Shirobako Season 1 Episode 1 Exodus to Tomorrow!

It's the first episode of the anime series, Shirobako, and we are introduced to five friends who decided to make an anime in their school festival back in high school. Now, they are all branching out to different careers, but still connected by their shared experience of creating something together.

Aoi Miyamori is our main protagonist and a newbie in an animation studio called Musashino Animation. She was assigned to work as a production assistant in the anime project, Exodus, but she has no idea what her job entails. As she meets her co-workers, she starts to learn what each role means and how it fits in the grand scheme of making an anime.

We then meet Ema Yasuhara, the character designer of the animation project. She's struggling with the design of one of the characters, trying to find the perfect balance between cute and cool. Her mentor and senior animator, Seiichi Kinoshita, advises her to draw from her personal experience and emotions.

In another part of the studio, we meet Misa Todo, the 3D CGI operator, who's having issues with the rendering of the background of a scene. Her senior, Rinko Ogasawara, helps her solve the problem and reminds her that the job may seem small, but it's still important in the overall process of making an anime.

Meanwhile, the director of the anime project, Seiichi Takiguchi, is feeling the pressure of meeting the deadlines and keeping everyone on track. He's also struggling with trying to cast the perfect voice actors for the main characters, worried about how this will affect the success of the anime.

Lastly, we meet the writer of the anime, Tarou Takanashi, who's trying to come up with the perfect ending for the story. He's determined to make it a hit, but he's also facing some criticism from the higher-ups for his lack of experience in the industry.

As the episode progresses, we see the struggles and victories of each team member, and how their individual efforts come together to create something incredible. They face many obstacles, including a power outage that sets them back a few hours, but they are all determined to make the deadline.

Exodus to Tomorrow! is a great introduction to the world of anime production and the different roles people play in making it happen. The episode highlights the importance of each person's job, no matter how small it may seem, and how it all comes together to create something magical. Shirobako is a celebration of the hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes, and it will leave you with a newfound respect for the talented people in the animation industry.