Dhruv Sharma
‘Shirobako’ is almost like a tribute to everyone who has ever been involved in the creation of an anime. It brings in a rather refreshing concept that revolves around the lives of passionate individuals who are chasing the dream of being known in the anime industry. It is unlike any other show you might have ever seen. The way its entire story is written is very entertaining in its own unique way.
Apart from the drama and character relationships that the show focuses on, it all brings in all the technicalities that are involved in the process of creating an anime. And unlike most other shows, it takes the risk of standing out completely by portraying an entirely original story that revolves around the lives of adults and not high school students. If you expect a lot of playful content, then this one may not be for you. But if you’re looking for a story that portrays all the realistic struggles of adulthood, then you will certainly find ‘Shirobako’ very appealing.
Speaking of realistic, everything in the anime is just random, just like real life and that’s probably the reason why almost everything about it so relatable. You will be able to empathize with things that the characters of the anime are dealing with. Speaking of the characters, they have this cute “moe” appeal to them that never really goes overboard and fan service is just non-existent.
‘Shirobako’ very well understands that there is a whole different world out there, outside the school life, which has many stories of its own to tell. And even if you’re not familiar with how an anime is made, by the time you’re done watching it, you will have a fair bit of idea about the roles that different individuals play during the creation of a full-fledged anime show.
Considering that the show is all about it the anime industry and also a little bit about its technical stuff, it would be very ironic if it had poor animation. Thankfully, the visuals are pretty good and the music manages to create an appropriate environment for all of its themes. Overall, even if you have the slightest passion for the anime industry, then ‘Shirobako’ can easily be one of the most enjoyable anime experiences for you.
Shirobako Season 2 Release Date: When will it premiere?
‘Shirobako’ season 1 premiered on October 9, 2014 and with a total of 24 episodes, it ended on March 26, 2015. The anime was very well received by its fans soon and many of them still talk about it on various forums. For those who have been hoping to see more of this show, the good news is that a sequel movie of the same has been scheduled to release on February 29, 2020. Just like the anime series, the movie will also have an original story and is being produced by P.A Works Studio. According to Hirokawa, the president of P.A Works, the film will be set around five years after the events of season one.
As far as the show is concerned, we might have to patiently wait for more time. Till then, you can either check out the other side-story “specials” of the anime or you can watch other similar comedy shows to fill your time. In the meanwhile, if we hear anything about ‘Shirobako’ season 2 release date, we will let you know.
Shirobako English Dub:
You can watch ‘Shirobako’ on Crunchyroll with its original Japanese audio and English subtitles.
Shirobako Plot:
Five very close friends from the Kaminoyama High School named Ali Miyamori, Ema Yasuhara, Midori Imai, Shizuka Sakaki, and Misa Toudou get together to form an animation club to share their common passion and love for anime. Together, all five of them make their first anime film and start showcasing it at the cultural festival. Being extremely passionate about what they do, they vow to make a career out of it and dream of creating their own entire show someday. But as school comes to an end, they must all walk on different roads in the hope that their love for anime will make them cross each other’s paths again.
A few years later, Aoi and Ema are the only ones in the group who manage to land jobs at the Musashino Animation production company. Meanwhile, others struggle to make their dreams a reality. Shizuka works really hard but is still not able to make a name for herself as a voice artist. Misa pretty much hates her “secure” job of designing 3D models at a car company and Midori is still a university student who dreams every day of making it big as a story writer someday. All four of them seem to be in different stages of life, but the lessons they learn on their way to success are eventually, more or less the same.
Shirobako Characters:
Midori Imai
Midori Imai is one of the main characters of the anime who is the youngest amongst the five friends who are a part of the animation club. She has an average height and has dark blue hair with greyish-purple eyes. In the current events of the anime, she is a college student and dreams of being a famous scriptwriter someday. She is very kind to her friends and is always willing to help them out when they need her. She shows a lot of passion for what she likes to do and even shows greats interest in learning new things.
Aoi Miyamori
Aoi Miyamori is another member of the five-girl animation club who later becomes a first-year production assistant at the Musashino Animation. Aoi is a very hardworking girl and always has a positive outlook towards her life. No matter how murky things get for her, she always manages to be optimistic about her future. At her job, she always stays energetic and tries to solve every problem that comes in her way. Her determination and ability to work under stress later allow her to gain the respect of all of her colleagues.
Shizuka Sakaki
Shizuka Sakaki aspires to be a well-known voice artist someday and currently, she works as a newbie artist at Aka Oni Production. She is very hardworking and never shows any emotions at all. She tries to suppress all of her feelings inside and somehow tries to be positive even after failing many of her auditions. She usually ties up her wavy red hair into a messy bun. She has Big sky blue colored eyes and usually sports a turquoise jacket with a white skirt underneath.
Misa Toudou
Misa is more of a “special effects” and CGI person in the animation club. She has very short black hair with a little part of it always pointing upwards. She is quite short and has a tomboyish dressing style. Even her personality is pretty much the same and she is naturally very cheerful and energetic. She is also a little insecure about herself and there are times when she struggles to make sense out of her goals. But eventually, she always manages to reach her goals by somehow staying focused.
Ema Yasuhara
Ema Yasuhara proves to be the best artist in the animation club and later she moves to Tokyo to become a key animator at Musashino Animation. She is a very shy and timid girl who does not usually hold herself in high regard. She is soft-spoken and can give some great piece of advice when necessary. She shows low confidence in most things she does but with the encouragement of her friends, she is able to excel at the things she’s good at. She is also able to overcome things that initially feel impossible when her friends inspire her to give her best.
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