Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (06)

Episode Synopsis:

The team begins work in earnest on their new animation, a giant robot short.  Kanamori secures a cheap computer, but soon finds her way to an even bigger score – the Student Council needs someone to serve an eviction notice to the squatting Sound Club, and she signs up for the role of enforcer.  One intense negotiation later, and the Sound Club’s impressive archive is theirs to use.  A meeting with the Art Club, and they’ve got support on backgrounds.  Everything’s coming together – until Asakusa questions the entire project due to deep-seated concerns about the viability of the giant robot’s design.  After some stern/motivational encouragement from Kanamori, though, she’s able to redesign it in a way that satisfies her need for logical consistency.

 

Episode Review:

This was a good episode, and one where we learned some new things about our characters.  Misusaki turns out to be surprisingly good at fight choreography, Kanamori turns out to be surprisingly thoughtful of her friends, and Asakusa turns out to be surprisingly focused on the “real-world” viability of her creations.  One thing that wasn’t new, though, was how… persuasive Kanamori can be.  While it seemed like she had equal screen time with Asakusa, this was really her episode.  She nearly single-handedly secured the Eizouken’s computer, sound effects, and even background art for the new animation, with a deft mix of negotiating prowess,

Authority,

and… THUGGISHNESS.

She’s enjoyable (and a little terrifying) to watch, and it’s certain that the Eizouken wouldn’t get anything accomplished without her.

 

Moving along, I really enjoyed the Eizouken’s new sound advisor, Doumeki.

Her horrified reactions as Asakusa demonstrates the Eizouken’s royalty-free-only sound effects were delightful.

 

On excellent display with the Art Club were the kinds of discussions and misunderstandings that would definitely happen with two related and yet very different fields.  The Eizouken just wants someone to make some pretty backgrounds roughly inspired by their school.

The Art Club isn’t quite getting the “roughly inspired” part.

They, of course, are expecting to go out and draw/paint/art an actual place.  Further confusion ensues when the Eizouken have to explain that they will be drawing the moving parts of any given scene, or that certain paper will be needed so the backgrounds can be integrated with the action portions.  It’s really neat seeing both sides struggle to get the other to understand their needs, in a way that feels very realistic.

 

It was also interesting watching Asakusa freak out about the giant robot.

Her concerns have nothing to do with drawing the robot, and everything to do with how it would function if it actually existed. It’s seemingly pedantic, but could be very important later.  What happens if they later decide the robot needs to do something that it doesn’t look like it could?  Redraw the other scenes?  Cut the new scene?  Awkwardly adjust the robot’s dimensions/design for just one scene?  Even if it was never necessary, it’s a great mental exercise.  It doesn’t hurt that it produced some sweet concept art.

Side note, I love the idea of the robot police.

 

Last note: what is with this school?  I love every shot we get of it, because of how weird and quirky it is.  It’s also a little baffling to try and keep track of.

I’m going to chalk it up to something akin to the “rule of cool”, but for architecture.  Yeah, that’ll work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, really actually the last thing – is anyone else excited for the GREATEST, STRONGEST ROBOT SONG that is going to be the OP for the animation they’re making?

 

---

Previous                                         Next