The First Line

Here's another SIP™ (Skr Instant Project): The First Line. Skr saw this short, translated, timed, and typeset it, and then asked for help releasing it. Perevodildo translation checked, Nemeis and I QCed, and here it is - about 48 hours after Skr first saw it. It's so new that it doesn't appear in most anime databases.

The First Line is part of an anthology called Gemnibus, from Toho Animation's Gemstone label. It's intended to showcase the work of promising young directors. The first volume has four episodes; only The First Line is animated. The segment is directed by a 29-year-old wunderkind who goes by the handle China (チナ).  He started off as an animator, mostly doing key animation, before taking on storyboarding and episode direction. This is one of his first directing credits.

The protagonist of the story is a young animator named Mito.

He works in an old-line animation studio. To me, it looks a lot like Studio Ghibli, as shown in various "Making Of" documentaries, but perhaps all older animation studios are like that.

The staff is struggling to finish key animation and storyboards for the old director's latest show. The director is bald, wears pince-nez glasses, and has the bright red nose of the chronic drinker, so he's not a direct caricature of Miyazaki.

Everyone is exhausted; the animator who was supposed to storyboard the last scene has passed out. The director gives the assignment to  Mito, much to the consternation of more senior staff. Mito struggles, changing his drawings based on the suggestions of his senpais.

Ultimately, the director rejects Mito's work, saying it reflects the tricks of his coworkers, rather than his own ideas. Mito is determined to try again but falls into a fugue state or dream about the old director.

Remotivated, he picks up his pencil to draw his first truly personal line.

The voice cast includes:

• Mutsumi Tamura played Kobayashi in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Alice in The Ancient Magus' Bride, Fuguri in Apocalypse Hotel, Lutz in Ascendance of a Bookworm, Gaa-chan in Baja no Studio, Kio in Asobi ni Iku yo!, Koushirou in the Digimon Adventure tri franchise, Natasku in Enen no Shouboutai, Akira in Hello WeGo!, Jonah in Jorgmugand, Tae in Kaijuu No. 8, Beelzebub in Sand Land, Sayaka in Seitokai Yakuindomo, and Bal in Captain Bal, an Orphan release.
• Shirou Saitou played Kiyotaka in KADO: The Right Answer, Hyou Ko in Kingdom, Gansaku in Megalo Box, Ryogen in Musashi, and Jabi in Sabikui Bisco.

The music is by Hayato Sumino, a well-known Japanese pianist. His (almost) solo performance of Ravel's Bolero, on two pianos (!), must be seen to be believed.

This is a terrific short OVA. The artwork and camerawork are innovative and showcase China's talents. The screencaps make it look like the anime is letterboxed, but that's deceiving; the frame is used very flexibly.

You can get The First Line from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.