Shirobako | |
![]() Promotional poster. | |
Genre | Comedy, slice of life [1] |
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Manga | |
Shirobako:Kaminoyama KōkōAnimation Dōkōkai | |
Written by | Musashino Animation Kenji Sugihara |
Illustrated by | Mizutama |
Published by | ASCII Media Works |
Magazine | Dengeki Daioh |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | September 27,2014 –November 27,2015 |
Volumes | 2 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Tsutomu Mizushima |
Written by | Michiko Yokote |
Music by | Shirō Hamaguchi |
Studio | P.A. Works |
Licensed by | |
Original network | Tokyo MX, TVA, MBS, TUT, BS Fuji, AT-X, NHK |
Original run | October 9, 2014 – March 26, 2015 |
Episodes | 24 |
Novel | |
Shirobako Introduction | |
Written by | Michiko Itō Hajime Tanaka |
Published by | Shueisha |
Imprint | Jump j Books |
Demographic | Male |
Published | January 27,2015 |
Original video animation | |
Exodus! Exit Tokyo | |
Directed by | Tsutomu Mizushima |
Written by | Hiroyuki Yoshino |
Music by | Shirō Hamaguchi |
Studio | P.A. Works |
Released | February 25,2015 |
Runtime | 25 minutes |
Original video animation | |
The Third Girls Aerial Squad:Falling Angel | |
Directed by | Tsutomu Mizushima |
Written by | Hiroyuki Yoshino |
Music by | ShirōHamaguchi |
Studio | P.A. Works |
Released | July 29,2015 |
Runtime | 25 minutes |
Anime film | |
Shirobako is a 24-episode anime television series produced by P.A. Works and directed by Tsutomu Mizushima. It aired in Japan between October 9,2014,and March 26,2015. A manga adaptation began serialization in ASCII Media Works's Dengeki Daioh magazine in September 2014,and a novel was published by Shueisha in January 2015. An anime film premiered on February 29,2020.
The title Shirobako refers to videos that are distributed to the production staff members prior to their release. These videos were at a time distributed as VHS tapes enclosed in white boxes and are still referred to as "white boxes" (thus the meaning of shirobako) despite the fact that the white enclosures are no longer in use. [2]
Aoi Miyamori and her four best friends,Ema Yasuhara,Shizuka Sakaki,Misa Tōdō,and Midori Imai,were all part of their school's animation club,promising to make an anime together. Years later,Aoi is now working as a production assistant for the animation production company,Musashino Animation,where Ema also works as an animator,while Shizuka,Misa,and Midori are working as a voice actress,3D graphics artist,and an aspiring writer respectively.
The story focuses on Aoi and her team at Musashino Animation as they work on two different anime projects,an original anime series and a manga adaptation,and face the obstacles introduced by each project.
A manga adaptation titled Shirobako: Kaminoyama Kōkō Animation Dōkōkai (SHIROBAKO 〜上山高校アニメーション同好会〜, Shirobako: Kaminoyama High School Animation Club), written by Kenji Sugihara and illustrated by Mizutama, began serialization in the November 2014 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine sold on September 27, 2014. [6] A short manga based on the show's fictional series The Third Girls Aerial Squad was distributed by Takeshi Nogami at Comiket 88 in August 2015. [7]
A 224-page novel adaptation, titled Shirobako Introduction and written by Michiko Itō and Hajime Tanka, was published by Shueisha under their Jump j Books imprint on January 27, 2015. [8]
The 24-episode anime television series was produced by P.A. Works. It was directed by Tsutomu Mizushima [9] and written by Michiko Yokote, with the music produced by Shirō Hamaguchi. The series aired on Tokyo MX between October 9, 2014, and March 26, 2015, and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. Original video animation (OVA) episodes featuring fictional anime are included on the series' third and seventh Blu-ray Disc/DVD volumes, released on February 25, 2015, and July 29, 2015, respectively. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series for release in North America. [10] Madman Entertainment licensed the series in Australia and New Zealand. [11] The complete collection Blu-ray was released on October 13, 2020, with an English dub. [12]
For the first twelve episodes, the opening theme is "Colorful Box" by Yoko Ishida, [6] while the ending theme is "Animetic Love Letter" sung by Juri Kimura, Haruka Yoshimura, and Haruka Chisuga. For episode one, the opening theme is "I'm Sorry Exodus" (あいむそーりーEXODUS, Aimu Sōrī Ekusodasu) sung by Tracy (Mai Nakahara, Shizuka Itō, and Ai Kayano), which is later used as the opening theme for the first OVA episode. For episodes 13 onwards, the opening theme is "Takarabako (Treasure Box)" (宝箱-TREASURE BOX-) by Masami Okui, while the ending theme is "Platinum Jet" (プラチナジェット, Purachina Jetto) by Donuts Quintet (Kimura, Yoshimura, Chisuga, Asami Takano, and Hitomi Ōwada). The ending theme for episode 19 is "Yama Harinezumi Andes Chucky" (山はりねずみアンデスチャッキー, Yama Harinezumi Andesu Chakkī, Mountain Hedgehog Andes Chucky) by Miyuki Kunitake. The ending theme for the first original video animation episode is "C Melo kara Ai o Komete" (Cメロから愛を込めて) by Mai Nakahara. For the second original video animation episode, the opening theme is "Alice in Blue" (アリス・イン・ブルー) and the ending theme is "Angel Fly"; both songs are by Rita.
At the "Musashi-Sakai x Shirobako Harumatsuri" event held in Tokyo on April 28, 2018, it was announced that the series would receive an all-new anime film, with the main staff from the anime series returning to reprise their roles. [13] The film premiered in Japan on February 29, 2020. [14] [15] On November 17, 2020, it was announced Eleven Arts has licensed the film. [16] The film premiered in North American theaters on August 10, 2021. [17]
In a review by Anime News Network, reviewer Rose Bridges gave the series an A rating and lauded it for its concept and character development. She particularly praised the characterization and development of main character Aoi Miyamori. She went on to say that "Shirobako's presence brightens the anime world, so I hope this isn't the end. I'm glad it set itself up so that it doesn't have to be." Bridges also alluded to the possibility of a second season several times in her review. [18]
Shirobako won the Animation Kobe Television Award in 2015. [19] It also won Animation of the Year at the 2016 Tokyo Anime Awards [20] and Animation Department Committee Recommended Works Award at the 19th Japan Media Arts Festival. [21]