On the internet, many people are discussing:
"The anime Shirobako is really great, especially the audition scene with Shizuka Sakaki; it felt so realistic."
"Actually, it was just bad luck for Shizuka Sakaki to run into Chiwa Saito. Not to mention she's a complete newbie with serious lack of experience; even if she weren't a newbie, she definitely wouldn't have been able to compete."
"Yeah, 'Chiwa Minamisawa' isn't a name you just throw around."
"Speaking of which, what the heck kind of anime is that one with the super long title in the audition? The protagonist has an eleven-member harem?"
"Calling it a harem so bluntly reminds me of IS, which has already been announced for an anime adaptation airing in January next year. Although the auditions for that show would have definitely finished by now, if it's a reference to anything, it's probably that. As for that super long title, it's likely a satire on how light novel titles have been getting longer and longer in recent years."
"I'm more concerned about that Puella Magi Homura Magica. Since it was mentioned, does that mean a spin-off anime with Homura Akemi as the protagonist is coming out soon?"
"It probably just refers to Puella Magi Madoka Magica. That 'Old Thief Lin' guy seems to be quite against milking old franchises. Even if he were to make one, it would likely just be a sequel film to Rebellion Story. But looking at his past interviews, I get the feeling a sequel film is probably out of the question, too."
The audition scene contained quite a lot of information, so naturally, it became a key topic of discussion among viewers after it aired.
However, not everyone was focused solely on that scene; many people had their attention on other things:
"That Shizuka Sakaki is just too miserable, and asking her to act a bit more arrogant—isn't that a bit too high of a requirement for a rookie voice actor?"
"Not really. Acting is practically a compulsory course for every voice actor. If you can't even do that, it's probably hard to graduate from voice acting school. The real problem was that she was too nervous, and with Chiwa Minamisawa also auditioning, she had no chance of competing."
"I can only say that competition in the voice acting industry is intense, especially for rookies. Many of them can't even get work after graduating from voice acting school, so a lot of them have to rely on part-time jobs to support themselves early on."
"As a former voice actor who has already left the industry, I can responsibly say that the reality of the voice acting industry is even more cruel. So if you aren't truly passionate about it and don't have absolute confidence in yourself, it's best not to choose voice acting as a career."
"So much for a 'healing' and 'inspiring' style. Episode 4 is truly 'healing'—as expected, I knew Old Thief Lin's anime wouldn't be that simple."
"I feel so bad for Shizuka. Her friends are complaining about work-related troubles, but she doesn't even have a job. Just putting myself in her shoes makes me feel aggrieved."
"Although I'm not a voice actor, I deeply empathize with the situation described in Episode 4."
In addition, because Shizuka Sakaki's experience in episode 4 resonated with many viewers who are voice actors, there were also some comments from voice actors on social media platforms:
"Watching episode 4 of 'Shirobako', I couldn't help but recall my first audition. Shizuka actually had it better; my performance back then was even more unbearable, to the point that it's still etched in my memory."
"As a rookie voice actor, it's normal not to get work. Besides, this industry is really about luck. When I had just graduated from voice acting school, I didn't do anything major for a whole year. My family didn't support me being a voice actor either, so I just had to scrimp and save, working part-time jobs to make ends meet. Thinking about it now still makes me feel sad."
"Don't even mention rookie voice actors; even those who have had lead roles can get rejected when auditioning for an anime. Like me, I've become numb to it now. If I get a job, that's great; if I don't, I just blame bad luck."
"My first audition was for Lin Tomohiko's 'Death Note'. I remember the female voice actors who came to audition at the same time included Mamiko Noto, Ai Nonaka, Miyuki Sawashiro, Kaori Nazuka, Rie Tanaka, Yukari Tamura, Rie Kugimiya, and Ayako Kawasumi. Although none of them were that famous at the time, that was when it was truly hopeless."
"Over half of the voice actors who graduated from voice acting school with me have already given up on their dream of being a voice actor. This industry is truly difficult."
On the surface, it's a review, but in reality, it's not much different from a misery contest.
However, since it is widely acknowledged that the voice acting industry is intensely competitive and high-pressure, no one felt that these voice actors were exaggerating.
"Shirobako" itself already had a large audience following it, episode by episode, with plenty of points worth discussing. People in the animation or voice acting industries would also chime in from time to time. As a result, while its popularity wasn't at an ultra-high level, it consistently maintained a baseline, keeping the anime's core audience as solid as a rock.
However, Lin Zhiyan's goal wasn't just to hold onto second place.
Under his instructions, L.SProdu's promotional department was conducting targeted marketing alongside standard promotions. While it wasn't obvious in the short term, in reality, the anime's audience was increasing, its popularity was on an upward trend, and its core base was gradually expanding.
Beyond popularity, word-of-mouth was another point of focus for Lin Zhiyan, though this was not something he needed to worry about.
On major review websites, "Shirobako," having aired only four episodes, was already the highest-rated anime of October, bar none. Other anime couldn't even compete with "Shirobako" in terms of reputation, let alone come close to its high approval ratings.
In terms of popularity, "Oreimo" is indeed higher, but when it comes to reputation, "Oreimo" falls far short of "Shirobako," placing it roughly on par with the second season of "A Certain Magical Index."
The general promotional strategy has already been arranged. Without any major talking points, it's difficult for the anime's popularity to see a significant boost in the short term. However, Lin Zhiyan isn't in that much of a rush. To him, as long as it improves steadily, even a small increase is fine.
By the time the fourth episode of the anime finished airing, the finished product for the ninth episode was already complete, and production was underway for episodes ten through sixteen.
Then, a problem arose. There is a sequence in the twelfth episode featuring horses galloping that an average animator simply cannot draw. In the anime, it was drawn by Shigeru Sugie, the most senior animator at Musashino Animation. In reality, the animator who did it in the original version from the other timeline was Toshiyuki Inoue.
When Lin Zhiyan was previously at IG, he had worked together with Toshiyuki Inoue on the animation for several different anime, so it shouldn't be a problem to ask for his help now.
However, the question is whether he should reach out to him, which is a point worth considering.
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