I'd heard good things about this show, even if I was somewhat put off by the character designs. Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying it as much as most of the viewers seemed to, although I can appreciate what it does well.
The story is about anime enthusiast Asakusa and her money-grubbing friend Kanamori, who meet aspiring animator Mizusaki, whose parents refuse to let her join the anime club. They then create their own club, the eizouken, and create amateur anime projects.
The anime lasts twelve episodes, and is divided into three four-episode arcs, one for each project. The pacing is quite good, and each arc culminates in a showing of the anime in question, an entertaining payoff.
The art is amazing, particularly the imaginary sequences involving the main characters' creations, such as when they explore animating a windmill. It's not only technically well-done, but also has a unique style and excellent attention to detail.
I have mixed feelings about the character designs. On the one hand, they stand out from other anime, and each character is unique. On the other had, they're a bit ugly, especially Asakusa and Kanamori.
The setting is well-designed and unique, such as the faculty office in an empty swimming pool. Of course, the school is a bit too silly and over-the-top, from the student council employing a SWAT team to the ridiculous clubs. This worked better in Kill la Kill, which embraced its over-the-topness.
The characters themselves are, for me, the weakest part. Kanamori is quite intelligent and has a reasonably compelling backstory, even if most of the time, her emotions range from semi-bored disdain to anger. Unfortunately, Asakusa is a bit too childish and flighty for my liking, and her inability to nail down key aspects of her work makes it hard for me to take her seriously as a storyteller. While the series does sometimes show that Executive Meddling can be a good thing, it only seems to be able to make that point because of Asakusa's incompetence. Mizusaki is somewhat more bearable on that regard(if occasionally irresponsible), but the plotline of her parents opposing her interest in anime was resolved a bit too hastily, almost as though they never had a problem with it in the first place.
(Side note: I actually checked out the characters page back when Mizusaki's Fantasy-Forbidding Father entry also mentioned that her parents had a point, since animators like Shirobako's Ema earn a pitiful wage. I'm disappointed that the series never addressed this.)
Most of the side characters are rather forgettable. They mostly consist of clubs that help the eizouken, and it can be hard to remember individual members' names or discern noticeable personality traits. It doesn't help that, in my opinion, most of the voice acting is so-so, especially Asakusa's voice.
In the end, I wasn't impressed with this show, although I'll concede that many disagree. If you still want to check it out after reading it, I can't stop you, but I won't recommend it, either.
Manga Anime Season 1: Not My Cup Of Tea
I'd heard good things about this show, even if I was somewhat put off by the character designs. Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying it as much as most of the viewers seemed to, although I can appreciate what it does well.
The story is about anime enthusiast Asakusa and her money-grubbing friend Kanamori, who meet aspiring animator Mizusaki, whose parents refuse to let her join the anime club. They then create their own club, the eizouken, and create amateur anime projects.
The anime lasts twelve episodes, and is divided into three four-episode arcs, one for each project. The pacing is quite good, and each arc culminates in a showing of the anime in question, an entertaining payoff.
The art is amazing, particularly the imaginary sequences involving the main characters' creations, such as when they explore animating a windmill. It's not only technically well-done, but also has a unique style and excellent attention to detail.
I have mixed feelings about the character designs. On the one hand, they stand out from other anime, and each character is unique. On the other had, they're a bit ugly, especially Asakusa and Kanamori.
The setting is well-designed and unique, such as the faculty office in an empty swimming pool. Of course, the school is a bit too silly and over-the-top, from the student council employing a SWAT team to the ridiculous clubs. This worked better in Kill la Kill, which embraced its over-the-topness.
The characters themselves are, for me, the weakest part. Kanamori is quite intelligent and has a reasonably compelling backstory, even if most of the time, her emotions range from semi-bored disdain to anger. Unfortunately, Asakusa is a bit too childish and flighty for my liking, and her inability to nail down key aspects of her work makes it hard for me to take her seriously as a storyteller. While the series does sometimes show that Executive Meddling can be a good thing, it only seems to be able to make that point because of Asakusa's incompetence. Mizusaki is somewhat more bearable on that regard(if occasionally irresponsible), but the plotline of her parents opposing her interest in anime was resolved a bit too hastily, almost as though they never had a problem with it in the first place.
(Side note: I actually checked out the characters page back when Mizusaki's Fantasy-Forbidding Father entry also mentioned that her parents had a point, since animators like Shirobako's Ema earn a pitiful wage. I'm disappointed that the series never addressed this.)
Most of the side characters are rather forgettable. They mostly consist of clubs that help the eizouken, and it can be hard to remember individual members' names or discern noticeable personality traits. It doesn't help that, in my opinion, most of the voice acting is so-so, especially Asakusa's voice.
In the end, I wasn't impressed with this show, although I'll concede that many disagree. If you still want to check it out after reading it, I can't stop you, but I won't recommend it, either.