Anime + Violins = Suck

[bowlich]

Someone answer me this: Stringed instruments seem to find their way into Anime all the damn time (Sailor Moon, Ef, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, &c &c). Yet, for how often they appear no one has apparently figured out how to animate the damn thing so it looks like someone is actually playing it instead of waving a bow around above the

Comments

[thalandor46]

I've noticed this even in more music-centric shows like Nodame Cantabile and La Corda D'Oro, and not just for violin. Coming from someone who's instrument experience peeks at a plastic guitar, I'd say it's not bad, but even I can tell that it could be better. It's not like anime is exactly known for production value, but I still think your point is solid.

Unrelated note, ef is one of the most amazing animes I've seen in a long time.

[dragnl0rd]

On the one hand, I agree whole heartedly. I used to play the flute (rather well if I may say so myself), so watching someone in an anime play a flute or pipe and use the same 4 fingerings for umpteen notes is ridiculous, and furthermore it's something I notice every freaking time. I wish they'd get it right.

On the other hand, everything comes back to the almighty dollar (or in the case of most anime, the almighty yen). The costs associated with an extension on a production schedule probably aren't considered worth the money it would cost to take the extra time to show an instrument played correctly. It is my theory and my hope that this is the case, as opposed to the laziness or bad planning you mentioned. Of course, it's only my hope that this is the case because it's the only theory I can relate to, being a greedy bastard.

[bowlich]

Well, that's what I mean by poor planning. If you can't afford to animate the instrument and its not inherently necessary for it to be a part of the show than why not just cut it out? or arrange for it never get played, or do a long shot to cover for the failure? A little bit of planning could easy cover the problem.

[dragnl0rd]

I was referring to parts of anime where the instrument is vital to a story, but they cannot afford to animate it properly (whether they don't have time to research the fingerings for each note, etc).

Example, there was one villain in the Naruto manga who's abilities revolved around controlling monsters with the sounds of a flute.

The animators could not remove the flute from the villain, as they were using the manga as source material (and there's usually not much different between a manga and its anime adaptation).

They could not cut out the fight, because it was a major part of the overarching plot at the time.

That leaves either paying extra for time needed to gain precision in the animation, or just saying 'to hell with it' and drawing frames for as many notes as time permits.

Not condemning or condoning these animators, but while it could be better, it could also be MUCH worse.