#animation analysis

[swampjawn]

Time to talk an unnecessary amount about floors!

Episode 6 of Dungeon Meshi was produced in collaboration with a smaller studio, Enishiya - and it went way harder than I expected, for being made up of two relatively simple and self contained stories focusing on one character each.

And you can really see how those extra resources meant the animators could give full focus to both halves of the episode. Let's take a look at one piece that stole the show.

The first half was handled primarily by episode director/storyboard artist Keita Nagahara and co-animation director Hirotoshi (or Hiroaki? [1]) Arai. It's actually kinda insane how much of this section can be attributed to these two.

But the real star of the show is the second half, Chilchuck vs the mimic, led by co-animation director Toya Ooshima in his first animation director role for TV anime!

And the biggest aspect that knocked my dang boots off was something that's very consistent with Ooshima's style: background animation!

By animating the backgrounds rather than using painted still images, Ooshima and the team of other similarly skilled animators are able to create these beautiful dynamic camera movements that wouldn't be possible otherwise. Like these cuts by Takeshi Maenami where the camera becomes an expressive part of the scene, zipping forward and backward, and tilting to emphasize the speed of this murderous hermit crab. (Maenami's style is also very recognizable here - snappy timing and quick camera movements)

Or this cut by the incredible Kaito Tomioka which cleverly combines a traditional background for the walls with a fully animated floor. The level of detail in these tiles is just completely insane, and used to great effect with this wide, diagonal angle, and the way the camera tentatively drifts forward before reversing direction, and the tiles blur out as it speeds up.

I don't think I'm the only one caught off guard by how much they full-assed this little side story, but it was a pleasant surprise!

I broke down the entire episode in this video here. A lot of research went into this one, and I think it's the best one of these videos I've made so far, so if you're at all interested in more of this type of analysis in video form, I would really appreciate it if you checked it out, or re-blogged this post! Thanks

[1] It's listed as Hirotoshi on Anime News Network, but Hiroaki on a key frame that Studio Trigger shared on Twitter, so I'm not sure which one is wrong.

[falling-star-cygnus]

i couldn’t resist the pull of a new indie animated cartoon, life is hard and i am but a weak soul

✨Ramshackle✨ by Zeddyzi -> why it’s amazing and why you should watch it :D

she’s a mood fr

No.1: Vinnie is usually the first to panic

while none of trio are 'in charge' -nor should they be- Vinnie does take the lead more often than Skipp or Stone do {these two also tend to look at her before taking action, which is actually adorable} so it's pretty cool to see she's not oblivious to dangerous situations like her archetype tends to lean into -> also Stone's totally contemplating breaking the window to get away from the pageant zombies

No.2: Stone is super protective, despite acting like he's not

but he does it in a way that doesn’t come across as thinking the other two are incapable, it’s more like: you totally could’ve dealt with that, but im right here so you don’t have to

No.3: Skipp isn’t helpless, nor is he treated as such

this is really awesome bc trios typically have that one character that’s really bright and bubbly but that’s also often infantilised by both their peers and the fandom -> Vinnie and Stone are totally confident in his feral capabilities though, and apart from briefly scolding him when it was necessary- they don’t treat Skipp like a child {which is an extremely refreshing change of pace}

No.4: ✨FOUND FAMILY✨

you got the black cat, doberman, and orange cat all in one with these silly guys! + stone's small smile when they fist bump, my heart!

No.5: The black cat is a softie

surprising absolutely no one, Stone has a hard time saying no to his family. that's not to say he can't express a boundary, like how he feels about physical touch, but he does let Vinnie and Skipp cling to him for brief intervals -> he also is already accepting that Maggot's going to be a fixture from as soon as the other two are leaving the alley way

all in all, this pilot does a mind-blowing job of portraying archetypes in a new and refreshing way that doesn't feel forced -> the animation style is beautiful, the characters are multifaceted and complex and it walks the line between silly and badass perfectly

definitely go watch the pilot on youtube!

and if you enjoyed this, let me know if there are other things you want me to analyze or give my thoughts on :D

[xdexesx]

So, I made a post the other day hinting towards my love for the Wild Kratts animation, not really thinking anything would come of it- So imagine my surprise when I woke up the next morning and seeing that I was, in fact, very wrong. While terrified of failing expectations, I will definitely make a in depth analysis about it now that I know that there are some that would actually care for it.

I am currently debating what would be more interesting, a VERY long Tumblr post or if I should go full "Video-Essay" mode and make a video about it and maybe show some insight of the program and how rigged 2D animation is made?? Personally, I would be more interested in the second, but that would be a HUGE project.

However, I have to ask you to be patient. I am an university student with a part-time job and volunteer as a social worker on the side, so I really don't have much time on my hands (Not to mention my own dang webshow that has been in production for 7 years that I really need to work on AHHHH) Anyhow, give me some time to actually come up with stuff pls :,) If you have any episode recommendations you can hit me with those and I can look into them ??

[izzydaninja]

Something I noticed while (definitely not) editing something Sonic Prime related:

In episode 1 of season 2, Sonic and Shadow finally confront each other about their world's destruction due to the prism.

When Shadow leads Sonic back to the cave where it all started, they find the prism as a ghost, unfinished with a single fragment remaining. (A sign of their unity and division.)

Sonic states he'd do anything to be back, and Shadow finishes the statement: 'home.' They both wish to go back home, the same goal in mind. So, when Shadow tells Sonic there is still a chance, and Sonic follows him up to the prism, they're both standing in front of the prism shard on the same side: implying their shared goal.

Then, as Shadow starts to explain things, something changes...

He walks around the prism blueprint - making the prism a divider now.

From this point on, they may share the same goals, but it's evident that they do not share the same ideals on how to reach it, leaving them arguing once more.

No matter the shot...

No matter the angle...

The prism stands as their divider: two sides of the prism so-to-speak.

Even in a stand-alone shot with Shadow:

They make sure to keep the shard in view for this shot; unlike any other stand-alone shot of him or Sonic, where the shard is not even visible.

Not only is it a reminder that it's a divider, as it still sits in the way, but it's now present in a shot where Shadow outright declares: "Sonic! You literally broke our world. Why would I trust you to do anything!?" The prism shard is now a symbol of the home they lost (as it sits in a ghostly replica of their Green Hill).

After this, Sonic is cut off from anything he went to say as Shadow spindashes him across the cave, stating that he's taking charge on this one.

But the disagreement and fight isn't surprising (knowing the two), because they hinted at it from the beginning. Yes, they were fighting before Sonic fully knew what was going on, but at this point, they both know what's in play and they both want the same thing, but there's this hidden truth that they'll do different things to get what they want. Sonic even says himself, once Shadow says he's getting the shards: "No way, Shadow! I know what you're capable of and that's not gonna happen!" Then he's further defending his other friends in the different shatterspaces.

Sonic wants to go home, to fix what he broke, but where he'll team-up and help others as he goes, Shadow will push through and take out anyone who tries to stop him from fixing their home. The prism shard, standing as the symbol of their home, also shows the clear division between the two, even before they started disagreeing; giving us the heads up that the fight was coming.

(Yes, I know these screenshots are quality garbage, but I didn't really have a better option available at the time, not unless I went further digging for the Netflix footage, but I didn't feel like it. Lol)

I just found this very interesting as I went through the cave scenes. Looking from shot-to-shot to notice the shard is only ever shown when directly between the two once this whole conversation starts.

Hope you all liked this little analysis-thing, because I don't know if I'll do any more in the future. XD I'm not much of an analyzer. I just like to talk about details and things I've noticed with my siblings or friends, so this was a step further than usual. I just figured: "I have the screenshots already, why not?" XD

Anyway, thanks for reading my rambles!

[foggyworksbutbetter]

something minor i noticed in “the spider within”

so they dropped a new spiderverse short, and after like the 5th watch i noticed smth interesting

you’ll notice the bed, miles, and the spider within are animated on twos (which means theres a new drawing on every other frame) while everything else around him is animated on ones.

some of the broken pieces of the bed so start being animated on ones, assumedly to make it smoother, but miles and the spider within all remain on twos as miles is pushed out of his room.

this was a technique they used during into the spiderverse as well. when miles is learning how to be spiderman, he’s animated on twos while peter is animated on ones to represent the gap in their skill levels and also the difference in their universes. you can also see this technique used on a couple other spiderpeople in that movie. it creates an effect where you can just tell how unnatural their movements look in the world around them—even if you can’t quite pinpoint why—because they aren’t in the right universe. applying that idea to this scene, it shows miles’ disconnect from the world around him, from reality itself. we already know that what he was seeing and doing wasn’t real, since his dad didn’t react to any of the screaming or panicked crawling despite being a very alert person (demonstrated when he jumps at miles opening the door). it’s a very minor but interesting detail that further shows how out of touch with reality miles is as a result of his stress and trauma.

[swimsauce]

I was watching panty and stocking and the Transformer parody episode has like a 1 to 1 transformation sequence from j decker (speed variation aside)

Like obv it also has elements present in tf media like the laser grid and logo posing but like.

Also the scout's look is very brave esque with the gold emblem on the chest and more expressive/realistic face.

Idk. Am I crazy. Unless deckerds tf sequence is a reference to something else it's almost identical. Does the P&S ep have a 3 second brave bit in its transformer episode. Stupidest animation detail I have found

[zabchan]

part three of my splash animation analysis. source. Part one. Part two

maui catches his hook, then even before he finishes shouldering it, he looks back to moana

its a face that got an interesting mix of sheepishness, mild embarrassment, incredulity. like some part of him might be expecting her to laugh at him, or comment something snide. a bit of wounded pride, a little part of 'i couldve done that myself you know,' a little bit of 'yeah she totally saw that little snafu'. he looks like he's considering making a joke, or daring her to say anything-but he's also smiling. old maui might have pouted more, heck, stuck-blind pull maui did pout two seconds ago.

maui settles the hook on his shoulder, his shoulder infinitesimally relaxing into the familiar weight. the famous eyebrow raises even more crisply, and his eyes are lighter. his smile seems slightly less of a sardonic grimace and more self deprecating. eye contact has been established- he can see she's not laughing at him, although her smile can be read as somewhat smug. her expression is more than a little fond, and hasn't changed much since her success at pulling them into the background.

which is kind of sad, actually. a bit of a fail on the animator's part not to have her react at least a little to him getting bonked into a sharkhead. she seems to be patiently waiting for him to join her for the last pose. maybe it happens too fast- lord knows it was hard enough for me to get distinct screenshots of his transformation sequence.

charitably, it could be a sign that she is used to his little gaffs and doesnt snark about them as much as she used to, doesnt feel as if she needs to poke holes in his ego or humble him. they're both a bit more mature, a bit humbler.

and then, the squeal worthy head tilt.

its hard to see in still images but watching the animation

that little head tilt, the eye brows, says so much.

acknowledgement that she got the job done, acknowledgement of their teamwork, in her competence. he looks at the audience like "thats moana for ya" or "well, she is the main character after all." or even just a simple thanks, not just for the assist but for not laughing.

smiling openly, warmly, without pride, with good humor. he doesnt rush to get up from landing flat on his butt, but neither does he sulk and refuse eyecontact with the viewer. he completes the pose from the chest up, gazing directly at the camera til the end. he's not pretending to be perfect. he's not ashamed.

and the fact he looks at moana first, before he checks the audience's reaction <3 *sighs in happy shipper contentment*. he takes his cue from her steady, nonplussed sincere smile. theres mirroring happening here, despite maui sitting. likewise she doesn't turn to address the audience again until after they lock eyes. she's taking his cues too.

their eyes meet, then turn to us in a fourth wall break of understated joy. "hey friends" it seems to say. "we're glad youre here. thanks for coming. "

we the viewer get to share in their moment, and its beautiful.

[aurae-rori]

MESMERIZER ANALYSIS!

Hi guys, Aurae is back at it again at Krispy Kreme, this time with a voacloid song analysis (woah!). So, before we get into this, here's my usual disclaimer! I have been researching psychology for a WHILE and I plan to go into it professionally (:O). HOWEVER, that said, I am NOT a professional, so understand that everything I come to conclusions about has been analyzed with some personal judgement, personal interpretations, and this is just what I have concluded.

This also contains a lot of personal projecting onto this song as art is aways up to interpretations, and I see a lot of my childhood in this song. I will be touching on topics that are implied through lyrics, and you may not see this song the same way that I do, and that is perfectly okay! This is my take on deconstructing some of the messages that this song has.

A TW FOR THIS ANALYSIS INCLUDES: hypnotism, escapism, unhealthy coping mechanisms, suicide, self-harm, depictions of abusive environments (as that is how I interpret this song), manipulation, gaslighting, dehumanization, neon colours.

So, now let's get into the confetti and fun wonderland of MESMERIZER!

I'll be splitting this into three parts: The part where I talk about the song lyrics, the part where I talk about the animation itself, and then I'll explain a few theories I've seen, as well as my own, adding onto the story that I think it is telling.

PART 1: SONG LYRICS ANALYSIS

“No thinking about real feelings

Are you pretending to not notice?

The absolute truths and your own heart

That's how the safe zone is shrinking

Prostituting your wounds

You give a feeble cry, such shameful conduct”

Although the song itself is quite catchy, cheerful, and jubilant, the lyrics are far from those things. We immediately start off with the idea of disregarding one’s own feelings, Miku talking about how people pretend not to not notice their own feelings and the ‘truths’ of their own hearts. However, this is hard to avoid forever, and their ‘safe zones’ (escapism places) are shrinking as reality creeps up on them, so they ‘showcase’ their sorrow to others. I think this is definitely a metaphor for how some people overshare to others and tell others all about the ways that they’ve hurt, which can be used against them, as this gives others easy access to material that could be used to manipulate them. However, there are also undertones of self-shame (which comes with trauma), calling their cries for help ‘shameful’. It should also be noted that some abuse survivors, while being abused, have relatively clear cries for help through their actions that nobody else seems to pick up on, which is also a theme in this song as nobody answers Teto’s cries for help. 

“I’ve got a recommendation for you, the ultimate escape

Eventually, you will be saved from being lured into sweet traps

Now that you can no longer live sanely in this world anymore

Perhaps pretending to know nothing

And surrendering yourself is the optimal solution”

This ‘ultimate escape’ that the song talks about is escapism, or imagination. Reality is too hard to deal with, so children turn to their own minds as a way to stop the pain from taking over. It’s much easier to live in a dreamworld rather than a reality where you’re being hurt, right? They say that ‘ignorance is bliss’, and they’re taking it to the next level here by repressing, ignoring, and denying their own true feelings in order to feel happiness. They escape to that ‘safe zone’ mentioned earlier within their minds. However, there is an irony in the second line where they talk about ‘sweet traps’, as it can be interpreted as the imaginary world being ‘sweet traps’, or maybe the harshness and certainty of reality can be considered a ‘sweet trap’ as well, depending on how you look at it. 

“If a bunch of flowers dressed up with words

Can steal one's heart, are they real?

To an event where everything will be tainted

I give you an invitation”

This runs even further with the idea of imagination and escapism, because flowers cannot literally dress up and speak in the real world. This is talking about how maybe the characters feel like they can no longer distinguish fiction from reality, talking about how fictional things can make you feel things, so they must be real, too. It’s basically saying that because fiction has such an effect on us, then can fiction and imagination be considered to be another form of reality, as well? However, it is mentioned that the event will be ‘tainted’, possibly referencing the idea of fiction completely overtaking reality. 

“Farewell

You're tailor-made for this era

With an appearance of vulnerability

Fooled by this truthful acting

Your heart beats so very loudly

Your extra lives are quickly being lost

Your durability worn away

Dodging matters right in front of you

You got your hands full just living”

This is where we go back to the idea of manipulation, and maybe even conditioning. ‘Tailor-made for this era’ implies that something turned these people into the kinds of people that would be easily manipulated. It is also implied that the two are hurting and explicitly stated that they’re vulnerable and easy to take advantage of. I would consider the theme of hypnosis and brainwashing to tie into this as well. They are more vulnerable to the idea of being manipulated and taken control of due to the fact that they are hurting and want to escape to another reality, and will believe anybody that says that they will make things better because they are hurt too much. They are fooled by the acting of the people that pretend to love them, who are really here to just control them. This is talking about the urge that people have to run away from reality, because just getting up and existing can be such a challenge. 

“You’re getting sleepy, a shallow hypnosis

Your head, your body are becoming muddled

No way, so many tricks?

Swinging a coin before your eyes

You'll become completely still

"This is fine," even you can be coaxed into shut down”

This is Miku’s part, and the part where she is completely hypnotized and taken control of. She ‘shuts down’, completely rejecting reality and going into the ‘imagination world’. She does not want to feel pain any longer and takes the opportunity to run from it, turning into a puppet for others to control and manipulate. 

“You're getting sleepy, a shallow hypnosis

Your head, your body are becoming muddled

No way, so many tricks?

Swinging a coin before your eyes

You'll become completely still

(coercion cancellation)” 

Teto’s part however, in the middle of it, fades out, as she does not completely listen to what the people have to say. She resists the manipulation, and it’s explicitly stated with the part where it goes ‘coercion cancellation’. She is actively fighting the urge to run away into escapism, and resisting the manipulation of whatever is trying to do so to them. 

“However you survive today, it's unrewarding everyday

You're already in a bot-like cycle

Continuing from the moment of inertia

If you have no luck, no hope, it's all the more pointless

If you haven't got it then give up

Playing with the leftovers is your fate”

This is just more stuff about giving up on the real world. Inertia means “the inherent property of a body that makes it oppose any force that would cause a change in its motion”, aka: refusing to move, even when force is put upon something. I would say ‘inertia’ is a synonym for birth or consciousness, because it’s talking about how even from the moment that you are born that you are stuck in a cycle of endless pain in reality. This part is basically talking about why you should give up on reality entirely and simply live in the worlds of your own creation, running away into escapism and disregarding the real world in favor of not feeling pain. 

“You’re tailor-made for this era

With an appearance of vulnerability

Fooled by this truthful acting

Your heart beats so very loudly

Exaltation has already lost its meaning

A fake charisma

If you stare directly at reality, you’ll end up going blind

So do it in moderation”

Once again, talks about being perfect subjects of manipulation. However, Teto speaks of the fact that the rush of joy that you usually get after originally going into the escapism world has already been lost, and that it is fake. However, she also mentions that if you keep on living in the real world the entire time, it will not do you any good, so she advises everyone else to live in your imagination only sometimes, but to keep an eye on the real world. 

PART 2: THE ANIMATION 

This is just a lot of things that I have noticed other people saying, but some tidbits about the animation include: 

This is a screenshot from the very start, showing how there are themes of hypnosis from the beginning. 

I believe it is also mentioned that the 13-pointed star that is shown a lot represents immortality. 

Also, can I mention that their outfits seem almost childish in nature? I believe that this is meant to represent that they are ‘vulnerable’, intensifying the idea that they are easily taken advantage of. However, these also look like worker outfits in the way, with the yellow rectangles almost looking like name tags. It almost seems like they’re workers for a children’s amusement park? Which would make the horror aspect of this even worse… 

Miku’s shoes are rollerblades, which can be interpreted of her being more carefree and more willing to run away, because wheels are faster, and can also be interpreted of her being less connected to the ground/reality. It can also be shown in the idea that she is the more ‘childish’ of the two of them, being easier to manipulate, which is why she falls to hypnosis first. 

In contrast, Teto’s shoes look rather normal. Probably a representation of her being more grounded? 

I’ve seen people interpret Miku’s cuffs as like places for strings to hold onto during her later animations, which can tie into her being more of a puppet rather than a human? 

Star pupils at the start for both of them when Teto talks about an escape. They are clearly both looking for one. 

However, Teto pretty early on also does the ASL sign for “HELP”.

Also, Teto blinks in morse code for “SOS” during the first chorus. 

The first letter of all of these spell out “help”, while the fourth letters spell out “SOS”. 

“phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinic carboxamide” is something that helps with energy metabolism, as well as DNA synthesis. I believe this can be a reference to the fact that many abuse survivors go through dehumanization, or it could be a reference to the idea that neither of them feel “real” or “human”. 

Also, at the end here, Teto makes another nonverbal sign for help with her hands. 

Miku is hypnotized pretty easily, swaying from side to side like following the motions of a coin. 

However...

Teto resists hypnosis for ten days, if you count the amount of times the sun rises and sets in this scene. Although, at the end…

Even she falls into hypnosis.

Also, their entire background is green here. Teto looks a little shocked, while Miku finds nothing wrong with this. This may be a green screen, which further emphasizes that the world that they are in is not real, and is only a product of escapism and/or imagination. 

Miku has never done this pose before, until after she was hypnotized. 

Also, it’s a good time to say that Miku’s movements here look robotic, or like she’s being puppeteered, with how jarring they are. 

I didn’t point this out before, but this happens earlier too – they point at the star, and tell you to “focus”, before “MESMERIZER” is spelt out really quickly in the star, at the very start, but not at the second time.  

As we start the next chorus, Miku’s face develops into this. It’s also noted that Teto stops bouncing for a few moments in pure shock. Also, I should mention that after you hang yourself, your tongue can protude from your mouth. There’s also a choker around her neck, and her skin seems to pale considerably, which points to the idea of a suicide. However, if she’s dead, what is puppeteering her? 

Also, the star at this point is swirling. It’s outright trying to hypnotize you. 

However, after this, Miku continues to dance, even after her part is over, and even goes off beat. The amount of confetti in this scene is increased considerably, as if whatever is trying to hypnotize them or control them is trying extra hard to make Teto give in. 

At the end, she does. 

PART 3: THEORIES 

So, what the hell does this all mean? 

Let’s recap– 

Teto & Miku are going to the unhealthy coping mechanism of escapism to deal with their lives, through one form or another, to run from reality. This much is clear. However, it gets to be too much for them and they are inevitably hypnotized by something or someone, taken control of, and while Teto asks for help, Miku gives in early, leading to the ending. This is all we can take from surface level. 

This is where I get into it with my theories. 

I like to mention the fact that these two feel immensely like they’re being conditioned by something, or someone, that they are supposed to trust. Maybe an adult figure in their lives. They clearly have faced hard shit during their lives, which explains the need for escapism. Teto is the more grounded one, and Miku just wants to escape from the pain. The first way that I interpret this is: 

Childhood abuse. Both of them are being manipulated and coerced by their own parents, and are finding solace in one another. Teto brings up escapism to Miku, and they do it together, creating worlds together and having fun at the start. Teto keeps on trying to ask for help to the people of the outside world in miniscule ways, but even when she directly asks for help dealing with her situation, she is still ignored and pushed aside. So, they then escape whenever they can because it gives them a feeling of control when in fact their own escapism mannerisms are a way to try and control their real lives but it doesn’t matter because it’s better this way. So all of her “SOS”s are for nothing. 

However, the longer the abuse goes on, the more they fall into it as their only method to be saved, and Miku eventually cannot handle reality, falling into the imagination world forever – that is, killing herself so that she will never have to deal with reality again, being pushed over by the expectations she had to fulfill in reality. Teto stays afterwards, however, trying to handle life, but is eventually manipulated into being something that she’s not, and kills herself as well due to the pressure. However, this could also be interpreted as a “loss of the self” as they either drown themselves both in the imagination world, or could be interpreted as the fact that they eventually simply turned into the people their parents wanted them to be. 

I can also interpret this in a completely opposite way – that the world that is full of colours and whimsy is actually a world that their parents have trapped them in. That they are being pressured to be happy all the time even though they don’t want to be, and that in front of everyone else they have to act like everything is fine even though it isn’t. Maybe they’re being coerced by their parents to never feel sadness, to leave all of those ridiculous things behind, to become perfect – almost like a Coraline situation. They’re pretending like everything is fine even though it isn’t. However, eventually, they get caught up in all of their lies and the fake reality they set up for themselves. They’d rather look at it rather than reality, but at the same time, they are being puppeteered by their surroundings in a harmful manner. 

Escapism. :) 

Second interpretation: they are working for some studio or something, which could be why there was a green screen at one point. They are promoting the idea of escapism to other people, but unwillingly. Miku falls into the ideals of their director and falls into the headspace entirely, agreeing with the ideals of others while they are forced to continue spreading this message in an almost dystopian manner. They are hypnotized by the person producing this message. 

Third: Maybe this is a story about them working in some sort of childhood theme park in order to escape their realities as well, and be children forever? This ties the two previous ideas together. They are overworking themselves to the point where reality and fiction are indistinguishable. Unable to deal with everything that she has to do, Miku dies, and Teto follows suit. 

Four: Literal hypnosis. Maybe some sort of horror story of becoming victims of some hypnosis monster? I like this one the most because it makes me think of a story where Mikuy and Teto were struggling, and perhaps made a deal with some eldritch being so that they can escape reality into their own fictional world. However, as more time goes on, the more the world that they’ve entered becomes twisted, and Miku falls to the being’s whims, turning into a mindless puppet in order to reject reality further. Teto, horrified at what has happened, tries to reach out to others, only to have nobody listen to her. She then gives up entirely and joins her friend. 

There’s a lot of ways to interpret this, but the general message is that people want to escape from their harsh realities. This is natural, especially if you’re a victim of manipulation or abuse, but this is also a reminder that you can’t go too far from it, and that there are still people waiting for you. 

TLDR: Escapism, slay! But don’t slay too hard, unless you want to end up like MESMERIZER Miku!! I love this song so much and I can and will elaborate on ideas. I’m really tired due to my exams so I am so sorry if something doesn’t sound coherent here, but thank you for reading!! <3 

[rockanroller]

"Was Hazbin Hotel Rigged or Hand-Drawn?"

disclaimer: do not, and i repeat, DO NOT, use this post to shit on the animators who worked their asses off on this series.

hand-drawn animation is going to have variation in it and that's part of its charm for a lot of people. it really only goes "badly" when that variation becomes too noticeable (such as being jarringly off-model) or when a character's movement isn't executed well. but if you didn't catch it w/o going through frame-by-frame, it hardly matters.

so, getting into it, ppl have been going back-and-forth on this, and viv herself has said it wasn't rigged.

and i think this is one thing she's right about.

many ppl's assumption of it being rigged was due to a lot of movements being weirdly "stiff" or "clunky" and/or characters moving oddly smooth at other times.

i can say i think it's possible rigs could've been used occasionally, or on some shots, but i also think it's more likely the animators moved their drawings in a way that makes them look rig-like as a result.

meaning in animation programs you can actually grab portions of your drawing like a head or a limb and move it, or even just nudge it ever so slightly, to the point you can make some really smooth in-betweens to the point it looks rigged.

that said, a rig keeps a character uniform and consistent.

for example:

with the exception of bits where the character has to move or be interacted with in a way the rig won't allow, which would either need new additions to the rig or to be hand-drawn over the rig.

but see how Rick's head/face/hair and proportions stay the same?

let's compare that to Charlie's head:

we can see Charlie's features vary slightly, and these aren't shots from different episodes, these are shots that are right next to each other. if you're having trouble seeing a difference here's a breakdown:

again: this is *not* me saying this is a bad thing. this type of variation is inevitable with hand-drawn animation, and to many people it's part of hand-drawn animation's charm. and if you didn't notice it and it didn't bother you while watching, it hardly matters.

everything i'm pointing out here is only to show why i think Hazbin Hotel was hand-drawn (at least by majority or a large percentage) rather than rigged.

other points to this include shifting linework such as here:

you can see the lines get thicker/thinner between these frames such as on the inner portions of her eyes, the curl of hair under her right (our left) eye, or how a section of linework on her hair & face suddenly shows up between both of her outer eye-lashes.

which, again, shifting line-weights aren't uncommon in hand-drawn animation, and can be part of its charm. but in a rig you wouldn't see the linework shifting like this, it would remain uniform.

i also noticed portions where linework ever-so-slightly crosses over itself for either a few frames or multiple, which wouldn't be seen with a rig (unless it was rigged poorly or smth.)

when you go through the episodes frame-by-frame these minor variations become more apparent.

reiterating again, however: none of this is "bad" unless it's noticeable w/o going through frame-by-frame.

animation is not intended to be watched frame-by-frame or hyper-analyzed up-close and personal.

animation is *supposed* to trick the eye and create the illusion of movement, so if it wasn't an error that was noticeable it doesn't matter.

an example of a noticeable "bad" error would be something like when Vaggie completely disappears mid-shot, along with the camera & BG snapping and Charlie's compositing disappearing with her pose shifting slightly (watch the legs) all at the same time.

(this is not two random frames taken out of context, these frames are directly next to each other.)

do not, and i repeat, DO NOT, use this post to shit on the animators who worked their asses off on this series.

all this was just to share an analysis of why i think that at least a large percentage of Hazbin Hotel was hand-drawn.

[ekwolfwriter-blog]

I have said it before, and I will say it a millions times again: the animators were on point with the Southern Raiders episode.

I still want to break more of it down, but from this clip there is a range of emotions that are just chef's kiss perfect! Here is the tweet to follow along: https://twitter.com/zutaramedia/status/1660306841321226241?s=20

But from the scene, we get this beautiful shot:

We get a shocked Zuko that is shocked to hear the comment from Katara and how angry she still is toward him.

Next we get a grimacing Zuko. Wondering why she still is angry at him since everyone has shown the trust and accept him as part of the team. Especially after he saved her and from how she saved him. And also still feeling bad that she is still mad.

And Katara looks off, not really as angry as before - but definitely like she is trying to hold back from crying again. Could be the angle and the lighting but there is some emotions on her face too.

Bonus, Suki looking worried for Zuko and Katara between this scene and looked between them like there was some tension was clearly sensed. Definitely curious as to what caused them to have this dynamic

Next we get a determined Zuko to finally figure out why Katara is mad at him. Definitely reads like "I can't stand her being mad at me. I need to know why so I can make it up to her as she deserves it."

Also, Sokka's face is hilarious!

And finally:

He might look mad, but I would say more determined to understand why she is mad at him at him and understands that he has to talk to her face to face; following her when no one else was getting up or offering. Clearly breaking the mold as no one else ever seemed to follow her when she needed to be alone when mad and not looking into it more. But not our totally crushing on the powerful water bending girl fire boy. He can tell there is more.

And sadly I could not get a picture, but after this, you can so see him walking a distance behind her but clearly making sure to give Katara her space to storm off.

The range of emotions this boy shows all while trying to make things right for Katara and definitely realizing he needs to know directly from her as to why she is so hostile, just amazing! And even the small moment of Katara looking ready to cry before turning and leaving to add more emotions as well! The animators did not waste a moment as they certainly crammed in so much! I love it!

So wish we got the two parter for Southern Raiders. Would have loved to have seen how they would have added more.

Still going to break the whole thing down another day. But for now, hope you all enjoy!

[swampjawn]

Look Back VS AI Art

This is a real frame from Look Back (2024).

You might assume this made it into the final movie because of its director Kiyotaka Oshiyama (押山清高) doing HALF the key animation for the film and only fully finishing it A WEEK before it's festival debut.

And well, you might be partially right about that. But more importantly, this is the movie embodying its themes through its unconventional production process and the very lines on the screen!

In an age of digital tools, CGI, AI, and other combinations of letters ending in I, Look Back is an ode to art and the labor that goes into it, no matter how tedious or imperfect.

Every thought, every little decision, every stroke made by a person puts a little piece of that person onto the screen, and the imperfections that come from that process can be beautiful in the sense that they're evidence of the thoughts and process that went into creating an image. So in keeping with the plot of the movie itself, Oshiyama made a point of leaving those remnants - lines that are scratchy, overlapping, or half-erased, and normally would have been cleaned up in 2nd key animation (第二原画).

Ayumu Fujino has a tight grip on how she expresses herself, having this image to uphold as the perfect prodigy girl. She's afraid to let people see too much of her, lest that perfect image be shattered.

But at times the mask does slip, like this moment of sheer panic after she accidentally drops what is really an extremely rude manga strip under her rival's door by accident.

And it's these moments when that rough imperfection shines through the most! So this breakdown of polish in the art functions simultaneously as both a connection to the human labor that went into creating it, AND an impressionistic representation of Fujino's mental state within the world of the movie.

Not only are the edges of her backpack visible through her arm, her face even disappears completely, replaced by just the roughly sketched dividing lines that indicate the position of her eyes. At least personally, I never would have noticed this fully unfinished frame at full speed because the shot is just so well-executed! The framing is dramatic with Fujino surrounded by these mountains of sketchbooks in the foreground, and the motion is so believable, her posture - hunched over to the side to support the weight of the bag while maneuvering around the books, and the way her legs twirl around each other frantically, rotating this way and that.

But more importantly, this is a frame that an AI program would never draw, because it has no REASON to. There's no thought process, no decisions being made about how to express a feeling. Even if you did train an AI specifically to mimic these human imperfections, in Oshiyama's words, "It would just be a design. It would be a fake. The lines have meaning because they were drawn by humans. […] There's value in that." (MANTANWEB)

This is an adapted excerpt from this video! Go watch it or I'll dox you.

[falling-star-cygnus]

TADC ✨EPISODE TWO✨ SPOILERS

my thoughts on this masterpiece by Gooseworx

they were the best part of this episode

No. 1: More Gummy Lizards

this is the only scene that matters ever, thank you. [buddy fr said "pillow time -w-" and plopped down] -> i love that the trio is this comfortable with each other, Gumigoo doesn't even question it

No.2: Cartoon Physics at their FINEST

man's head will not move from that spot 😭

No.3: Yes, there's even more

this entire episode was beautiful, and these three were the stars of the show. The way it alternated between a silly little group of buddies trying to save Gumigoo's mom and existentialism? amazing -> it also, i think, plays into the way a cartoon will start off relatively lighthearted and then go entirely batshit in the second season {gravity falls, owl house, steven universe- yk?}

No.4: Ah... this again

"but you've done this.. for what?" type energy that immediately changes into "for the love of GOD, get this out of me." -> do you think Jax ever stabbed her at one point to see what would happen

No.5: It was supposed to be ME

Jax: I want to blow something up *something blows up* Jax: wait no-

No.6: Jax continues to be my favorite character

literally just let him blow up the cosmos, he deserves it -> also, this episode really humanizes Jax a little bit. Not much, but he's not as unflappable as he portrays himself to be. Kaufmo's abstraction honestly affected him, despite his refusal to show it [were the theories right? were they close?]

No.7: you B*TCH

yes i know that Pomni called him an asshole {and she was correct}

No.8: Not a thought behind those eyes

the introduction of The Fudge raises so many questions about Candy Canyon tbh, especially paired with the gummy lizards need for a truckload of syrup -> Is the princess as altruistic as she appears? Does she genuinely care about all her subjects? Or are there are types that get snubbed? Is there discrimination between hard candies and gummy candies? Is there a gummy princess?

[multiverseanimecrossover]

"Relationship are...Dangerous." says Vex'ahlia to Percy in the episode "Vexations" (An Analysis)

“Relationships are…dangerous.” says Vex’ahlia to Percy in the episode of “Vexations” after their one night stand and their feelings for each other. She’s right about that: They can be dangerous when it comes to heartbreak, giving yourself to love, etc but what if I told you there was something else to that? It could involve with enemies trying to harm these loved ones and other things like that. Not sure what I mean? Let me give you examples:

Example 1: Batman’s view on Relationships

In the beginning of the Justice League Unlimited episode “This Little Piggy”; Wonder Woman and Batman are looking down when Wonder Woman sees loving couples. She mentioned this to Bruce and tease him, then Batman mentioned this iconic line: “One: Dating within the team always leads to disaster. Two: You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues… lots of issues. And three: If my enemies knew I had someone special, they wouldn't rest until they'd gotten to me through her.”

He dated Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, and she’s an antiheroine and part time villain. They are on and off again, they get into trouble with villains and having to be rescued so many times. So yeah, he has a point. Batman had dated Lois Lane as Bruce, she got kidnapped by the Joker and almost killed with one of Lex Luther’s deadly spider robots. And Wonder Woman got turned into a pig by the witch Circe. So yeah, Batman knows how that goes for relationships when it comes to being a crime fighter!

Example 2: Admiral Claugh Klom saving Lady Noa Twice

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes (what a ridiculously mouthful title, but hey it's a good anime series despite the silly name) is about Ryner, an Alpha Stigma who is a slacker joined by his dango-obsessed companion name Ferris as they go on journeys to retrieve magic items and do reports on them with failed results. Meanwhile; their vitriolic relationship with King Sion is focused on bringing the castle into peace but with tragic consequences. However, I want to focus on two characters, Claugh Klom and his beloved lady Noa Ehn. It seems Noa has been in danger twice, Claugh always saves her from trouble. Knight in shining armor, or knight with magic arm in this case. Let me explaint the gist of all this:

At a war council, Count Kriade demands punishment for the people of Estabul for disrespecting the nobles and rejecting the king's promises of freedom. Sion reveals that the leader of the revolt is the old king's daughter, Noa Ehn. The enemy has 50,000 soldiers, leading to tensions among the nobles about evacuation. Sion appoints Rear Admiral Claugh Klom to lead the army. Noa desires her father's return, but Salawell urges her to forsake him for betraying the kingdom. In battle, Claugh uses magic to force surrender, causing conflict with Lady Ehn's pacifist views. Salawell manipulates the nobles against Noa's wishes, putting her in a difficult position.

As conflict escalates, Roland forces arrive, complicating the situation. Salawell's true intentions are revealed as he plans to use Noa as a scapegoat. Miran, the mastermind behind the revolt, clarifies his motivations and saves Noa from Salawell's treachery. Noa negotiates with Roland for the survival of her people, showing her selflessness and bravery. Ultimately, a tense confrontation between Claugh and Miran is resolved with Noa's intervention, leading to a plan to spare the survivors and ensure a peaceful resolution. Lady Noa Ehn enters the room admiring the four characters' relationship. Sion greets her in the castle, and Claugh receives her warmly. They tease Claugh about his feelings for Noa.

Despite interruptions, Noa arranges to have dinner with Claugh, and they sneak away with Sion's approval. Late at night in the Roland Empire Reception Hall, Claugh and Noa wrap up their date. Claugh frets over being late, but Noa is understanding. Claugh jokes about women being strict, surprising Noa with his insight. Noa appreciates the evening, especially stargazing with Claugh. Suddenly, Noa finds the manor under attack, but remains silent to protect the hostages. Claugh hears her distress and rushes to her aid, saving her from harm. The attackers invoke Izuchi before Claugh defeats them.

So yeah, Claugh saved her twice and (spoilers) they have fourteen children by the end of it. All in good time; Claugh would put his life on the line for Lady Noa and whatever trouble she's in!

Example 3: Superheroes, Love Lives and Secret Identities

The fascinating world of superheroes! Superheroes are iconic characters who possess extraordinary abilities, skills, or powers that they use to protect the public and fight against evil. Romantic relationships add depth and complexity to superhero stories. These relationships often create tension between personal life and superhero duties. Many superheroes maintain secret identities to protect loved ones and keep their personal lives separate from their heroic endeavors.

Take Peter Parker/Spider-Man for instance, he struggles to maintain his superhero duties with his normal life. Same with Tony Stark/Iron Man, Clark Kent/Superman, Logan/Wolverine and many others share the same thing. With that being said; it can be complicated to let your loved ones know about your superhero double life, saving the world and all that jazz but if you have someone like Lois Lane, Mary Jane Watson or Steve Trevor then it's likely you got yourself a good partner.

So in conclusion; the inherent dangers of relationships, particularly in the context of individuals with high-stakes lives, such as superheroes and characters in fantasy narratives. While love can bring joy, it also exposes loved ones to significant risks, highlighting the complexities and challenges that arise when personal connections intersect with perilous circumstances.

[thelovelydoggycatmadi]

A "Be With You" (Aphmau) in Depth Analysis/Critique PT.1

DISCLAIMER; just as the title says I am not a professional nor do I claim to be, I'm just a 22 year old artist with a passion for animation and love to give the most genuine criticism I can. This is not an excuse for me or anyone else to attack Jessica/Jesson or the original animators. Any anger that you may pick up on is either not genuine or possibly an oversight in my wording. Enjoy!

To start let's discuss the opening shot;

Other Minor Notes;

The snow isn't falling in the correct direction, technically, the correct way you'd animate this is the snow starting big on the screen, then get smaller implying it's getting farther away, then disappearing into the ground.

To expand on why I made the realistic cut, it would probably make more sense because the implication is Ein just seems to find this "perfectly cut" emerald in the middle of the snow.

This is extremely minor but the snows line-art texture is off, it shouldn't look as round, sculpted and squishy, the line-art should be more bumpy and rough looking.

Other Minor Notes;

The emerald having three light sources while none of them interact with each other makes no real physical sense, not just because it's snowing in the middle a dense forest, this emerald exists on a other plain.

Some may point out that so much animation might be a show of hard work therefore its "good", I'll be blunt and say it's not. More frames and movement doesn't always mean better. Subtle and singular movement works just as well. As the saying goes "work smarter now harder".

Minor Notes:

typically scarring doesn't have it's own line art, scars normally aren't defined enough on the skins to warrant that. Typically they are drawn in a separate color on the color animation file. I will go more in depth on this later.

I typically don't but I believe his you're character’s in a place with harsh lighting its better to experiment with colors you are using.

remember when someone in animation moves if it has something poking out of it that piece will follow, notice how the ears are so high up on the head there almost on the back of it. When they should be on top.

Minor Notes;

the standard fps is 24 for animation, this includes film, most animators by a 2 to 3 rule. Which means a frame will take up two to three ticks in the timeline.

Remember, hair/fabric/fur will move and be "yanked" by the roots when a character head moves, and the movement is dictated by speed and force as which the character moves.

[thatkaseyjames]

“Jack threw around the concept of honor more than Zuko.” If you know, you know. This show was more than just vibes—it was a full-on thematic powerhouse.

🎴

[gear-project]

If you are a Ramlethal Valentine fan, give your opinions on why she walks like this and what's her body language she's showing this exact moment?

First of all, please don't start off with "If you are a fan of XXX" that puts people on the spot. Of course I'm a fan of GG characters, but that alone doesn't mean I have to fixate on some things.

Ramlethal is light on her feet, due to the fact she can fly short distances, so walking is just something she does with purpose and direction.

At the time Xrd was made, Ramlethal was created as an "enemy of Sol Badguy" to confront, so much of her design was intended to convey the idea of an "alien being that still looks human".

Normal "walking" body language conveys the idea that you put one foot in front of the other, maintaining the weight of your upper body on to your feet (in other words, the ankles and base of your foot touch the ground as opposed to walking on the tips of your toes).

But because "walking" is a foreign concept to Ram here, due to the fact she can fly... using her feet completely or her full body weight in her movements is something "lost" on her... hence why she only walks on the tips of her toes as an afterthought.

If all humans could walk gracefully on our toes, I think we'd be a much more positive people.

That just conveys how "evolved" Valentines are compared to normal humans... (Interestingly enough Elphelt can do this too, but chooses not to because to her she prefers to look more normal as a person in public).