihabara, let's go see it.
Exodus!
Now on air since October!
Wow!
That's Idepon's will.
It's like fate has opened right up.
I guess I'll work on the explosion.
Huh?
And there are 70 cuts piled up, right?
Yeah!
Endou-san, wait!
Sorry, I don't need dinner tonight.
All right. Do your best.
Yeah.
Man, you're amazing, Endou-san!
I don't know how I feel about a compliment from you.
You really are amazing! This was totally worth all the hard work!
You didn't work at all!
I'm going to go show it to Shimoyanagi-san, too.
Endou-san.
You stayed up all night yesterday, didn't you?
Yeah, sort of.
I saw the key frames.
They were amazing.
Nah...
I saw the 3D CG
of the explosion the other day.
I hate to say this as an animator...
but it was brilliant.
Hearing that from you, Endou-san...
Um...
When you have time, do you mind if I fiddle around
with the 3D CG software?
If I don't learn a bit more,
I'm going to be crushed by Idepon's will.
And I want to incorporate more of the movement of key animation,
so would you take a look at some of the 3D motions I have?
Yeah, sure.
And once things calm down, let's go out for drinks.
I'd like to talk to you more about Idepon.
Sounds good.
Thank goodness! Endou-san's key frames are done!
Now we don't have to let Hotta-san's key frames go to waste.
Man, I'm so glad I had Endou-san draw them.
Did that really just come out of your mouth?
Well, Endou-san was so stubborn.
I'm not a wild beast tamer like you.
Wild beast tamer?!
True.
Myamori totally has candy and a whip.
Really?
It's not something everyone has.
You were made to work in production, Miyamori.
Woo-hoo! Idepon Miyamori!
I've done everything I could do.
I'm free!
You only finished the A part!
Hello, this is Musashino Animation.
Oh, hello, Director. Thank you for all your hard work.
Huh? Your stomach hurts, and you can't leave the bathroom?
Retake With the Cat
Next time on Shirobako, "Retake With the Cat."