#olm format

[bad-time-piss-depression]

I have made a discovery

[acquired-stardust]

Anime Spotlight #4: Gunsmith Cats (1995)

It's time for another spotlight! Join Ash as she takes a look at one of the coolest anime of the 90s along with some of the circumstances of its creation as well as some of the cultural context of the time with this article.

If you've been looking for something to watch or just want to pass a little time reading, Acquired-Stardust has you covered - check under the break for another entry in our series of spotlights on games and anime that are well worth your time!

It's November 13th, 1994, and the Chicago police department has recieved some reather peculiar guests for a tour of the facility. They've come all the way from Japan, cameras in hand and fresh off exploring the streets of the Windy City scouting locations as well as a trip to a gun range, for a film project. They're staff from Oriental Light and Magic, a studio operating out of Tokyo, and astonishingly their film project isn't live action - it's an animation.

Animation is not an art form that has historically garnered much respect in the west. Although by November of 1994 we would be well into the Disney Rennaissance, it's actually so early into the more recent mainstreamification of animation that Cartoon Network's first in-house production Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994) is only a mere six months old.

In a time long before Toonami and 'Pokemania', when most Americans thought animation, cartoons, to be a form of entertainment for children and would likely conjure to mind images of one of many incarnations of Tom and Jerry or Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969), it's hard for the average person not paying attention to the medium at large to conceptualize the phenomenon that Japanese animation has become in its native market as well as in limited American markets as an import for several decades, and the depth that the medium would have.

The officers of the CPD, proudly posing with and demonstrating a "Chicago typewriter" submachine gun to an impressed group of Japanese OLM staffers, had no way of knowing that that revolution would go on to capture America wholesale in just a few short years. That tidal wave was approaching fast, and OLM themselves would come to play a big part in it. Oriental Light and Magic, or OLM, would go on to be known for themselves helping to usher in Pokemania by animating the Pokemon anime, with the Gunsmith Cats team in particular being responsible for the bulk of Pokemon's movies.

The studio would also handle Berserk's incredible 1997 adaptation, as well as assisting on majorly influential titles like FLCL (2000) and recent craze DAN DA DAN (2024), but the only projects the OLM of 1994 has under their belts as a studio is providing graphics for three video games. This relative lack of experience as a company at the time (though not as individual talents under the OLM banner) makes the results of their outing all the more impressive.

Gunsmith Cats has something of a convoluted existence. Originating as a manga spin-off of Kenichi Sonoda's previous effort, the 1989 OVA Riding Bean, Gunsmith Cats as a manga is something of an alternate universe retelling and remix of Riding Bean that sees previous sidekick Rally Vincent take the reins as the lead role with her own new partner as a combination gunsmith/bounty hunter in Chicago.

The same way that the manga remixes elements of Riding Bean into a new, more focused and well rounded effort, Gunsmith Cats' 1995 animated version does much the same - certain characters and elements are refined and streamlined, certain rough edges are smoothed out and it ultimately coalesces into a project that is an incredible testament to the power of inspiration and obsession, as well as the OVA format as a whole. Despite diverging from the manga with an OVA-original antagonist with an extremely cool design and backstory, it's hard to complain about what we got.

Sitting atop a rather large hill of intersectionality, Gunsmith Cats represents and encapsulates the peak of various shifting landscapes in both American and Japanese culture and isn't all that dissimilar in style and substance to Hideo Kojima's fantastic 1996 adventure game Policenauts (for which you can read my article on by clicking here). A tribute to lifelong obsessions with cars, guns and American movies, Gunsmith Cats is one part Blues Brothers (1980), one part Leathal Weapon (1987) and one part Bubblegum Crisis (1987), guided by anime royalty of a now-previous generation in Kenichi Sonoda, who crafted it with the touch that only an obsessive fan can possibly hope to achieve.

It is an incredibly animated, wonderfully scored tribute to three of the things that American and Japanese media both ran on in the 1980s: guns, cars and girls. To that end OLM, as seen in a documentary included in the DVD release apparently produced by ADV Films, sought to draw out the potential of Gunsmith Cats with extremely extensive research into cars and guns with their trip to Chicago in pre-production, and their excursion absolutely paid off in spades.

The keen eye for detail present in the original work as well as the deep research and scouting undergone by OLM shines incredibly brightly here, coalescing into a romp the likes of which is only able to be executed with a level of quality and detail only possible in an OVA. Extremely authentic to its inspirations and a very specific brand of American culture that has long since faded, Chicago is rendered in stunning detail and has largely managed to avoid falling into the infamous 'Japanifornia' amalgamation many adjacent things do.

Guns and cars look and sound authentic, rendered with a similar level of detail and care to the city of Chicago itself, and the character designs by Kenichi Sonoda and Norihiro Matsubara practically leap off the screen to a degree that one could say the cars, guns and city itself are just as much the stars of the show as the human characters.

As for those human characters, they are similarly appealing in both design and personality, and the scenario in which they play is a very authentic take on one you could find in many big American movies of the era in which Gunsmith Cats looks to pay tribute featuring slimy ATF agents (no doubt inspired in part by previous incidents earlier in the decade that would color Amercian perception of the bureau for the remainder of the 90s), gangsters, corruption, informants and a particularly ruthless Russian (or is she Ukranian?) antagonist.

But Gunsmith Cats doesn't just stun visually. Its soundtrack, composed by jazz musician Peter Erskine, would undoubtedly serve as partial inspiration for landscape changing classics such as Cowboy Bebop (1998) which the opening animation, extremely similar to the iconic "Tank!" in both visuals and music, can attest to. Peter Erskine's score shines brightly here and even has an elaborate car chase scene in which it is allowed to take center stage.

As previously mentioned, sound effects such as firearms and Rally Vincent's iconic Shelby GT500 are largely captured from their real world counterparts recorded during the crew's excursions to America. The sounds of Chicago were so meticulously documented and applied that supposedly even an ADV employee at the time from the area recognized the overhead rail heard in the series as being just down the street from her parents' house.

Tasked with the English-language adaptation, now-defunct studio ADV Films was in top form with the production despite it only being their sixth, featuring some very strong cast members (those with an ear and eye for these things will note numerous cast members in various other ADV Films adaptations such as Neon Genesis Evangelion) as well as a strong script. A small thing that helps sell the overall authentic experience is the direction, notably featuring some panicked screaming in various scenes that sound less like the brand of phony made-for-animation yelling that one might be used to and much more like real human reactions.

As is typical with ADV Films the cast, writing and direction is extremely strong but can be a bit hit or miss, as many find protagonist Rally Vincent's sidekick, Minnie May Hopkins, to be annoying though I quite enjoy her. The strength and success of the English version, according to English-language writer/director Matt Greenfield recounting a discussion with Gunsmith Cats director Takeshi Mori, was vital in securing the funds necessary to produce the third and final episode of the OVA which had otherwise underperformed in Japan.

The main trio of the assertive and slightly androgynous Rally, tiny explosive-obsessed gremlin Minnie May and information specialist Becky all play off each other very well and are a lot of fun, though Minnie May is likely something of a sticking point for modern audiences due to her young appearance and mild sexualization, but it's important to remember that Gunsmith Cats follows a number of characters pretty deep into Chicago's criminal underworld and to not be lead too far astray by the cute and friendly art style it possesses.

These are characters who have likely been involved in all sorts of shady, horrible things which is easy to forget until some of the violence, not unlike the level of which you might find in films such as Die Hard (1998), comes crashing through to remind you that it is unafraid to give us glimpses of the rougher edges and underworld that the characters inhabit. Another of the rougher edges to Gunsmith Cats is its not-infrequent use of fanservice, something extremely standard at the time that has become an enduring trope of the medium but can often put people off to varying extents.

Gunsmith Cats is not just shockingly competent, it might be the greatest anime popcorn movie of all time. It has practically everything you could ever look for in an anime or even just an entertainment experience, and it has it all in abundance. It's rare that anything ever lives up to the 'good old days' that one forges in the fires of nostalgia, but Gunsmith Cats unquestionably does and is a shining example of just how good now-retro anime could be. It's a great testament to the OVA format as a whole, where a budget would be applied to a smaller number of total episodes to inject a huge dose of quality into a shorter runtime than a longer TV series would get.

Despite its strong Japanese dub I highly recommend you check out the series in English for the effort that ADV Films put into helping make the series as authentic as possible as well as its strengths on its own merits. The Japanese audio track on the whole is also a bit too muted for my taste, with voices and especially the unique soundtrack being a bit too subtle and quiet to really appreciate. With a total runtime of roughly an hour and a half, Gunsmith Cats' mere three episodes are an extremely fun ride and there's very little to lose by giving it a chance. Its soundtrack by Peter Erskine sets it apart from most other anime, and further music released as part of an expanded universe of radio dramas and original music albums provide some of the coolest anime tunes of all time with Water Club Band's "Groove From Heaven" and "Shelby G.T.500", and I highly recommend seeking these two songs out if you can find them.

If you've ever wanted to get into retro anime it's hard to find a better place to start than Gunsmith Cats. Its DNA runs through anime as a medium due to its connection to creator Kenichi Sonoda, one of 80s anime's uncrowned kings, as well as its undeniable influence on things such as Cowboy Bebop, to say nothing of OLM's later success. How many other anime can you say had an animation director solely in charge of making sure the firearms looked and performed authentically?

Grab yourself a drink and a snack and let OLM and ADV take you on a thrill ride through the "City of the Untouchables". Oozing with charm and quality, it's every bit the fun American-style action movie of which it is a pastiche and there's fewer better places to spend an hour and a half in the whole of the medium than on this absolute classic as slick and stylish as Rally's beloved car.

A gem hidden among the stones, Gunsmith Cats is undoubtedly stardust.

-- Ash

[primarilymedievalish]

An Introduction to Contract Law (300 words) by Medievalish Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Skyblock Kingdoms SMP Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Olm | The Old One & Vintage_Applesauce, Implied Vintage/Ruby Characters: vintage_applesauce (Video Blogging RPF) Additional Tags: Not RPF, Possession, Deal with a Devil, Faustian Bargain, Unconventional Format, Contracts Summary: By signing below, you understand and agree to abide by the terms of the contract.

[tomato-fendo-writes]

Hiiib✨, hope you're doing well. Ah, quick question, what do you consider Lee Chaolan's first name to be? We know it's Chaolan because it's written in last name, first name format, however everyone calls him Lee, which is his last name, and continuing to call him by his last name is a bit impersonal, and I think Kazuya started to call him that when Lee first came to the Mishima estate is because Heihachi would only refer to him as Lee, and I think Lee himself started getting used to it and didn't think much on it so that it won't hurt as much (he wasn't officially given the Mishima name after all).

So yeah, it's basically two questions, what do you think his first name is, and will you address this in OLM? I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Take care ✨.

TECHNICALLY his name would be Chaolang (with the surname Li) but we following the game romanizations, but yes i do know his given name to be Chaolan lol. i too follow the logic of him just being so used to being called Lee both personally and professionally that it’s just granted at this point, but his POV sections have him referring to himself as Chaolan for a reason. as for it coming up outside what ive already mentioned in the fic….

:)

[gamerbot-22]

You Are Now Free to Move About the Cabin!

We went from five ficlets in a week to four lol. Also I would like to apologize for taking so long to get this postmortem out, especially when I mentioned I would get it done much sooner, but formatting on mobile + a much needed break = you're getting it now, lol--

Last week’s postmortem is here, and the tierlist is here!

Stuff Got Moved Again - Nothing worth mentioning though so this is just an acknowledgement.

Olm Soup for the Soul, A Tier - Definitely another procedural ficlet, but I like this one more than other's I've done purely because of my newfound love for Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon. I also got to watch a lot of campfire cooking videos as research, which were all very peaceful lol.

Looking Out For You, A Tier - I'm. Letting some bias show, here. If I had written this ficlet on any other night, I would have given it a B Tier, citing a paragraph that seems to have gotten lost between describing Feixiao climbing the tree and her first speaking to Moze, as well as the vagueness of whatever happened in the meeting before this scene begins (I probably wouldn't have added much more detail but some more specifics would have been good, I think), but like... Ok I'm gonna get a little real here, there was An Incident at home when I wrote this. No one got hurt, but things were loud and chaotic and really unsure for a while, and honestly just projecting how I was feeling onto Moze and giving him some comfort in the form of Feixiao affirming that he's safe and where he belongs was just what I needed that night. I'd definitely make changes to it if I were to re-write this story, but as is, I think this ficlet is important.

To the Stars Above, A Tier - I was definitely still riding the waves of what happened the night before when I wrote this one, hence the sort of bittersweet, nostalgic tone, but I think this one came out really nicely. I know the point is that we as the players know so little about Baiheng and who she was, leaving us only to remember her through... Honestly just Jing Yuan and Jingliu (Blade I don't think ever mentions her himself and Dan Heng definitely doesn't.) I had to fill in some personality going off what's available and the dichotomy that showed up between her and Jingliu was really... nice. idk lol I don't have a lot of words for the feeling this ficlet evokes. Other than maybe "comfortable."

Read Between the Lines, A Tier - So I wrote this one in a haze the day before I left for vacation and in. The moment it felt like it made absolutely zero sense and was no good whatsoever, but after like a week away, it works! I liked doing some character analysis through Black Swan, I think having her be that observant and detached really fits her character. I was also really self indulgent with the tarot card at the end. For those who don't know tarot, the card was meant to bear similarity to the Rider-Waite-Smith version of The Moon, which classically represents the subconscious (Penacony itself) as well as your imagination getting the better of you (everyone being two layers deep, dream wise, with Sunday/Ena's fight serving as a distraction to reality.)

Seven Characters Left! - I'm probably going to do the next Postmortem after these 7 are done instead of on Sunday but I make no promises lol. This is a good scattering of characters, I think, in terms of Vibes and characterization, so I'm really excited to get these done!

[heart-wit-strength]

Yeah it’s almost Sad how Ivy and Maddie weren’t given bigger roles to play while Freaking JEREMY who Literally DIED once back in Season 1 was given an episode in Season 3B.

along with Toad to Redemption’s continuity and slight world building that went Nowhere with, accept making Toadstool nicer (which I could care less about imo) Jacinda, Bog, Fens, and Mire being cast out of the show never to be seen again. Least a short reference in the series finale time skip. God they could've been good side villains during Sasha and Grime's time protecting Wartwood, even a parallel with how Grime used to be Vs Bog and Jacinda hwo would refernce what they Used to be.

iirc Toad to Redemption was to address how toads were just as much oppressed in the caste system as the frogs were, followed by the rebellion. Sooo ig it gets a point for that.

But yeah could've absolutely been a good parallel to have Grime against his old tower mates and the bully he used to be, maybe a bit on what came to the formation of the Resistance.

S3b feels like it made a genuine attempt at bringing back elements from previous seasons, but as you already stated, there could've been better choices. The only good one I could think of is Domino 2 moth probably.

But as blunt as it is, i couldn't care less for Jeremy's plant cult, or Sasha's Angels being about Toadie finally snapping. Or idk Sasha's arc of forgiveness being associated with the two random olms from s2 literally no one even remember, and not Percy and Braddock instead who btw absolutely deserved better and a conclusion in Sasha's story arc after how she changed, but ig not all the things you let go makes its way back to you (shrugs)

[newsintheshell]

🔴 THE APOTHECARY DIARIES: L'ANIME DEBUTTERÀ SU CRUNCHYROLL IL 21 OTTOBRE CON I PRIMI TRE EPISODI!

Confermato inoltre il format di due cour, questo vuol dire che la serie ci terrà compagnia per due stagioni consecutive.

Quello ad opera di TOHO ANIMATION STUDIO e OLM (Summer Time Rendering, Komi Can’t Communicate), è l'attesissimo adattamento del premiato racconto seinen fra commedia, giallo e romanzo storico firmato da Natsu Hyuga, che qua in Italia conosciamo come IL MONOLOGO DELLA SPEZIALE o I DIARI DELLA SPEZIALE.

L'anime è scritto e diretto da Norihiro Naganuma (The Ancient Magus' Bride - Stagione 1, Yowamushi Pedal Movie).

[animehouse-moe]

The Future of Anime Staff: A Foggy Forecast

This is a topic that I've really wanted to talk about for quite some time, and I was sat around thinking about what it was that I wanted to post today. So I figured screw it, I'll write that post now.

The plain and simple is that the anime industry is changing at a far quicker pace than it used to. Not that this change is new, but that it's happening faster. Think of the industry as a candle. Rather than a different candle being used, our candle is just burning far faster than it was. And I'd love to dive into the details of that.

So, a faster pace of change, how can you say that? Well, the easiest marker is the creation of new animation studios from anime veterans. I mean, WIT was formed from Production I.G veterans, and Mappa came from Madhouse. And from there, Production I.G came from Tatsunoko Production, and Madhouse came from Mushi Production.

But we haven't stopped at this level yet, rather than going one further back, we're going on further forward. From WIT studios sprung Kafka, and from Mappa we have E&H Production. To help illustrate what I'm about to explain, please take a look at this (poorly made) graphic.

I think what's most apparent is the gaps in time between the formation of studios. Taking the Mushi Production side as an example, Mushi Pro was founded in 1961 while Madhouse was founded in 1972, making for a difference of just 11 years. Madhouse to Mappa is a far larger gap though at nearly 40 years. From there, it's a measly 10 years to the formation of E&H Production.

Looking at the Tatsunoko side, the studio was founded in 1962 while Production I.G appeared in 1987, making for a difference of 25 years. From there, WIT is founded in 2012 making for a difference of once again 25 years. Following WIT however, Kafka appears after only 8 years of WIT as a studio.

Overall, the numbers speak somewhat for themselves in broader strokes to how the anime industry has grown and changed. Though there was a reasonable era in the industry of stability and maintainable growth, in recent years that growth has been less sustainable.

More series are being produced, more staff members are unsatisfied with their working conditions, and so new studios are created. Now, there's a totally different conversation to be had about why new studios is the way for veterans to find creative freedom and less oppressive schedules, but that devolves into how producers view and interact with the anime industry.

Anyways, the point is that unsatisfied workers are more and more common, and branch and child studios appear more and more frequently. Just look at how BUGS FILMS spits a bit of fire at their parent company OLM via some little details in Zom 100.

So, to the heart of the issue: what the hell does this have to do with the title? Well, great question me! The point is this: veteran staff are no longer remaining veteran staff for the required amount of time. You're not seeing high level staff members stick around with specific companies for longer periods of time. Similarly, we've seen production companies catapult the number of anime series licensed in a year well into the stratosphere, shown via this information from all the way back in 2021 about Kadokawa licensing 40 series a year until 2023.

So where does all this go, where does it all lead? Two roads. The first, overworked and undercompensated staff that will put out subpar and error-riddled work due to crunch times and other issues. The second, constant staff movement that erases the middle of the hierarchy.

If anime production is expressed in tiers you'd have three of them. The highest tier being directors, series composers, etc. etc. The next tier would be episode directors, script writers, assistant directors, and whatnot. The bottom tier would be LO, In-between, and even key animation.

Of course, you can't go from bottom tier to top tier in one go, and each tier used to require specific experience and ability. You'd need reasonable experience with episode direction to transition to lead director, sufficient experience with key animation to move to animation direction, a number of years with a given studio, etc etc.

The issue that this ridiculously expanded production produces is, simply put (as I did before), the erasure of the middle tier and the transition requirements to the top tier. A nasty side effect is the disappearance of studio employees as freelance work dominates, and as @444lpblue has effectively put, the blurring of lines in regards to studio style. More on that later, lets look at some examples of the former points first.

Shota Goshozono is the lead director for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. They've also only been in the industry for 8 years, and have a total of 5 episode direction credits prior to JJK S2. And Mappa shows through this decision how not to handle a new director.

Yes, you read that correctly. A total of 8 years in the business, and only a grand total of 5 episode direction credits prior to JJK S2. Even more interestingly is that their career starts with and is fleshed out at A-1 Pictures. They did some key animation on Mob Psycho, and some other work on the Cloverworks end of FGO stuff, capping off their freelance work with two episodes of Ousama Ranking before arriving at Mappa with JJK S1.

Yes, once more, you read that correctly. Gosso's first experience with Mappa was in 2021, and in 2023, after a total of 3 episodes directed under the studio, they're in the lead seat for Jujutsu Kaisen.

I think it's an understatement to say that it's a bit of a shocking development. I mean, to fill the shoes of Park it's a pretty ludicrous decision. Park is pretty well as close to Mappa royalty (even though they've only directed a total of 3 series) as you'll come across as they begin their tenure with the studio in 2014 working on Terror In Resonance. Just to sort of emphasize for context: Park started working with Mappa a year before Goshozono appears in the anime industry.

If Gosso and JJK is what not to do with first-time directors, Saitou and Bocchi The Rock is absolutely what to do with them.

Keiichirou Saitou, a person in a similar situation to Gosso, but producing a definitively different result. Just how do they do it?

Before I answer my own question once more, just a brief history of Saitou. They have a total of 7 episode direction credits prior to Bocchi The Rock, and started in the industry back in 2015, also like Gosso.

The massive difference though is where those credits lie and what they are. Cloverworks is a relatively new studio, so rather looking at productions under the same studio, it's more effective to look at staff that overlap with the core of Cloverworks. Most notably this includes the director of Akebi's Sailor Uniform as well as the assistant director for Spy x Family. But more than that is the tenure of these staff members. Being able to work under Shingo Natsume on not one, but two projects is definitely the highlight of Saitou's early work and undoubtedly the source of a great deal of their visual style.

So if Saitou has Nastume, and Gosso has Park, where's the real difference? Well, it's more a subjective opinion, but my belief is the breadth of productions that Saitou has been credited on. Not so much purely in terms of genre and whatnot, but more the number of unique series and how they're spread out. While it's only 2 more episodes directed than Gosso, they've directed on one more series than them, and have their direction credits spread from 2017 into 2021 (5 years total). Meanwhile, Gosso's episode direction credits take place within the span of 2 years.

And that's the very crux of my argument. Saitou has had 3 more years to refine and explore their creative direction under quality staff members. Gosso had less than half the time to do the same thing. And with that inexperience in mind, Gosso leads a larger and more established production with the goal of filling some very big shoes. Bocchi The Rock and Saitou were afforded the benefit of noticeably more freedoms and concessions in regards to production and approach than Gosso and JJK, and that just continues to play into the challenges and successes faced by each.

Gosso and Saitou clearly come from similar backgrounds. Starting their careers around the same time, having a home-base/origin studio in the form of A-1/Madhouse respectively, and have had big breaks early on in their careers. Let me provide a totally different example now.

Mori Hirotaka, arguably the most infamous director of 2023, and the direct rival to Keiichirou Saitou's electric work on Bocchi The Rock. A veritable master of the craft, who presents a different story altogether.

Hirotaka is a far more interesting staff member to take a look at, because they jumped into the industry headfirst with their first credits being assistant episode direction One Piece (for a total of 17 episodes, no less).

From the moment Hirotaka appears in the industry, their focus is on episode direction and storyboarding. Though they originate with Toei, Hirotaka expands their reach to incorporate a trio with the former studio alongside Production I.G and A-1 pictures.

In terms of hard numbers though, they're credited with episode direction for 9 episodes (though one's an opening) across 8 unique series.

I don't think I really need to say it, but I will anyways. Hirotaka is a perfect example of my opinion/argument that time and breadth is the best possible way to encourage growth and exploration of creative foundations and the ability to effectively apply them to various projects. Having those assistant credits just doubles down on the sentiment.

But how about something more interesting? I mentioned Production I.G earlier in the studios that Hirotaka has worked with extensively. Hirotaka started with them in 2014 where they directed the second opening for the first season of Haikyuu!! before moving on to several other projects. Nearly a decade of experience and work under Production I.G. Compare that to Gosso who only has a single Mappa series prior to JJK S2, and Saitou who's a first time Cloverworks staff member.

This is where we tie back in to the freelance work. It took Hirotaka a decade to get the role of a lead director with production I.G, it took Park six years. Saitou got their lead director role with a first-time studio, before they got their lead role with Madhouse. Gosso worked on 3 episodes with Mappa before getting their lead role with them for JJK S2.

Though there's very little time separating these staff members, the idea of a "core" studio remains apparent with Hirotaka and Park, and does not exist with Saitou and Gosso. And it's something you can see happen consistently within this current climate for animation, especially with more "low level" things like key animators.

Let's circle back to get a better look at the bigger picture.

The nature of freelancing in the current industry outlook is to promote swift movement between studios and projects. This means that staff members have more freedom to take on different projects and the like, but at the same time means that without strong industry connections, they lack a foundational team that will provide them with an environment to grow and improve within. This means that we see more and more people placed in key roles where they don't have the keys to success and the ability to effectively manage it.

Great examples of this that are tied back into the comment on new studios appearing is the struggles faced by both Kafka and BUGS FILMS in their initial solo projects. Both are faced with the reality that they don't have experience managing at the scale that they are at, and in their own ways have (and are) struggling to meet expectations. Koichi Naruse is the CEO of Kafka, but has only been in the industry since 2017, and worked on a total of 5 series before moving on to lead Kafka. A similar story can be said of the situation that BUGS FILMS finds themselves in. Not that experience automatically equates to quality and ability, but the more time in industry the better understood it is.

At the end of the day, it's not something easily avoidable. Companies and individuals will struggle, and they will find their place amongst it all.

It's either work under an oppressive schedule in a not-so-great workplace, or job hop. At the end of it, the greats will stay great. Gosso will find their place in it, and Saitou will continue to try and match their initial work. It's just, sort of an aggravating thing to experience as an outsider when the solution is to tone down the number of series produced a year, and unionize all the staff so that they can have livable wages and fair and healthy workplaces.

But either way, here we are. And what does the future hold? Well, like the title says, there's not really anyone that knows for sure. It's one of those things that will only make or break at critical mass. I don't know when that will happen, and I doubt know if others will either. All I know for sure is that the rate of change in the industry continues to grow, and it becomes more and more hungry for high level staff to govern the endless flow of content, despite there not being enough. This gives freelancers much more freedom and opportunity but at the cost of further isolation of members of the industry from environments and workplaces that are meant to help them improve and grow as unique creatives.

[demetrioparrilla]

Professional OLM to MBOX Conversion Software

Convert OLM Mailbox into MBOX format Safely and Securely by using Expert OLM to MBOX Converter Tool by Softaken Software

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[rickjames121]

Protect Your Business Emails with Amazon WorkMail Backup Utility

Managing email data securely is essential, and Shoviv Amazon WorkMail Backup Tool makes it easier than ever. This powerful yet easy-to-use solution is tailored for all types of users—whether technical or not. It allows seamless backup of AWS WorkMail mailboxes into multiple formats like PST, MBOX, MSG, EML, and HTML.

You can also back up contacts and calendars without compromising folder structure or metadata. With smart filters, you can back up only the data you need by selecting specific dates or folders. Its incremental backup option ensures you don’t duplicate items and can pick up right where you left off.

The tool doesn’t stop at backup—it restores data from various formats (PST, OST, OLM, ICS, vCard, etc.) back into Amazon WorkMail effortlessly. Plus, a free trial version lets you test-drive the tool by processing the first 50 items per folder.

[giriumakant]

OLM to MBOX Converter for Mac Version (Free to Try)

Develop the files in new format without compromising their framework with this OLM to MBOX converter for Mac! Continue reading OLM to MBOX Converter for Mac Version (Free to Try)

[primarilymedievalish]

to every wound a door (300 words) by Medievalish Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Skyblock Kingdoms SMP Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Marma1ade & The Void, Marma1ade & Olm | The Old One (Skyblock Kingdoms SMP) Characters: Marma1ade, Olm | The Old One (Skyblock Kingdoms SMP) Additional Tags: Not RPF, Triple Drabble, The Void (Minecraft), Unconventional Format, The power of the basic formatting skin has consumed me, POV Second Person Series: Part 29 of MCYT Drabble Fest Summary: And you said:   Let me be yours.   And you said:   Take my magic.   And you said:   Take me.   And the Void said:   I will.

[olm-to-pst]

Free Methods to Convert OLM Files to PST for MS Outlook in Easy Steps

Method 1: Manual Export Using an IMAP Account

This method requires configuring an IMAP account, such as Gmail, to act as an intermediary between Mac Outlook (OLM) and Windows Outlook (PST).

Step-by-Step Process:

Set Up an IMAP Account:

Open Gmail, go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and enable IMAP.

Open Mac Outlook, navigate to Outlook > Preferences > Accounts.

Add a new account by entering the IMAP account credentials.

Synchronize OLM Data with IMAP:

Create a new folder within the IMAP account in Mac Outlook.

Drag and drop your emails from Mac Outlook to this IMAP folder to start syncing.

Access Data from Windows Outlook:

After the sync is complete, open Windows Outlook.

Add the same IMAP account to Windows Outlook. You should now see all your emails synced.

Move emails from the IMAP folder to a new PST file by navigating to File > Open & Export > Import/Export and selecting Export to a file.

Method 2: Export Methods Using Microsoft 365

If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can use it to transfer emails between Mac Outlook and Windows Outlook.

Steps to Follow:

Configure Mac Outlook with Microsoft 365:

Open Mac Outlook and set up Microsoft 365 as a new account under Preferences > Accounts.

Drag and drop OLM data into the Microsoft 365 mailbox.

Access Data on Windows Outlook:

Log into your Microsoft 365 account in Windows Outlook. All OLM data should now be available in the Microsoft 365 mailbox.

Copy these emails to a PST file in Windows Outlook to complete the conversion.

Method 3: Exporting via Apple Mail and Importing to Windows Outlook

To migrate Apple Mail to Windows Outlook, first export emails from Apple Mail as MBOX files. Then, use an MBOX to PST converter to convert the files.

This method is more involved and ideal if you need to convert only a few emails or folders.

Instructions:

Export Emails from Mac Outlook: Open Mac Outlook, select the emails or folders you want to export, and export them to .mbox format.

Import MBOX to Apple Mail: Open Apple Mail, go to File > Import Mailboxes, and select the MBOX file. This will load your Mac Outlook emails in Apple Mail.

Use EML Format to Save Emails: Drag each email from Apple Mail to a new folder to save them as .eml files.

Import EML Files into Windows Outlook: Open Windows Outlook, and use a third-party tool to import EML files into PST format, as Outlook does not natively support EML to PST conversion.

Method 4: Using an OLM to PST Converter Tool

Many professional OLM to PST converter tools offer free demo versions, which can be used to convert a limited number of emails or files.

Download a Free OLM to PST Converter: I have explain some best OLM to PST converter tool that offers a demo version (e.g., SysVita OLM to PST Converter, ATS OLM To PST Converter & Vartika OLM to PST Converter).

1. SysVita OLM to PST Converter

Description: SysVita OLM to PST Converter efficiently converts Mac OLM files to PST format, supporting bulk exports with all versions of Outlook and Windows. The software also allows for conversion to multiple formats like MBOX, EML, MSG, and supports direct export to IMAP and Office 365.

Pros:

Bulk export support.

Compatible with all Outlook and OS versions (Mac & Windows).

Includes a free demo version for testing.

Direct migration to IMAP & Office 365 accounts.

Cons:

Limited features in the trial version.

2. ATS OLM to PST Converter

Description: ATS OLM to PST Converter is a user-friendly tool that converts OLM files to PST, EML, MSG, EMLX, and MBOX formats. It doesn’t require Outlook installation and includes a preview feature to verify data before migration. This converter supports all versions of Outlook, from 2000 to 2021.

Pros:

Supports multiple formats: PST, MBOX, EML, MSG.

Preview feature for data verification.

No Outlook installation required.

Free demo for testing, with up to 30 items converted.

Cons:

Limited options in the free version.

3. Vartika OLM to PST Converter

Description: Vartika OLM to PST Converter is designed to convert OLM files from Mac to PST format for Windows Outlook users. This tool also supports conversion to formats like EML, MBOX, MSG, and Office 365. It includes advanced filtering to help you select specific data.

Pros:

Multi-format conversion options.

Advanced filtering for selective migration.

Direct export to Office 365 and Live Exchange.

Allows preview of email items before conversion.

Cons:

Limited options in the free version.

Each converter has unique strengths, so choosing the best one will depend on the volume of data, preferred formats, and additional migration options like direct IMAP or Office 365 compatibility.

Convert OLM to PST Using the Tool: Using a dedicated OLM to PST conversion tool is often the fastest, most reliable method, especially if you have a large number of files to convert. Here’s how to use an OLM to PST converter tool to seamlessly convert your Mac Outlook files to a format compatible with Windows Outlook.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Download and Install a Reputable OLM to PST Converter Tool:

Begin by choosing a well-rated tool with a free trial version, such as SysVita OLM to PST Converter, ATS OLM Converter, or similar.

Install the software on your Windows computer by following the setup prompts.

Launch the Tool and Import the OLM File:

Open the converter software and look for an option like Add File or Open.

Select the OLM file you wish to convert. Many tools also allow you to preview the contents before proceeding.

Choose PST as the Output Format:

In the export options, select PST as the desired output format. You may also be able to configure additional settings, such as preserving folder structure, filtering emails by date range, or converting only specific folders.

Select the Destination Folder:

Specify where you’d like the converted PST file to be saved on your system.

Begin the Conversion Process:

Click Convert or Export to start the process. The time required will depend on the size of the OLM file and the speed of your system.

Open the Converted PST File in Windows Outlook:

Once conversion is complete, open Microsoft Outlook on your Windows system.

Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, locate your newly converted PST file, and import it.

Conclusion

Converting OLM to PST manually can be a time-consuming process, especially for larger files. While free methods are available, they require multiple steps and some technical knowledge. If you regularly need to convert OLM files to PST, investing in a professional OLM to PST converter might be worth considering for a seamless experience.

[gmailbackup]

Mac Gmail backup facility with no extra efforts on the clients’ part

To carry Gmail backup is quite important if you wish to keep your data secure. It is the methodology that you choose for the same that would determine how the experience goes for you. Before you decide on which facilities you want in the Gmail backup software you should first have thorough information about the mail account, get it here- . Avoid using a freeware as it can cause harm to your precious data and thus cause irrevocable damage.

How to Gmail backup that is regularly effective on a long term?

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Auto-USB backup and inbuilt ftp client

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[thunderbirdemailbackup-blog]

Know the details of Thunderbird backup email here

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How to restore Thunderbird mail backup without moving your fingers

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Convert mail file formats and use ftp client for additional safety

As this software supports several mail file formats it is also capable of providing the facility of changing mail file formats. It can be used to change the format of the data files to and from .olm, .eml, .pst, .mbox, and .rge.

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Faster search results and more storage space

With this software you will have the freedom to backup as many files as you want since it meanwhile also saves storage space. It manages to do that by compressing the files methodically.

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[restoremacemail]

Restore email mac mails with zero tolerance data integrity

Data integrity is often misjudged when it comes restore mac email. It is about overall accuracy, completeness and consistency of data. So whenever, data transfer takes place, the tool is expected to transfer or convert eh files with completeness and accuracy.

A non-accurate or incomplete transfer of data means the file is unreadable or unrecognizable or broken. In worst cases, the data files transfer or conversion does not take place.

This makes it very crucial to use a highly skilled restore mac email tool for an efficient transfer with zero tolerance data integrity.

We deliver a highly skilled and well-engineered product Mail Backup X. The one of its own kind to restore email mac mails. A tool that maintains hundred percent data integrity and also restore mac email addresses.

The factor is also visible in the applications of the restore mac email app delivering complete data file without any deviation.

Different particulars are transferred while taking backup of emails from Mac. Therefore. We also make sure that mac users undergo the information on Mac OS and Apple mail for a detailed tour on different aspects of them. So, it is advisable to browse the below links on Mac OS and Apple mail for more information.

Maintain data integrity factor in various applications that restore mac emails

It is indicative of the fact that different applications of this restore mac email software preserves data integrity while taking backup of emails from Mac.

The third party mail archive application supports reading and import of common mail archives file formats like .mbox, .rge, .olm, .olk, .pst, .eml, that store mail data by mail clients like Outlook Mac, Outlook Windows, Office 365, Thunderbird, Postbox, Gmail, Yahoo etc.

The inbuilt mail archive application allows you to view important mails from different mail clients. The product allows you to read and import archive files from Mbox viewer, RGE viewer, OLM viewer, OLK viewer, PST viewer, EML viewer without the need to switch between or open mails with different mail clients.

The third application of inbuilt mail migration application is an advanced mail conversion feature to use mail client of your choice on Mac OS. It permits you convert and export mail data to all major mail data file formats like .mbox, .rge, .olm, .pst, .eml.

Test the tool to explore the best way to restore mac email

The best way to explore the data integrity factor is by testing the tool for a realistic experience.

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For more details on the software, log on to the below website and get all your queries answered in a systematic manner www.mailbackupx.com/restore-mac-email/.