"Animal Generation": there are ideas and progress, but not enough

This is Trigger's attempt at self-breakthrough sketches, it's flawed, but it's more of an improvement.

I admit that I started to gradually stop watching new animations as early as a few years ago. At this point in time, what can attract me to watch an animation is either a real topical work (“everyone is watching, it’s okay to look at it” kind of cheesy reason), or it is Trigger’s work.

For example, " Brand New Animal " (BNA) in the spring of 2020 is an animation with a strong Trigger style produced by Trigger.

I wrote some thoughts on the day I watched BNA while recommending it in Whimsical Digest for paid members. One of the important reasons is that BNA is Trigger's attempt to break through itself.

BNA to Trigger, Familiar and Unfamiliar Flavors

For animation enthusiasts who are familiar with Trigger, BNA's style of painting is a standard Trigger's work: whether it is a design that emphasizes color blocks and reduces line details, or the action of a character full of tension, it can be easily adapted. Associated with " Tianyuan Breakthrough ", Kill La Kill and " Promea ".

To a certain extent, in today's Japanese animation studios, this style of painting is almost only used by Trigger. Regardless of whether this style of painting is really more "friendly" to European and American audiences, but at least in my humble opinion, Trigger does, intentionally or unintentionally, differentiate itself from other studio works in a way that differentiates it from the "mainstream" style. difference. I also mentioned in my own thoughts, “(This kind of differentiation) can be regarded as commendable when Japanese animation enters the crisis of “costing” and “assembly line”. "

Speaking of the difference between BNA and Trigger's previous works, it is that its overall world view setting is very different from the past. Unlike "Tianyuan Breakthrough" or DARLING in the FRANXX , which has a sci-fi background, or a story with a strong passion like Kill La Kill and "Promea", BNA's story is rich and closely related to the real world. The setting of the world view, this method can also be seen in the process of its plot advancement.

For example, BNA's overall story takes place in "Orc City", which is quite close to the overall setting of Disney's " Zootopia "; BNA also discusses racial discrimination-related topics at length in the story. In the process of advancing its plot, there are many sideline mini-dramas that also hint at many problems in real human society.

This is relatively rare in Trigger's work. To comment on relevant real issues through literary and artistic works, the advantage is that the plot direction and setting are easy to control, as long as the overall plot logic is properly controlled, it can be justified; but the disadvantage is also obvious. In terms of style, the audience is easily drowsy, it is difficult to raise interest in the work, and there is a potential risk of being vigilant and hostile from the audience.

Fortunately, the overall plot of BNA is not boring, and there is no trace of trying to "instill ideas". The overall look and feel can be given a passing score, which is an improvement for Trigger. But that seems to end there.

Trigger still struggles with the "long story"

If you've watched (and finished) DARLING in the FRANXX , you'll be very familiar with the flaws in BNA's story.

DARLING in the FRANXX , also produced by Trigger, is a sci-fi background story. Trigger and A-1 Pictures have designed very interesting and profound topics for it, spanning relationships, relationships and love, as well as human destiny and reproduction. Although there are sci-fi works in the same field, " Evangelion " is the first, but it does not affect DARLING in the FRANXX , which has more, deeper and more universal topics. It is a pity that many settings of DARLING in the FRANXX are only briefly mentioned in the story, and more brushes and inks are put into the emotional description of the hero and heroine, but they are accidentally treated as "higher groans", even until the end. Fill the hole with wild and unpredictable "bewildering behavior".

The practice of recklessly filling the hole at the last moment of the story is also reflected in the TV animation of "Little Witch Academia". The important part that supports the overall plot of "Little Witch Academia" is not the main story, but one branch after another. These fragmented sidelines do an indelible contribution to portraying the personality and character of Akko and the people around her, but it's hard to push too far into the overall story's main storyline. From such a contrast, it can be deduced how disappointed the audience of "Little Witch Academia" will be with its ending.

Going back to BNA, its situation is very similar to "Little Witch Academia": the short dramas in the first six episodes of BNA are very good, basically reaching the technical level that Trigger should have, and can well attract audiences to continue watching. From the seventh episode, BNA's plot began to officially take the main line, but at this time, the plot obviously did not have enough foreshadowing, resulting in almost every episode of BNA in the later stage will have a new setting.

I personally don't reject the sideline "unit skits", but its use is skillful. In my personal opinion, the best TV animation for the unit skit is "A Certain Scientific Railgun" (ie, "Old Super Cannon"). Its overall story structure is also the first half of the unit skit, and the second half to advance the main line, but the great thing about the unit skit of "Old Chaopao" is that it is in the form of a series of main lines in the unit skit, and then naturally leads the story to On the main line, this kind of processing is much more clever.

Many people are criticizing the length of BNA's original set of 12 words, and it is difficult to undertake its plot. On the contrary, I feel that 24 words may not be its optimal length. In fact, the complexity of BNA's story is far from the point where it requires more ink to present (otherwise, according to Trigger's strength, it is impossible for the second half of BNA to complete the plot); on the contrary, because the first six episodes of the unit skit are very important to the main line. The contribution of the film is zero, and there are many interesting characters, plots and settings were wasted, which will cause the last six episodes to become tight and passive.

The good news is that BNA is a good start for Trigger: they're starting to gain experience in how to create long storytelling, and you can see their progress in BNA.

Overall……

New Age of Animals is Trigger's helpful attempt. This work follows their unique style of giving priority to color and omitting details, while slightly weakening their familiar "chicken soup" elements such as blood and friendship, and begins to discuss issues in reality, if you define it as a small-scale work , which is not only qualified, but excellent.

The overall plot is mainly structured by the main line interspersed with the unit mini-dramas, and the story is not complicated. However, the overall narrative will be accelerated in the later stage, which will make the perception slightly lower. But overall it is easy to read and not boring.

The title image is from @Shyroceruss .

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