I watched this on a whim, expecting a goofy diversion which it is, but digging below the silliness I grasped some really great insights and outright dark themes. Girlish Number is a punishing exposé of the anime business--really the entertainment industry in general. It shows how a writer's original vision gets corrupted through the production process, how slick marketing shoves sub-par work down audiences' throats to make a hit, how seedy producers are in it for personal gain, and how the actors are swept up in the circus before being chewed up and spit out, while the industry machine moves on to the next fresh face.

What sets this apart from other scathing treatments of the subject, like for example the excellent The TV Set starring Sigourney Weaver, is the way this anime keeps things cute and silly without wading too much into the ugly side, though we're kept comically aware of it. It does this by showing us the story through the eyes of Chitose, a naïve and slightly self-absorbed girl who lands a lead role, not by talent but by sheer luck.

Anyway, one line stuck out as being really powerful. Toward the end when Chitose is having a meltdown because she finally realizes she's just a disposable pawn without really any talent (implied: like many actors?), her big brother/manager tries to cheer her up with an oddly insulting speech, but it gets the job done. He says something like:

"You're stubborn, emotional, selfish and vain... and you're an actress because people like you can't be anything else."

Wow what a great, honest line. It instantly reminded me of an interview with Tim Robbins on the DVD of Short Cuts where he's asked why anyone should go into acting. Tim says: The only reason to go into acting is if not going into acting is impossible.

You rarely hear thoughts as honest as that. In general we usually hear the old "follow your dreams", "you can be anything", "nothing is impossible, etc, etc." But here in Girlish Number as well as the mind of Oscar winner Tim Robbins, success in the entertainment biz has nothing to do with dreams, dedication or drive. It comes down to the fact that you aint good for nothin else! 😂