#ostensiblytalking

[ostensiblyanimated]

Symphogear's animation is a great example of how technical skill is not all it takes to makes animation look good. the show rarely has bursts of strong technical skill, but it makes up for it through snappy editing as well as dynamic framing and staging. it's a "work smarter, not harder" mindset which still results in something that looks good, even if it's not a technical masterpiece

[ostensiblyanimated]

in a season of production issues, Senpai wa Otokonoko stands out among the shows I'm watching as one which is remaining remarkably consistent in its production

there's two aspects of this. the first is that the show never had astounding production to begin with, so it doesn't have far to go down. but the other is that its use of chibi animation which uses a limited animation style for comedic effect acts as a rather useful crutch. it's a style that a long-running show like Precure might adopt for a single episode, but the choice to use it across the entire series certainly works with the tone and humor of the show. a strong example of a "work smarter, not harder" mindset in action

[ostensiblyanimated]

WHAT

one single person storyboarding an entire show is insane...

[ostensiblyanimated]

i believe that these lights are CGI. the animation is on 1s, and the camerawork is smooth and consistent. moreover, the subtle tilt at the end is something that would be difficult for traditional animation, but far easier for 3DCGI. the background is likely a static 2D background that was edited to work with the shot

[ostensiblyanimated]

This brings us to another characteristic trait of Yoshizawa: the sheer creativity represented not just in form, but in material. SHAFT’s most visually radical days, represented by the likes of Oishi himself, are behind them… but Yoshizawa never got that memo, because the more leeway she’s been granted, the more she has emphasized live-action footage and unconventional analog materials. For one, Yoshizawa often leans on the inherent link between time and tangible elements. As something that physically exists, those real materials evoke the passage of time in a more direct way than intangible animation could—hence her usage of time-lapses and seasonally coded live-action reels, analog drawings, paper cutouts, and so on.

new article from Sakugabooru about the production of Off & Monster Season! goes into the history of the anime and discusses what makes Yoshizawa unique as a director for this series. it's long, and well worth a read, as they go into quite some depth about what makes this new season stand out so much

[ostensiblyanimated]

let's look at it this way. Shaft is giving out opportunities within the industry by hiring so many animation directors

[ostensiblyanimated]

all throughout, Girls Band Cry has supplemented its 3DCGI with 2D background characters, effects, and interstitial animation. however, episode 8 took this further, with Momoka's flashback being entirely 2D animated. this makes for a striking effect and contrast, as the 2D animation is drawn with a different style from the 3D models

[ostensiblyanimated]

Kazue Ootsuki's direction on episode 4 of Girls Band Cry really stands out. stands out in the way that made me look up her name, and will make me remember it for the future

this is only one of her first times doing episode direction, and already, it's incredibly promising

[ostensiblyanimated]

MyGO does something really interesting in its third episode. the entire episode is from the perspective of Tomori, a quiet and introverted character, and it's meant to give the audience a glimpse into her alienation. it's a really effective storytelling tool which has some truly incredible moments throughout, especially when mirrors are involved and we're given a glimpse of the character we're sharing our view of the world with

let's make something clear. this episode is fantastic. I was considering giving up on this show, but I gave it one more episode, and this episode proved to me that I should keep watching. it's more than just a quirky production choice, but a unique method of storytelling that I haven't seen used in animation before, one that made me care for the character of Tomori in a way that would have been difficult in any other way

I also think the episode is a major letdown because it struggles to commit to its central gimmick. and to be fair, it's a difficult gimmick to commit to. it demands that the episode shy away from common production shortcuts like crowd shots or scenery and only focus on the parts that the character notice. they're certainly able to make that work sometimes, like the shots on the bridge, but there's more than a few times where we see a shot which simply just can't work from Tomori's perspective

but the point where this really begins to bug me is that the continuity of shots rarely lines up. we get a lot of snappy editing which doesn't easily comply with the continuity of how her perspective should be working. shots snap from one character to the next and it feels jarring. I imagine that part of the issue is due to how difficult it would be to have such long shots throughout the episode. this concept taken to its fullest would demand that each scene be a single take, which is unfeasible in animation. cuts simply just can't be that long.

but, occasionally, Tomori blinks, so why didn't they use that more when they wanted to move from one shot to another without turning? include the continuity of turning from one character to another sometimes, and have her blink when you don't want to do that. sure, the trick might be clear, in the same way it's clear for every one-take film that occasionally turns the camera in a dark place quickly, but it wouldn't ruin it

the effect is often very immersive, and that's when it works best. motion, when Tomori is looking around or walking, or interacting with the world, is where this episode shone. but often, it's that she merely serves as the camera, and there's little thought for where she should actually be placed in a scene

the worst part of the episode was this

out of nowhere, in the middle of the performance which serves as the emotional climax, we see Tomori amongst her band. and then we don't, and it's back to seeing the world from her perspective. it's a jarring moment, since it comes out of nowhere and serves no purpose. perhaps if it was given more weight, it could be that she symbolically is finally seeing herself for real. Tomori had appeared in mirrors several times before, but this is different. it breaks the effect, and for what? it's just a really baffling choice to make that almost feels like a mistake for how much the rest of the episode had committed to this

I think it's incredible that this was tried at all, and I think the effect it has is still incredible, but it's disappointing to look at this and see how easily it could have been elevated even further. as-is, this is a singular episode in the history of anime. I just wish it had committed further

[ostensiblyanimated]

every time i check the credits for Girls Band Cry, i find something utterly baffling about it. what do you mean it only had one animation director for the entire show??

[ostensiblyanimated]

it's been six years since Bloom Into You and Troyca still haven't hired someone who can do compositing

[ostensiblyanimated]

like any sakuga fan, I have my biases, and I'm sure it's readily apparent in the animation I post. where fans on twitter care for strong fights, my primary concern is novelty. things like Shaft's eccentric animation appeals a lot to me in that way. CGI as well can fall under this umbrella

oh, and also turning/rotation. I am easily impressed by smooth shots of animated turning or rotation

[ostensiblyanimated]

so obviously the production of Off & Monster Season is starting off rough, but I wonder how much the use of practical effects is helping or hurting it. surely the inclusion of a photography team would be an extra layer of complication for the directors to manage. is it aggravating an already difficult production? or, because it's a distinctly different team, is it easing the work of the animators however slightly? would be curious to read any BTS or interviews talking about the production of the season, if any ever surface

[ostensiblyanimated]

Off & Monster Season episode 3 had 10 animation directors, despite having less animation than either of the prior two episodes. things are already looking bad for the season

[ostensiblyanimated]

what's that site you're sourcing staff details from?

anidb! it's the most detailed site out there for staff credits, since it covers not just directors, storyboard artists, etc, but also things like background artists and key animators. it's incredibly extensive

[ostensiblyanimated]

the biggest tell that incidental animation is CGI is the movement. if something goes by quick and feels a little smoother than the rest of the animation, it's probably CGI. once you begin to notice this incidental CGI, it stands out constantly