"Naze Nani Shana! Special Edition - Marianne's Exploration of J.C.STAFF" (なぜなにシャナ!特別編 マリアンヌのJ.C.STAFF探訪 Naze Nani Shana! Tokubetsu-hen - Marian'nu no J.C.STAFF Tanbō) is the fourth special episode of Friagne and Marianne no Naze Nani Shana!. It was released on the Shakugan no Shana SP DVD. The longest episode, this special features Marianne exploring J.C.STAFF, the animation studio which produced the Shakugan no Shana anime series, as production for Shakugan no Shana The Movie was progressing.
Summary[]
Marianne at Musashi-Sakai.
Marianne took Friagne by train to Musashi-Sakai, where J.C.STAFF, the animation studio which was producing Shakugan no Shana The Movie, was located. She planned to feature the company and its work on the movie for Naze Nani Shana! viewers. Friagne hoped they could show some of their good scenes from the movie, but Marianne thought they could do much better and even change the movie so that they have greater parts to play in it.
Marianne rushed herself and Friagne into the J.C.STAFF building and they entered the production department's room, where everyone was hard at work. Friagne remarked that animation production was hard work, especially when it's for a movie, and the staff would be so busy they would want help from Rinne. The two noticed one man who was reading a book and not working. Marianne began interviewing Masahiro Tabeya (田部谷昌宏), the production manager, and asked about the department's work. The team deals with many details and manages the movie's schedule. Marianne asked if the movie's production was proceeding on schedule, but Tabeya did not reveal much.
Friagne was looking around at all the people and their cooperation to produce animation when Marianne suddenly spotted Yūji Matsukura (松倉友二), the animation producer. Friagne urged her to wait, as Matsukura was a dangerous existence who could extinguish them. As Marianne went over, Friagne was frightened further when he saw that Matsukura was talking to Nobuhiro Nakayama (中山信宏), the producer from Geneon Entertainment. Marianne asked them who their favorite voice actor was, making them chuckle. Matsukura knowingly stated that his favorite was Kimiko Koyama, but Marianne called him a liar. Marianne inquired about the movie's story and its highlights. Matsukura conversed with Nakayama, who told him that it had already been announced that Friagne would be in the movie, and he teased that it had not yet been announced that Marianne wouldn't feature in it. He explained that in the TV series, changes had been made to the Friagne Arc for various reasons, and they would now redo it. Matsukura and Nakayama then talked about the movie's highlights; big action scenes only a movie can produce, Yoshida's breasts, and lavishly renewing scenes that were in the TV series.
Outside the animation department's floor, Marianne and Friagne were happy their appearances in the movie were confirmed, but Marianne wasn't satisfied and entered the room. There were many people in this department as well, but Marianne quickly spotted Mai Ōtsuka (大塚舞), the character designer. Marianne wanted to appeal to Ōtsuka so that she would redraw all scenes to their benefit and Friagne commented that Marianne was acting like a different person. Marianne approached and asked Ōtsuka about her progress in terms of animation for the movie. Ōtsuka revealed that she had not done any yet, to Marianne and Friagne's shock, and asked them to keep this a secret. She believed she would be in for a rough time in the near future to catch up. She told Marianne she was paying most attention to making sure Friagne looked cool, as well as making Shana and Marianne look cute. Ōtsuka assured Marianne that she and Friagne were the main characters of the movie. Friagne marveled at how the lines the staff made with pencils resulted in them coming to life and Marianne urged the animation staff to draw them well so that they won't lose to "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyes".
Marianne next went to the coloring department, who color what's been drawn. She asked Kyōsuke Ishikawa (石川恭介), the finishing manager, about the work the department does. They import animation frames received from the animators into computers and color them, including non-character frames. The time taken depends on the animation frame and Ishikawa estimated that the current frame of Shana's face he was coloring would take 15-20 minutes to complete. Marianne and Friagne watched Ishikawa color, with the latter praising the technology used and saying they wouldn't be able to replicate the feat with Unrestricted Spells.
Next was the photography department, which also had many staff members and computers. Marianne explained that this department creates moving pictures with the completed artwork given to them by the previous departments. Friagne found it odd that Marianne was so knowledgeable, as if she had experience in animation production. Marianne approached Shingo Fukuyo (福世晋吾), the director of photography, who explained that the department combined the finished cel data and background data from the previous departments to create the final movie footage. Fukuyo was holding plans for footage, with numbers informing him of the sequence pieces of artwork needed to be ordered into to form moving pictures and instructions from the director. He loaded different parts of an illustration of Shana, the background, and environmental effects using a computer program to create a moving picture.
Marianne led Friagne to the preview room used to check footage, which would now be used to check Fukuyo's footage of Shana. Friagne queried whether Marianne had been doing animation production behind his back, to which she was saddened, as she was just trying her best so that they would get more scenes in the movie. Friagne promptly apologized and wanted them to do their best so that they wouldn't lose to Fukuyo's footage of Shana.
The final room was the J.C.STAFF meeting room. Marianne had gained the secret knowledge that the director, Takashi Watanabe, was having a meeting in the room and opened the door slightly. Marianne watched Watanabe's meeting with Ōtsuka despite Friagne's warning that interrupting could affect the opening date of the movie. Marianne leapt into Watanabe's face, startling him.
At Watanabe's desk, Marianne asked how he felt about the movie. Watanabe was excited for the movie as it would be on the big screen, meaning the sounds would be loud and the animation would be impressive. He was asked what he liked about Marianne and answered that he liked the size of her head. He was also asked what he disliked about Friagne and answered that he disliked how Friagne was too strong and had built a deep love with Marianne. However, Watanabe liked that Friagne had one, clear objective. He confirmed that Marianne and Friagne would play big roles in the movie, and the two wished him well.
Back in the classroom, Marianne appeared on the blackboard with Koyama, her voice actress, and they say goodbye as they finish recording the trip to the J.C.STAFF building. Friagne had confirmed that their love would be brought to the big screen in full and Marianne told the audience when and where the film would be screened. The staff members working on the movie took a group photo in the end credits.
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| Animated Short Series | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shakugan no Shana-tan | Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 • Episode 13 • Episode 14 | |
| Naze Nani Shana! | Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 • Shana and Yūji • Episode 13 • Episode 14 • Episode 15 • Episode 16 • Episode 17 • Episode 18 • Episode 19 • Episode 20 | |
| Other | Dengeki Bunko 2007 Movie Festival Special | |