Apr 6, 2018
Before falling into relative obscurity, 2001’s OVA Animation Runner Kuromi was the definition of “anime about making anime”. In a not completely unexplored field, with other renditions made by even the tenth episode of Paranoia Agent (Satoshi Kon, 2004) the indisputable champion in this area is nowadays Shirobako (PA Works, 2014), with also the advantage of covering this topic for two whole cours.
Nonetheless, as opposed to the almost methodical approach Shirobako follows throughout its run, Animation Runner Kuromi’s is much more comedy-centered. And not only because it doesn’t have much time to waste (much like the animators doing their job there) but because the
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whirlwind of a pace it follows constitutes the very core of its style.
And to understand the comedy we need to have a glance at the Staff that created it. This OVA was directed by Akitarou Daichi, a pretty prolific worker of the industry that had his name in numerous series from the 90s and 00s, from whom we can highlight the likes of Kodomo no Omocha, Fruits Basket, Now and Then, Here and There, Nurse Angel Ririka or Bokura ga Ita. Also important to note the work of Hajime Watanabe, character designer for some of the aforementioned as well as other well-known shows such as Kaleido Star and School Rumble.
Out of all those, Kuromi has a look and feel that resembles Kodomo no Omocha to a breathtaking extent. Definitely the hectic rhythm and unique slapstick work wonders with the new subject matter we are presented with.
Ultimately, there’s an important moral to be learned here. Coordinating projects is not an easy task, no matter the type of activity in which you’re working. Both Shirobako and Kuromi depict problems in production, yet the former prioritizes a positive message built around the profession, almost like a love letter towards animation. The latter's message is even more fundamental, aiming for human understanding, hard-work and empathy.
Every anime watcher needs to experience either of these to get to the bottom of production and unravel the actual human work that any project constitutes, how rarely anime is made solely by the efforts of one studio but by an extensive net of connections that goes well beyond what we first imagine.
In this regard there are also documentaries and articles covering the different challenges of artistic creation within the industry. An example could be the one showing the crafting of Only Yesterday, with a highlight being how an animator spent an entire year drawing anything but safflowers. Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction, so one might be better off getting their first exposure to the whole picture with this hilarious, yet definitely introspective treat.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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