On March 26th, the final episode of "Shirobako" aired, officially bringing the main TV series to an end.
The reputation of this anime was already quite good in the first half, and after the twenty-third episode aired, its acclaim grew even higher, with its ratings increasing accordingly.
It is just a pity that the final episode was mainly for tying up loose ends; it didn't receive the widespread, enthusiastic praise that the final episode of the second season of "Lelouch" garnered. Therefore, although its rating increased slightly after the finale, it was negligible.
On major professional rating websites, this anime's score is around nine out of ten. While it may not be the highest-rated or the one with the most ratings among all of Lin Zhiyan's works, it still stood head and shoulders above the rest among the October anime season of 2010. Thus, even for someone as critical as Lin Zhiyan, there was nothing to be dissatisfied about.
It is too early to say for sure about the average disc sales per volume, but for those on sale for more than a month, the sales for each individual volume have already exceeded 30,000. Based on this, it can be estimated that the final average sales per volume will definitely be over 30,000.
However, the value of this animation is not reflected solely in its reputation and commercial success; it lies even more importantly in other aspects.
First, through this animation, L.SProdu's reputation and popularity have been further enhanced.
Second, and most importantly, this animation provides outsiders with a clearer understanding of the animation industry. It essentially serves as a promotion for the industry, attracting more talent to enter it, and earning Lin Tomohiko and L.SProdu goodwill from industry peers.
Previously, every animation Lin Tomohiko produced was a massive hit. While this didn't directly infringe on anyone's interests, it garnered too much envy, jealousy, and resentment. Some people, while envious and resentful, simply didn't show it openly.
After the release of "Shirobako," the envy, jealousy, and resentment from industry peers should be significantly diminished.
March 27th, Sunday.
In the morning, the conference room on the first floor of L.S Produ was set up as an interview room.
Company President Lin Zhiyan, Production Department Head Kenichi Matsumoto, Animation Department Head Kanami Sekiguchi, along with two other producers, sat together to interview the fresh graduates who had come to apply.
As the president, Lin Zhiyan naturally sat in the center.
He held a resume, looked at the corresponding candidate among the three sitting in front of him, and asked, "Ms. Koga, as a fresh graduate from Hosei University, you should have been able to choose a better career. Why did you apply for the Production Assistant position at our company?"
According to past interview rules, even for these group interviews, L.S Produ basically interviewed candidates one by one until everyone had been interviewed.
They had intended to do the same this year, but the number of applicants was nearly double that of previous years, so they had to adopt a three-person group interview format.
In other words, three people would participate in the interview at the same time, group by group. Although the other rules were mostly the same, and hiring decisions were based on individual performance regardless of how the other two people in the group performed, it did save some time.
As Lin Tomohiko asked his question, the other two job applicants silently began to organize their answers in their minds.
Ms. Koga, with a smile on her face, said gracefully, "I've loved animation since I was a child, but because I couldn't draw, I never thought about entering the animation industry after graduating from university. It wasn't until I watched your company's recently completed animation, Shirobako, that I realized one could participate in and enjoy the animation production process even without being able to draw. That's why I wanted to give it a try."
"You might feel it's enjoyable now, but once you're actually involved, you might not feel that way anymore. Since you've seen Shirobako, you should know that a Production Assistant's job is very tiring; you have to do almost everything, and you're prone to encountering all sorts of trouble," Lin Tomohiko reminded her.
"It doesn't matter," Koga replied, unconcerned. "I'm prepared for that."
Lin Tomohiko nodded.
He then looked at the applicant in the middle and asked, "How about you, Mr. Inoue? Why did you choose our company?"
The applicant named Inoue seemed very excited. "I am a loyal fan of yours!"
Lin Zhiyan: "..."
Inoue: "I've wanted to apply to L.S Produ ever since I graduated, and after watching the anime Shirobako, I became even more determined to join your company. That anime showed me your company's dedication to producing excellent animation, which deeply moved me."
"Even if you say that, I won't give you extra points during the interview," Lin Zhiyan replied in a joking tone.
He then looked at the remaining applicant and asked, "Ms. Morimi, how much do you know about our company?"
The last applicant was stunned for a moment, but quickly replied, "I have watched almost all of your animations, and I like them all. I especially like your Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, as, and Shirobako."
"What about Puella Magi Madoka Magica?" Lin Zhiyan asked again.
Morimi: "I like Puella Magi Madoka Magica too, but I like the character Homura Akemi more. Overall, I prefer the ones I mentioned earlier."
The interviews were divided into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session mainly covered the Production Assistant and in-between animation roles, while the afternoon session was for other positions.
None of the job applicants were perfunctory, and almost everyone mentioned the anime "Shirobako."
While this is certainly related to the fact that "Shirobako" was produced by L.S Produ, directed by Lin Zhiyan himself, and had just concluded, it still highlights the influence of this anime in the industry.
This wasn't just the case for L.S Produ.
Late March and early April are peak job-hunting seasons for graduates, and other companies were also hiring to varying degrees. Among them, some applicants also mentioned "Shirobako," saying they were inspired to enter the animation industry because of it.
Of course, a large portion of people were also inspired to join the industry by "Shirobako," but since they weren't interviewing at L.S Produ, it wouldn't have been appropriate to mention another animation company's work. Therefore, the actual number of people who entered the industry because of "Shirobako" is likely even higher.
Regardless, in terms of attracting talent, L.S is definitely the biggest beneficiary of "Shirobako." At the very least, for the next year or two, Lin Zhiyan's company won't have to worry about not being able to recruit enough people.
On the contrary, having too many applicants can sometimes be a headache. After all, it's impossible to hire everyone, and even if most of the applicants seem good, they still have to select the best of the best.
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