is an

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

film produced by

Yumeta Company , known as from 2009 to 2017, is a Japanese animation studio An animation studio is a company producing animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators fo ...

; part 1 in 2001 and part 2 in 2004. It is a

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

of the anime production business itself. It was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

in North America by Central Park Media.

Plot

''Animation Runner Kuromi'' ''1''

The plot revolves around a girl called Mikiko "Kuromi" Oguro who grows up watching the fictional anime ''Luis Monde III''. She decides that animation is something she wants to do, and so enrolls in animation school. When she gets out of school, she is delighted to find a job at a small animation studio named Studio Petit. The director of the studio shows her around and gives her the nickname "Kuromi," a name meant to abbreviate her own. Very soon after Mikiko arrives the director falls seriously ill and leaves his post, but not before he appoints Mikiko with the job of Production Desk Manager, on the second episode of the studio's current anime, ''Time Journeys''. The audience follows Mikiko's frantic attempts and schemes to convince the studio's artists to work harder and produce their key frames in time to send them for production.

''Animation Runner Kuromi 2''

Mikiko "Kuromi" Oguro is still working as Production Desk Manager at Studio Petit, and thanks to the excellent job she did, she is now in charge of 3 anime series. Luckily for Mikiko this time around she has some help from a veteran producer in the form of Takashimadaira. Unfortunately Takashimadaira is concerned only with getting the product out on time, even if it means cutting on the quality of the product. This leaves Mikiko with a difficult decision on which is the more important, the quality of the product or the deadline.

Cast

''Animation Runner Kuromi 1''

''Animation Runner Kuromi 2''

Commentary

After the anime, the original film included a very short live-action documentary in which several anime artists give their opinion of the film's representation of the anime business, and the making of "Animation Runner Kuromi" itself is discussed. Many of the problems Kuromi faces are the same as those faced by software project managers. The second episode is a classic example of what Ed Yourdon calls a "Death March" in his book of the same name, and many of the solutions Kuromi comes up with, particularly the use of triage, are the same as those found in the book.

References

External links

* {{Yumeta Company 2001 anime OVAs 2004 anime OVAs Anime with original screenplays Comedy anime and manga Central Park Media Yumeta Company Animation making in anime and manga

Plot

''Animation Runner Kuromi'' ''1''

''Animation Runner Kuromi 2''

Cast

''Animation Runner Kuromi 1''

''Animation Runner Kuromi 2''

Commentary

See also

References

External links