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INTEREST: Sunrise Producer: 'We're the Only Studio That Can Make Hand-Drawn Robot Anime'


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Thespacemaster



Joined: 03 Mar 2012
Posts: 1095
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 2:13 pm Reply with quote
A sign of the times.

You have to admire there commitment of trying to keep things as traditional as possible and there mech work is indeed the best of the business but they can't keep it up forever and they know it.

So enjoy mech 2d animation while you can as soon it will be completely gone
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4352
Location: New York
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 2:15 pm Reply with quote
“Screw you Trigger and Dreamworks! Only we do it right!”

I can’t help but admire the gumption.
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Marzan



Joined: 29 Mar 2009
Posts: 514
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:08 pm Reply with quote
I think there will always be a market for 2D animation, even the mecha kind. It has a look and warm feel to it all of its own.
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jroa



Joined: 08 Aug 2012
Posts: 537
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:09 pm Reply with quote
Sunrise is definitely the most experienced studio when it comes to 2D mechanical animation, thus their production output is higher, but they are obviously not the only company capable of that.

Furthermore, I think this producer has really downplayed the exact amount of 3D animation used in Gundam Unicorn. There are other 3DCG shots during that OVA series, not just the main mecha's transformation sequence, such as certain scenes involving one of the red Mobile Armors used by the Sleeves / Zeon remnants. I remember noticing it during eps 4 and 5.

But you know? I am fine with this. Combining 2D and 3D mecha animation doesn't bother me. If anything, it's a decent compromise. Needless to say, I think that even full 3DCG works, while not my top preference, aren't the end of the world either.
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Ferax



Joined: 22 Nov 2014
Posts: 31
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:23 pm Reply with quote
"We're the Only Studio That Can Make Hand-Drawn Robot Anime"
yeah... about that
the next Code Geass movie uses CGI mechs
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Kicksville



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 1168
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:56 pm Reply with quote
Well, it is saying something that even the only studio putting out high quality robot animation on a regular basis can really only do it for one franchise (Gundam) at this point.

The "regular basis" part is important, since while other studios are still doing it for small segments, as said in the article, they're still able to do it for most of a show.

I am a big fan of giant robot shows, but I do have less excitement about new ones these days due to the practical guarantee it'll be majority CGI robots. Like, it may still be good, but obviously not as striking as it would've been otherwise, you know? (Planet With comes to mind) There's Darling in the FranXX, but the robots there are so human that's practically just normal character action animation anyway. Although I figure that may be the best path in the future for retaining 2D animation there.

Oh, and Bones was doing it pretty reliably for a while, but they sure had a solid series of duds there (Eureka Seven AO, Captain Earth) and I guess they're back to trying to capture Eureka Seven lightning in a bottle yet again with Hi Evolution. Oh well.
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TexZero



Joined: 25 Oct 2017
Posts: 582
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 4:10 pm Reply with quote
I mean...

Currently he's not all that wrong. Unfortunately even Sunrise has started to give into CGI mecha in even there more modern productions and it shows often times to the detriment of my own enjoyment of one of my favorite franchises in Gundam.

That said i kinda want them to continue working with the CG productions so that they are once again at the top of the Mecha Animation mountain so to speak.
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jroa



Joined: 08 Aug 2012
Posts: 537
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 4:20 pm Reply with quote
Ferax wrote:
"We're the Only Studio That Can Make Hand-Drawn Robot Anime"
yeah... about that
the next Code Geass movie uses CGI mechs


Actually, that movie apparently also uses a mix of 2D and 3D mecha. The mecha are clearly still 2D during a desert battle, presumably from early in the movie, but we see a couple of 3D shots during an aerial night battle. It's unknown what will be the final ratio of 2D to 3D until the movie has premiered, but it's a fact they still have some 2D mecha animation.
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#854626



Joined: 04 Apr 2016
Posts: 171
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 4:40 pm Reply with quote
2d>3d
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Zin5ki



Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 6680
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 5:09 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
There are not many young people who learn how to draw mecha, and the veterans are aging to the point where drawing an intensive amount by themselves could lead to health problems.

And there we have it, chaps! It is becoming an accepted industrial norm that anime is deadly.
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invalidname
Contributor



Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 2434
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 5:27 pm Reply with quote
“We’re the only ones that can do hand-drawn mecha” seems like a peculiar hill to die on, but whatevs, dude.

My 2c: I once found myself wondering why I liked the mecha battles so much more in Schwarzesmarken (traditional animation by Liden Films, with 3D mechs by Sanzigen) better than Muv-Luv franchise-mate Total Eclipse, even though the latter was a higher-profile production by Satelight, a studio that specializes in mechs. And I realized the difference was that in Schwarzesmarken you consistently had a better idea of:

  • Who was fighting
  • What they were fighting for
  • Where they were relative to one another
  • What they could or couldn't do in battle
  • What changed during the battle
  • Who won or lost, and why

In other words, it had nothing to do with the the technical nature of the animation, but instead depended on the writing and direction. And that’s why I find myself agnostic to this 2D/3D mech animation argument: it’s largely beside the point.
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Hobbie



Joined: 29 Jan 2017
Posts: 30
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 5:36 pm Reply with quote
True, a good story will always be good regardless of the media, but hey, we're talking about animation here, so of course visual play a big part in it. ^^
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Karasu-Lacryma



Joined: 20 Feb 2015
Posts: 113
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 5:58 pm Reply with quote
The Code Geass: Akito the Exiled spin-off movies used entirely CGI mecha and it worked out amazingly well because the animators made full use of it in the camerawork. (You cold argue the mecha looked designed with CGI in mind, which certainly helps). I have no reservations saying that Akito's fight scenes vastly outclassed the original anime's. But then, they spent a LOT of time on those movies, with some absurd delays. I believe Orange as in charge of the CGI and Sunrise did the rest. (On a side note, Akito was gorgeously animated and it's a shame Lelouch of the Resurrection's animation looks miles below it in quality.)

At any rate, CGI will at least continue to improve. Here's to hoping Sunrise can keep its 2D mecha a while longer. They still managed Build Fighters without any CGI!
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TurnerJ



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 481
Location: Highland Park, NJ
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 6:01 pm Reply with quote
I really don't know what to think of this.
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thekingsdinner



Joined: 25 Sep 2010
Posts: 1067
Location: Geertruidenberg, Netherlands
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 6:21 pm Reply with quote
I guess it's inevitable at this point to expect 2D mech animation. I do understand the reasons though, especially when it's related to health problems.
Still, I know the day will come when even Sunrise will not be able to sustain this kind of animation... I'm not looking forward to it but I don't think anybody could make a difference at this point.

It's rather sad but for me personally, anime is very slowly losing its charm. I started to watch anime because of 2D animation. It's usually not the stories that pulled me in, but the visuals certainly did.
CGI can look fine, sure, but for me the 2D charm is simply not there. Don't even get me started on that new AI animation.

Sunrise, I'm rooting for you. Please keep it up as long as you're able to!
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