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_Shirobako_ is supposed to mean white box, and is a conjunction of "shiro"
(white) and "hako" (box). The "h" in "hako" turns into a "b" when you join the
two words. Thanks @LoganM for [the
explanation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendaku).

Is there any meaning to making this the title? Is it an anime production-
related term?


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2014-11-14T07:03:02.343
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question
anime-production shirobako
What does "shirobako" mean in terms of the anime?


Amusingly, there is an "anime collaboration cafe" in Tokyo called
[SHIROBACO](http://shirobaco.com/) (no direct relation to the anime
Shirobako). They have [a page explaining the origin of their
name](http://shirobaco.com/concept/):

> ## What's SHIROBACO
>
> "SHIROBACO" = "white box"
>
> In the anime industry, this refers to a video recording that is distributed
> to members of the production staff prior to airing. Though technology has
> advanced and it has become easier to receive video in digital formats, the
> video is still referred to as a "white box", just as it was when VHS was in
> use.

Here is an image of one such white box that I found on [some dude's
blog](http://odcanime.blog40.fc2.com/blog-entry-2357.html):

![a VHS in a white box](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wf8AWm.jpg)

Sites on the internet are saying that Shirobako had a scene early on where
optical discs (which would count as _shirobako_ these days) were being
distributed to the people at Musashino Animation. I assume they're right; I
don't remember there being a scene like that off the top of my head, but
that's probably because I was distracted by Miyamori being cute.

* * *

At the end of episode 12, once they have sent the last episode of Exodus to
the station, NabeP brings a _shirobako_ (in this case, a white optical disc)
of the last episode to the show-completion party.

![episode 12, around 24:03 - a
"shirobako"](https://i.stack.imgur.com/A1DPW.jpg)


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answer