"Kamiyā-kun already has considerable experience with key animation on 'Mr. Onigiri Man'. I don't doubt whether you're capable of serving as a key animator for episode twelve. However, the responsibilities of a key animator and a second key animator are quite different. Given your special situation, today's lunchtime training won't be about drawing key frames."
"The issue lies in whether Kamiyā-kun can accurately interpret the storyboard drafts."
During lunch break, Morishita Aoi brought Kamiyā Yuu to her desk. Unlike the other key animators' workspaces, her animation desk had an old-fashioned computer and neatly stacked, unidentified folders. Overall, her workspace looked far more organized than the others.
Kamiyā Yuu sat at her animation desk, while she stood beside him holding the remaining storyboard drafts, ready to provide guidance.
Morishita Aoi had always been serious, meticulous, and precise in her work, quickly identifying the key issues. She patiently explained to Kamiyā Yuu what he lacked as a key animator for 'Mr. Onigiri Man'. From his corrected key frames, she could already tell he could take on the role. The real question was whether he could fully utilize that ability and find the connection between storyboard and key animation.
Storyboard drafts are usually drawn by the director. They serve as the foundational template for key animators to create key frames and essentially function as the script for the entire animation. Typically, they consist of simple line drawings accompanied by script-like annotations. This can be compared to the original version of the 'One Punch Man' manga, only even more rudimentary in every aspect.
To give a simple example: if you want to draw an apple, the storyboard draft would just be a casually drawn circle. The notes beside it would indicate how round the apple is, whether it's unripe, what kind of taste it has, and so on. The key animator's responsibility is to take that circle and, combined with the annotations, turn it into a more detailed and concrete apple.
Different directors have different styles when drawing storyboards. Some are extremely rough, while others produce highly detailed storyboards comparable to key animation quality.
Although Kamiyā Yuu had the ability to draw key frames, he had never been exposed to storyboard materials before. Normally, before becoming a key animator, one would undergo a period of training to get accustomed to the director's storyboard style.
Additionally, if the director is well-known or too busy, the task of drawing storyboards may be delegated to a nominal "assistant director" or the animation director, with the main director only handling the final review. For example, in Kamiyā Yuu's previous world, the famous animation director Shinbō Akiyuki often took on the title of chief director while leaving most of the work to multiple assistant directors.
"These are the storyboard drafts distributed by the director. You can look through them on your own. If you encounter anything you don't understand, ask me. If you're confident you have no questions, start drawing immediately. While you work on the key frames, I'll point out anything you need to pay attention to," Morishita Aoi said, taking a storyboard draft from the folder in her arms and placing it on the desk for Kamiyā Yuu to review.
—So this is basically a simplified illustrated script… It's even more outrageous than the original 'One Punch Man' version!
Kamiyā Yuu flipped open the storyboard draft with a strange expression. The chaotic lines looked no different from a child's random scribbles. If he weren't already extremely familiar with the production of 'Mr. Onigiri Man', he probably wouldn't be able to tell what anything on it represented.
"The director's storyboard style is really… unique," Kamiyā Yuu said with a wry smile.
His comment reminded Morishita Aoi of something amusing. As she tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear, a faint smile appeared on her lips. "Well, considering it was drawn while he was essentially locked away, it's understandable."
—The director of Kyoni Animation Co., Ltd. is quite a character with a story behind him!
Kamiyā Yuu was inwardly speechless. After flipping through the storyboards, he selected one that was relatively complex and conveyed more information, then said to Morishita Aoi, "Morishita-senpai, I don't have any particular questions about the storyboard. I'd like to draw the fourth cut of scene 276. If there's anything wrong, please point it out."
Noticing that he had chosen a complicated storyboard draft, Morishita Aoi showed a hint of appreciation in her eyes and nodded. "Alright, let's begin. After lunch break, I won't have time to continue training with you."
Just as Kamiyā Yuu picked up the animation pen on the desk, he turned awkwardly and said, "Morishita-senpai, could you help me bring my own pen?" Different key animators are accustomed to different pens, and switching hastily can ruin their drawing feel. As a key animator herself, Morishita Aoi naturally understood this. Without complaint, she went to his desk and brought back his pen.
—Let's begin.
Kamiyā Yuu steadied himself. Without rehearsing in his mental space, he could only rely on his own experience and mastery of key animation. This greatly limited his performance. On top of that, Morishita Aoi, standing beside him, made it difficult for him to fully concentrate.
Even in such poor conditions, he had no complaints. After all, this was the state most key animators commonly faced. If he couldn't overcome even this, then he would merely be an animator who relied entirely on the mental space.
The drawing process was slow and difficult. Several times, Kamiyā Yuu had to pause and think about how to construct the next key frame. Beside him, Morishita Aoi leaned down, her slender finger pointing out subtle mistakes in his drawings. The faint fragrance emanating from her only made it harder for him to focus.
"The lines here, where the protagonist is knocked flying, are too complex. That will increase the workload for the animation department. Try to simplify them while still conveying the impact of a powerful force."
"The style of this background building doesn't match. 'Mr. Onigiri Man's is set in the 1980s, so the architecture should look more dated. That was also a time of strong Chinese cultural influence—you can add some Chinese elements to enhance the period feel."
"The character's expression here doesn't match the storyboard's requirement. It should convey grief and indignation, not just simple anger or sadness. Lower the gaze slightly and add a hint of tears. The director places great importance on character portrayal in this regard, so please be careful with this in future key frames as well."
…
Morishita Aoi's guidance was clear and direct, always correcting Kamiyā Yuu whenever he strayed from the storyboard, while also explaining the key points of each panel. From the essentials of the time setting to the movements and expressions used to depict emotional changes, as well as how to portray physical motion within the storyboard, she covered it all.
In just over an hour, she enabled Kamiyā Yuu to roughly grasp the differences between storyboard and key animation. Internally, she was also surprised by how quick his thinking was. He never made the same mistake twice after she pointed something out, and he could even apply those lessons to other areas, achieving a kind of analogy-based understanding.
All of this stemmed from Kamiyā Yuu's deep familiarity with the key animation of 'Mr. Onigiri Man'.