ZEXCS: studio discussion, speculation and whatnot

[AbZeroNow]

Given ZEXCS's less than stellar history of adaptations(Itsuka Tenma no Kuro-usagi [A Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives], Fortune Arterial, and now Aku no Hana [Flowers of Evil]) as well as some racy ecchi shows(Magician's Academy) and the occasional good quality series(Our Home's Fox Deity, the first Da Capo series, Suki-tte Ii na yo [Say "I Love You"], do you think that ZEXCS is the new DEEN according to anime fandom, or are they an average studio with a huge hatedom?

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ency...ny.php?id=1215

For better or worse, ZEXCS will get a lot of attention for what they've done with Flowers of Evil.

[totoum]

I give credit to Zexcs for actually trying to do something beyond just echi lately , be it with Suki-tte Ii na yo, cuticle detective inaba and Aku no Hana , hell even Aruvu Rezuru despite the fanservice and incest seemed to want to be something more shaft-esque.

It's too bad the only one I have enjoyed so far is Suki-tte Ii na yo.
But I do hope they keep trying though.

[aohige]

Yeah, but you know, perhaps they should have tried their experiment with their own original franchise created completely by themselves, instead of applying it to an existing franchise whose first entry into being animated was this.

Just sayin'

[AbZeroNow]

Originally Posted by totoum

I give credit to Zexcs for actually trying to do something beyond just echi lately , be it with Suki-tte Ii na yo, cuticle detective inaba and Aku no Hana , hell even Aruvu Rezuru despite the fanservice and incest seemed to want to be something more shaft-esque.

It's too bad the only one I have enjoyed so far is Suki-tte Ii na yo.
But I do hope they keep trying though.

It'll be interesting to see if the fans will give anything they do a chance after Aku no Hana though. Certainly ZECXS could have used some of MAPPA's expertise in rotoscoping some scenes like they did with Sakamichi no Apollon [Kids on the Slope].

Then again, ZEXCS may really be establishing themselves as the cheap but avantgarde studio. It's been a while since an anime has gotten people talking about character designs and the work itself as a challenging work of art. I have no idea if someone like PA Works or Kyoto Animation would ever try what the director of Aku no Hana wanted ZEXCS to do.

[Archon_Wing]

To be fair, they can't be "Deen" in most cases, since there was nothing to ruin in the first place, but this Flowers of Evil thing was a different issue.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by AbZeroNow

It'll be interesting to see if the fans will give anything they do a chance after Aku no Hana though. Certainly ZECXS could have used some of MAPPA's expertise in rotoscoping some scenes like they did with Sakamichi no Apollon [Kids on the Slope].

Then again, ZEXCS may really be establishing themselves as the cheap but avantgarde studio. It's been a while since an anime has gotten people talking about character designs and the work itself as a challenging work of art. I have no idea if someone like PA Works or Kyoto Animation would ever try what the director of Aku no Hana wanted ZEXCS to do.

Kyoani... well until just a few days ago I would have said definitely no (but now they are FINALLY adapting a series that doesn't have the label "slice of life" in Kyoukai no Kanata).

PA Works has been rotating between one "slice of life" and one "other genres" since they started being an independent studio, though aside from Angel Beats and Professor Layton Movie, their non-slice of life series were flops. I wouldn't put it past them of doing something like Aku no Hana-ish, but imo it would be more likely that a studio like Madhouse would take it. Madhouse has a history of doing darker, twisted series.

As for ZECXS themselves, well they sure surprised me with Sukitte Il Na Yo as I always remembered them for being a "trashy fanservice/ecchi centric" studio but maybe they want to change that image.

[relentlessflame]

I tend to see ZEXCS as basically a mid/low-budget contract studio. I'm not sure how much choice they really have in terms of the projects they take (beyond what the schedule/staffing allows). A lot of the writers that work on their shows are also contractors, probably appointed at the Production Committee level. So as a result, I'm not sure you're necessarily going to find all that much continuity between their projects in terms of the type of work they do or the subjective "quality" of them. It'd basically depend on who was working on it (the director, the writers, etc.), the budget/timeframe, and other production issues.


In the recent case of Aku no Hana, for example, I'm not sure that people should really blame the "studio", as this is more of a directorial decision that was surely blessed by the production committee. Contract studios like this one aren't necessarily in the position to just do whatever they want without getting the necessary approvals. People always tend to over-simplify and think that the studio's name is above all, but really the Production Committee is always above them overseeing everything. It's not even clear to me that Hiroshi Nagahama (the director) even works "for" ZEXCS, even though he's directing the show they're working on. I'm sure it's similar for many of the other shows they've produced animation for.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

It's not even clear to me that Hiroshi Nagahama (the director) even works "for" ZEXCS, even though he's directing the show they're working on. I'm sure it's similar for many of the other shows they've produced animation for.

There's rumors he's doing a Mushishi 2 (watch all be forgiven lol) at the end of this year, if true he certainly won't do it with ZEXCS.

[totoum]

relentlessflame already touched on the subject but I doubt the director works for Zexcs,I figure he might have been contacted for the job before there was a decision at which studio would do it.
It makes me wonder though if the director and producers pitched the concept to other studios who declined to work on it,though that's complete speculation on my part.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by totoum

It makes me wonder though if the director and producers pitched the concept to other studios who declined to work on it,though that's complete speculation on my part.

Well if they "declined to work on it", it's probably just because of schedules and or the quoted price. To contract studios, we "viewers" are not really the "customer"; the customer is King Records, or Kadokawa, or Warner/Geneon/Pony Canyon/etc. Even if this ends up being a flop in the marketplace, if the studio can deliver the director's vision on-time and on-budget, they'll still get work. In the end, you could also say that being able to successfully deliver a product in a completely different art style is an achievement, even if the art style is unpopular. Someone's got to do the experiments that try to push the envelope in various ways. The techniques/shortcuts they learn may influence something else in the future.

[uis]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

As for ZECXS themselves, well they sure surprised me with Sukitte Il Na Yo as I always remembered them for being a "trashy fanservice/ecchi centric" studio but maybe they want to change that image.

ZEXCS never been fanservice/ecchi centric. They are one of versatile studio. Too bad lately their budget so low and they making hit or miss adaption. Past adaption is really cool like VN (Da Capo, Canvas 2 and H20) and light novel (Chrome Shell Regios and Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu). Too bad because the studio not infamous, the sell of these show not spectacular. So the customer not us anymore but the sponsor that make this company alive like relentlessflame post above.

[ahelo]

ZEXCS was this studio that produced nothing but utter generic stuff and they can even magically make stuff that actually looks interesting into something just plain generic. They don't make utterly terrible stuff but they've never made anything that you can call good. It's really amazing how they could continue to produce stuff on that thin line between decent and mediocrity.

Though I think they've changed since last year (or at least I'd like to think so). They're now having amazing directors (S;G director for Sukitte, Mushishi director for Aku no Hana) and they even managed to get a slot in the Young Animator Project. At least now people are noticing them.

This studio is actually trying new things so at least they're above XEBEC for me (and maybe DEEN too when I'm in a bad mood).

[TJR]

Originally Posted by ahelo

Though I think they've changed since last year (or at least I'd like to think so). They're now having amazing directors (S;G director for Sukitte, Mushishi director for Aku no Hana) and they even managed to get a slot in the Young Animator Project. At least now people are noticing them.

This studio is actually trying new things so at least they're above XEBEC for me (and maybe DEEN too when I'm in a bad mood).

Most likely, the selection of ZEXCS has more to do with budget and corporate ties.

On the above shows, they were appointed by GANSIS, whose producer also happens to be the studio's president. In turn, GANSIS plans and co-produces numerous projects with Starchild (BTW, a high profile producer, Gou Nakanishi, represents Starchild on Aku no Hana).

If we're seeing any trend, it probably stems from a change in how the production committees plan budgets and schedules (along with changes in cost targets and workflow on the part of studios). As some have mentioned elsewhere, even light novel adaptations are now animated by studios that were never known for them before.

[larethian]

Originally Posted by ahelo

ZEXCS was this studio that produced nothing but utter generic stuff and they can even magically make stuff that actually looks interesting into something just plain generic.

...

Like.

I mean, it's not like I want 100% faithful adaptations, but it will be nice to have 80% faithful rather than the opposite (i.e. 20% faithful) {ref: Itsuka Tenma}. Even if they are not directly responsible (since they are a contract studio), their 'bad' name will be stuck with me till eternity. Still, 'contract' get 'low cost' associated with it in my mind. Surely, there's a relationship to the quality if that's the case, I guess? The only way they can erase 'their past with me' is by making a top-notch adaptation of "Dai Denyuuden".

Ah, which reminds me, there was once when I filled in a feedback survey for Fujimi Shobou, I did mention quite a number of things about Zexcs in the 'comments' section

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by larethian

Still, 'contract' get 'low cost' associated with it in my mind. Surely, there's a relationship to the quality if that's the case, I guess?

There is, but "the quality of what?" is the question. In cases where the director and writer come from the outside (along often with at least some of the storyboard artists), a lot of the fundamental decisions about the show are out of the studio's hands. (Between the Director, Writer, and Storyboard Artist, that's really the framework for the entire show, for the most part.) What they really control is the execution of the storyboard in terms of the animation and overall production. And that is where time and budget come in.

I would assume that things like "how faithful the anime is to the original work" are almost certainly out of their hands in most cases.

(If faithfulness to the original work were really a priority, it would really be up to the Production Committee to make that clear to the writers they hire. The editorial teams from the novel/manga publishers certainly can exert that sort of influence if they want, and do in some cases. It's not like the decision happens in isolation, anyway.)