What's wrong?
Animal Encyclopedia
It's... nothing. I'm sorry.
Yasuharacchi!
Ask, and be a fool for a minute.
Ask not, and be a fool for life. Right?
So young.
Look, look, Rii-chan! A lantern!
Picture! Take a picture!
Oh, right.
Come over here! Over here!
Huh? Me?
A rickshaw! Yoo-hoo!
Tokyo really is a great place.
Really?
Yep. All kinds of people, things,
and scenery. It's amazing!
The country isn't like that?
Not at all!
We are currently running a fixed-term deposit campaign,
but we've seen very little growth.
Please try to bring in 280 million more yen.
Miyamori-san, do you think you'll make the mixer this weekend?
Probably. Was it with the people from Takano Engineering Firm?
Yeah. Though I'm not sure how it's a mixer
since some of them have wives and kids.
I guess it's to make connections with another line of work.
Speaking of Takano Engineering Firm,
did you watch Hamukatsu's drama yesterday?
No. Is it the one about the female company president?
Hamukatsu seriously pisses me off.
"I'm going to cross this ocean, even without a compass."
He just says "compass" over and over.
Lately, dramas make the characters say catch phrases way too often, huh?
Ah, Miyamori-san. About the office kitchen...
Yes?
There were tea leaves left in the triangular sink strainer again.
I've asked you to dispose of them properly, haven't I?
Um, I didn't make the tea yester—
Then kindly inform the person who did.
Could you pass that on to the division manager sometime today?
Oh, yes.
Skytree!
It's 634 meters tall!
I'm surprised you know that.
It's common knowledge!
I'm Not Criticizing You or Anything
I'm Not Blaming You.
It's important to be able to continue eating,
but it's also important to think about why you're drawing, too.
For my livelihood...
Why did you decide to be an animator, Yasuhara-san?
Because I love drawing.
Is that not enough?
If you're able to eat doing something that you love, it's a wonderful thing.
However, eventually, drawing won't be enough.
You'll start to yearn for new goals.
Goals...
If only all the kids in the world could be happy...
That's what I think about when I draw.
I...
can't even fathom something that ambitious.
Ultimate goal?
To become a director, of course.
Huh? You? A director?
I'll be so famous that crowds will gather just by hearing my name,
like Miyazaki Isao and Hosokawa Yuzuru.
Then I'm going to get passionate, foreign fans,
and walk the red carpets at Cannes and Berlin. All the way to the top!
You're not planning to be an animation director, are you?
Nah. I have zero interest in being an episode director, so I'm just going for director.
I think I might hit him.
Huh? Why?!
Every character designer and animation supervisor starts as an in-between.
Every director first starts as an animation director.
And producers start as production assistants!
Well, I'd settle for producer, then.
"Settle"?!
Well, I mean, producers have to go bow their heads everywhere.
Have you ever seen Nabe-P do that?
He's special.
Ochiai-san!
You're planning to go to Canaan and show 'em who's boss, right?
There are a lot of cute girls there, too.
It was a situation I couldn't get out of.
I want a situation I can't get out of!
Also, I'd like to work with Director Mijikai.
Want to switch?
Seriously?
No.
For one, we'll probably have to deliver everything day-of, starting with episode one.
All right, we get it. You're bragging.
Bragging about not studying before the test, bragging about not sleeping,
and bragging about how busy you are in the business.
It's not bragging. Just send me off quietly already.
He doesn't understand the feelings of the band that has to play on
as everyone else is escaping the Titantic.
What are we? A mud boat?
Honda-san, are you going to end up being a line producer like Watanabe-san?
I'm not sure.
Just as animation directors and directors are different, production desk and producers are different, too.
Then what would you like to be the most?
Hmm...
A cake baker?
What?!
What's with the girly kindergartener dream?
That's the first I've heard that. In fact, are you even serious?
Gross!
It's my dream! It's my dream, so just leave me alone!
I had no idea.
You may not believe it, but I bake quite often on my days off.
Oh! Were those brownies the other day...
Yep. I made them.
Wow! I feel conflicted.
What? They were made properly, weren't they?
Oh, they were good. They were good, but...
I don't know. I just have this biased idea in my head,
so when I think of you wearing a newlywed wife's apron
and beating eggs, I just...
Gross! Gross! Gross!
I wouldn't wear a newlywed wife's apron!
Everyone, please be quiet.
Oh, sorry.
That's right. It's time for the camera meeting.
Oh, did you forget?
No, you forgot!
So everyone actually does have dreams...
Yep. Everyone's working hard toward their dreams.
That's what it means to be alive.
What? Do you really need dreams or goals?
Why do you always say such brutal things, Mimuji?
It all just sounds so phony.
People who keep babbling about dreams can't see reality.
Ow!
You're as harsh as ever, Mimuji.
I'm just a realist.
Damn it! It was Miyamori Aoi again?!
Ah.
I thought you tore a muscle.
Yep. Torn muscle.
How are you riding a bicycle, then?
Well, you see, there's a hill climb contest next week.
Hill climb?
Simply put, it's a sport where
you ride up a hill on a bicycle.
Unlike a normal road race,
your weight, energy, and skills mean everything.
You have enemies, but your real enemy is yourself... or something.
You push yourself and push yourself...
And personally, if you don't push yourself with your work, I'll be in trouble.
I'll totally push myself! But I want to enter the contest with a clear mind.
So I just needed a little mood-changer. Just thirty minutes.
Really! Work is important! But placing in the hill climb is also my dream.
Dream?
Yes. My dream!
Really, only thirty minutes! Just thirty!
Jeez, what do you want, Nee-chan?
Ugh.
Good morning. This is Miyamori Aoi from Musashino Animation.
This is all for today.
It looks like tomorrow's going to be a bit rough, like we thought. I'm sorry.
No worries. I still have time.
But since you suddenly got episode thirteen put on you,
I'm sure you must be nervous.
So you know about Ochiai-san, then?
I got a phone call from Canaan.
They said they got my number from Ochiai-kun.
They asked if I'd help out with Roboharu.
What?
I declined immediately.
I told them I can't do another assignment until Exodus! is over.
Thank you so much!
Ochiai-kun's pretty audacious.
I'm sorry.
No, I'm sure he wants to move up, too.
I heard he'd be on production desk for Roboharu.
What? But he didn't mention anything earlier.
Earlier?
The production assistants were all talking about what we want to be in the future.
Ah. Well, I think he's pretty ambitious.
Can you tell something like that?
Well, I've been in this business for a long time,
and I've seen all kinds.
That's amazing, Segawa-san.
Oh, and by the way...
How's Yasuhara-san?
Did she say anything?
No, um... Not really...
Well, she said something about having to try harder.
I... see.
I just hope she understands what I was trying to tell her.
I'm sure she's very close to being able
to draw the way she wants to...
To being able to draw with the next stages of the process in mind.
But she won't understand it just yet. She doesn't understand, so she can't do it.
Even though it's such a small difference.
Then Ema's... Yasuhara's key frames aren't bad?
No, they're not bad. But they're not good.
I see...
I hope she's able to get past this.
Ah, go ahead and use the sink.
Iguchi-kun, I'd like to ask a favor of you.
Don't waste paper.
Did you pick this cut yourself?
Yes.
Why?
Oh, I'm not criticizing you or anything.
Because... I've never drawn key frames
with cats or animals before.
Oh, yes. This one's tough because they're acting out everyday life,
but it's a great scene where Aya shows a child-like expression.
You can totally see Yamada-san's love of Japanese cinema.
That's pretty essential for the drama aspect.
And the cats...
They're not anthropomorphic cats, but real cats.
We don't really get a chance to draw cats like this.
I was lacking...
Hm?
I couldn't think of the cats that I drew as cute at all.
They looked like something that sort of resembled cats.
"Sort of," huh?
You're so funny, Yasuharacchi! You really are great.
What do they call that? Gestalt destruction?
"Is this what it's supposed to look like?" That's how you feel, right?
Yes.
That's totally happened to me!
That's even happened to you, Iguchi-san?
What do you mean, "even"?
Me and even the supervising animator lead, Rinko-han, are the same when we're stuck.
Um...
Hm?
What do you do in times like that?
Is to continue drawing the only thing you can do?
Even if your drawings look awful, and you're not satisfied with
them at all, and you feel like you'll probably have to do retakes...
There are deadlines, so you just have to keep drawing, right?
You know, when that happens...
Take a walk.
Huh?
Yay! Tea time!
Oh, were you waiting for me?
Go on, eat up, Rii-chan.
Um...
Hm?
Are you sure?
You paid for the tour bus, the tickets for the observation tower,
and for this super expensive cake.
Yeah, it's totally fine! I have money.
I came over here to spend money.
Rii-chan, is there anything you want? I'll buy it for you.
No, not right now.
Then what do you want to do? Is there anything you want to do?
There's something, isn't there? Like go on a dinner cruise or to a drag queen show pub?
Something I want to do...
Yeah! Dreams? Ambitions?
I want...
to write a story.
Huh?
Well, right now, I'm really into Dost...oyevsky.
I think he's amazing, and really interesting.
The Brothers Karamazov?
Yes! That Dost.
I see... Dostoyevsky. You've always been smart, Rii-chan.
Not at all!
Just reading Dost, the story's so...
More importantly, let's do something you want to do, Kao-chan-neesan.
What? Me?
Yeah!
We did a lot of things today that I'd never be able to experience on my own,
so this was really good for me.
A fortune for the mind and soul.
Fortune, huh?
Yes, ma'am.
Aoi Calling
Hello?
Nee-chan. You can stop sending me all the pictures of your visit.
What? At least let me brag a little.
You should just send them to someone at the credit union.
No!
Why?
Because it's Rii-chan and my absolute fortune.
Fortune? What? Nee-chan, you're way too free-spirited.
Free-spirited? The director?
No, no.
By the way, Iguchi-san and Yasuhara-san went out
a little while ago. Have you heard anything?
What? They left? Huh? Iguchi-san?
Apparently not.
Yasuhara-san?
Ah, yes.
I think they went for a walk.
A walk?
Um... I don't have much time...
How many pages did you complete sitting there all morning?
When you're stuck, this is how things look.
That's why you need some wide-open scenery.
Scenery?
Yep.
Fifteen minutes by bike, and mostly one road. You had no idea, did you?
No... Not at all.
Even when you're relaxing or taking a walk,
if you're near the office, it doesn't really feel that way, right?
I recommend this place. It's my secret spot.
Are you sure it's okay for me to know?
Yeah, of course. You gave me a donut.
And I learned about this place from Rinko-han.
Ogasawara-san?
And, apparently, Rinko-han found out from Sugie-san.
Sugie-san is actually rather...
Ah, you're Nyajiro!
Huh?
Nyajiro, have you been doing well?
The first animal I ever drew was a mole.
A mole?
Do you think moles move fast or slow?
I—
Hell if I know.
Well, it was just a characterization, so it all worked out, though.
That's just because you're good, Iguchi-san...
If I was good at anything, I was good at copying.
Copying?
There's no way anyone can draw original stuff so well to begin with.
I mean, Musani doesn't have much going on now,
but did you know it was pretty amazing before?
Well, sort of...
So I would go to the storage and ask them
to let me see key frames from shows I used to like,
and I'd copy the key frames I wanted to do.
Rinko-han would always lecture me.
From copying, I worked hard to learn to express things my own way.
Is it okay to copy someone?
Yeah.
Copy away!
How else are you going to get better?
Newbies will grasp the movement patterns of their seniors and copy them.
Your own expressions come after.
Patterns...
They always say "learn by copying."
At first, everyone is copying someone else.
Everyone's the same.
Ah...
Hm?
So this is where a cat's heel is.
Oh, yeah. These guys stand on their tippy-toes.
Do they have knee caps?
Huh? Now that you mention it...
Where would they be?
Oh, I'm sorry!
Something like...
Feel like you can draw it?
Director, do you think it was pretty shocking?
When the on-air didn't happen? Well, yeah...
No, I mean about Ochiai. Ochiai.
Ah, Ochiai.
Oh, so that's how you feel about it.
No, no, no...
Of course I'm shocked.
But considering the mentality of "accept all the help you can get"
and "don't chase after those who leave"...
I guess giving chase is also a possibility.
We're not talking about your ex-wife.
I think you should probably stop with the drunk emails, too.
Oh, right.
They say "don't chase after those who leave,"
but since you're always living in the past,
I think you're the type to hold things in.
Well, excuse me! That's why I got fat. I know that!
I'd rather do something about my tomorrow than Ochiai's future.
Ugh, I'm not getting any further in the B part storyboards.
At this point, just make sure there's no
all-out war where fields are burning.
Nothing will be left, and no one will be happy, as they say.
I know that!
Thanks for your hard work.
Yamada-san, could you check these key frames for me?
Yep. How many more cuts?
Thirty-two cuts.
Um... About the cat scene that Yasuhara-san is doing...
Could we get a little more time on it?
Huh? Why?
It seems like she's a little stuck.
Really? I saw her come back with Iguchi-san
and they seemed to be having a fun conversation.
Huh?!
Huh. With Iguchi-san...
That's an unusual combination.
I thought Yasuhara-san was the introverted type,
so I was a bit surprised.
Ah, Nee-chan? Where are you right now?
Come on, I'm not mad!
It's a bit late, but I was wondering if you wanted to eat together.
Huh?
What? Why? Jeez!
H-Hold on... I'll be there in thirty minutes!
Matsutei
Good evening.
Ah, Oi-chan-senpai.
She's totally asleep!
Yep, free-spirited as ever.
I'm sorry, Rii-chan. You've been stuck with her since yesterday.
Nah, it was something fresh.
Hey. Where's Ema?
She was concentrating hard, so I couldn't talk to her.
Yeah, you don't want to disturb her work.
Zuka-chan, don't worry about the shop. Go on and drink.
I will! Thank you!
Thanks!
Good work!
I wonder if Ema's doing okay.
Her tonsils used to get swollen sometimes.
I think... she'll be okay now.
Huh?
Is she okay? And "now"?
Did something happen?
A little bit. But her work seemed to be going well right before I left.
Well, that's good to hear.
Um... Oi-chan-senpai.
Let's really, truly make an anime
with the members of our anime club.
Huh?
I think we have the best people there are. We have potential.
Potential?
I'll do my best to be able to write an amazing story.
Yeah! I will, too!
Yeah.
I have the drive, if nothing else... Though I don't know anything about money.
Oh, but there's Kao-chan-neesan.
Great idea! She'll become someone important, and we'll have a huge budget.
We'll take the top-down approach to anime!
There's no way that'd work.
Whoa! You're awake!
You never know. I'm not going to give up on being a voice actor.
You should join us, Kao-chan-neesan.
You say that, but...
Just five more years! I'll debut within the next five years.
Three. Let's make it three.
Roger!
What? But I'm almost thirty.
That's perfect, then.
Huh? It is?
Totally.
Oi-chan, you're going to be the producr.
The producer...?
Picture! Picture! Kao-chan-neesan, please.
You're taking one right now?
Yep!
It'll be a record of our resolve, our memories, and our people.
Nee-chan, those clothes...
Yeah, I'm going home.
I'll walk you to the station.
Don't worry about it. You have work, don't you?
Yeah...
I put some dried daikon radish strips in the fridge.
The potatoes sprouted some eyes, so make sure you use them soon.
See you later. Thanks for having me.
Ah. Hey, Nee-chan.
Do you need anything else?
You good?
I'm gonna do my best.
Hello? I'm not an employee of Musani...
Oh, I'm the director, Kinoshita.
Next time on Shirobako, "What Do You Think I Was Trying to Say?"
What Do You Think I Was Trying to Say?