Favorite Animes

I started Shirobako last week and though I still have a few episodes left in season two, it has been an utter delight the whole way through. I cannot get enough of this anime. Other than its meta commentary, and the revelations it brings with regards to anime production, the characters, their lives, and their interactions are just all so... real. I've been hungrily reading through discussion threads following each episode, and several comments have mentioned something I noticed mid-way through: All of the characters feel like their lives are actually happening.

I love those scenes where Aoi gets an email, text, or call from a friend or family member, and I love the glimpses into what other characters are doing, or seeing the characters move around their world and meet, chat, discuss, and conspire. The meetings don't feel forced. Everything feels fluid, like it's just a natural result of the characters needing or wanting this or that. This is aided by the brilliant clothing designs, in which every character has their own style and frequently and consistently changes outfits. Such a small detail like that adds a lot to the lives of each character, and I am very thankful for it.

I also appreciate the themes and mini-arcs revolving around various sets of characters, seamlessly woven into episodes that showcase a new facet of anime production. The situations are real and they get tense and hectic very quickly, but the characters respond without the ungainly exaggeration I've come to anticipate seeing in most anime.

I could ramble on about this show, but in the end I can say it is handily my second 10/10 anime. There's just something about it that resonates within me, and I both identify with it, its characters, and its story. I just really love this anime. I believe it deserves all the praise and recognition it has gotten from others, and so perhaps it's a bit of a low-hanging fruit to fawn over it so much, but I don't know anyone else to talk about it with. I did get a friend to start watching it, though, and I've even joined her in rewatching the first season. So that's a lot of fun!