Haikyuu has been one of the greatest sports anime productions since its inception. Four seasons in, it’s about time we get not just into what makes its thoroughness in and outside the volleyball court so impressive, but also how the team has evolved over the years to refine their demanding approach.
We’ve got another look at the production of Welcome to the Ballroom, its creators, and also the downfalls of the projects that have made themselves more than obvious at this point. Time to tackle the good and the bad!
Welcome to the Ballroom is finally focusing on the dancing aspect, which is the perfect excuse to look at how the creators are approaching the sport; their dedication in learning the intricacies of real ballroom dancing, and the particularities that set apart everyone’s style – within the show and regarding the creators in charge!
Before enjoying another look at the craft of this series and the fascinating vision of its key creators, there’s something more serious we must talk about. Even if this project by itself wasn’t necessarily at fault, someone died of overwork while producing this episode. That’s not something we should skip over. Let this be a final farewell to Kazunori Mizuno.
Production I.G’s veritable theatrical effort to bring this hotblooded dancing series to life has me very excited, but before tackling the series proper, we need to look at the studio’s modern history and how that has influenced this project. And with that out of the way, we can also look at the creators’ approach to this sport – having a crew who genuinely understands the power and range of animation is always a joy! And so, Welcome to the Ballroom!
A new season approaches with more titles than anyone can watch, so it’s our self-imposed duty to keep on curating the ones handled by the most capable creators. Strong premises still require skilled directors and animation teams to support them after all! So, which Summer 2017 titles are most likely to live up to their potential?
Osamu Kobayashi, an industry veteran who most will recognise as the man behind Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad‘s anime adaptation, held a talk event at the end of December alongside fellow veterans and industry legends. As is typical for these events, recording them isn’t an option, but certain people who attended were kind enough to take notes during it and post them up on Twitter for those who couldn’t. Some extracts that came from it have been mentioned in passing during…