Shirobako

What Do You Think I Was Trying to Say? (1x9)

Air date: Dec 04, 2014

With production of the other episodes running on schedule, Aoi is put under pressure as Seiichi has yet to finish the storyboards for the final episode. In addition to this problem, there is only one month for the episode's material to be delivered, even if Seiichi finishes early. Also, Musashino Animation president Masato Marukawa, line producer Shun Watanabe, and record producer Gōtarō Katsuragi decide to have the company work on an anime adaptation of a popular book called The Third Aerial Girls Squad. Meanwhile, Misa becomes slightly downhearted at the fact that all she gets to do at her company, Super Media Creations, is model CG wheels. Shizuka manages to land a walla role in a popular anime, but ends up having to hold back her enthusiasm during the recording, much to her dissatisfaction. While having dinner with Misa and Midori, Misa tells them about her own dissatisfaction with work. Watanabe and Katsuragi convince editor-in-chief Tatsuya Hantō to approve of their adaptation, but he adds that he must consult with his superiors. The next day, Misa asks her company's president, Kouichi Tateishi, about if she will be able to work on something other than cars in the future, telling him about her promise to her friends. He advises her to imagine herself in the future first, so she will have an idea on how to reach that goal. Meanwhile, Seiichi feels that he wants to change the ending, so he and Honda meet up with the writer, Shimeji Maitake, who helps Seiichi to reignite his imagination and come up with a new ending that he is satisfied with. However, news of the changed ending puts additional pressure on Aoi, who has to put Seiichi's extravagant ideas into motion.