Shirobako Episode 20 Review

Rating: 4.2/5 curiously happy clouds

“I don’t have anything that I want to do… I don’t know if I’ll ever find anything either.”

To be honest I was quite surprised that Shirobako has decided to delve so much into the different perspectives of its dauntingly large cast of supporting characters. We start with an anime problem that’s struggling with their plot line because of a lack of communication and support from the manga side of the project. What happens is that Miyamori goes around the office asking everyone why each of them have decided to enter the anime industry.

As all this is unfolding at a comfortable pace, Diesel-san *cough* – I mean, Rii-chan is working really hard as an unofficial-official apprentice of Maitake-san the writer. Here, we get a hint of why Hiraoka-kun is always so passive and unmotivated about his work… perhaps he’s envious that Rii-chan has been allowed to sit in on the writing meetings even though she’s a total newbie… and perhaps Hiraoka-kun has his own dream in the anime industry he’s never gotten to achieve. Hiraoka and Madoka’s office ifght gets PRETTY EPIC and it’s hilarious to watch the Director squirm when it comes to all this aggressive tension in the office.

As episode twenty reached a climax, it was quite brilliant of Shirobako to reflect Aria’s dream and future dilemma (from Aerial Flying Girls) with the rest of the characters. Mostly, we see this in Miyamori who has been struggling on and off with the question, “Why do you work in anime?” and where she wants to take that dream. Miyamori ultimately decides that if she doesn’t have anything she wishes to do,, she’s content with supporting everyone in their dreams, at least, for the time being. These sentiments resound in and out of episode twenty throughout the entire team as well.

I’m quite impressed with how P.A. Works put a fair amount of detail in the Aerial Girls’ animation scenes even though the story could technically suffice without. The extra scenes allow us to sympathize better with all the characters of Musashino Animation and exactly what they’ve been spending their time and energies on.

“…if everyone else has something they want to do… I can support them.”