Episode Title:
Retake with the Cat.
Episode Description:
While preparing to leave for Musashino Animation, Aoi learns from her sister, Kaori, that she is coming over to stay, and she subsequently entrusts her house key to Midori. During the Musashino Animation morning assembly, Tatsuya announces that he is leaving at the end of the week, citing personal reasons, which shocks Aoi and Tarō. After the assembly, Honda reassigns Erika to continue Tatsuya's work on the eleventh episode, which leaves Tarō to continue her work on the twelfth episode. As a result, Aoi is put in charge of work on the final episode, which Tatsuya recommends as a good advancement for her experience. Aoi later learns from Masashi Yamada, the animation director for the fourth episode, that Tatsuya had eventually accepted the offer to join Studio Canaan and work on their latest anime. He then advises her to be on Seiichi's case, since the storyboards for the final episode are not done. Meanwhile, Ema is troubled by a series of cuts involving a cat, being worried about balancing speed and quality. Senior key animator Shigeru Sugie tries giving her advice, but she winds up being more conflicted about her balancing. As a result, she chooses to work late instead of joining up with Aoi, Kaori, and Midori at Aoi's house, where Kaori warns Aoi and Midori that there are advantages and disadvantages at being diligent. The next day, Aoi learns that the four cuts Ema handed in the previous day need to be redone as they were too rushed. The news comes as a shock to Ema, who feels that doing them with her usual carefulness would take too long and starts espousing that she will never become a great animator. Aoi tries to cheer her up, but when Ema asks her what she herself wants to do in her future, she replies that she does not know. In response, Ema leaves and resumes work, heartbroken.
