Drama
"The Pine's Branches" is the latest work in Murata Tomoyasu's series "Journey through memories of life and death,” which he began following the Tohoku earthquake in 2011.
1 available episode
Drama / Psychological
Puppet animation from Tomoyasu Murata about the Kojiki (mainly the first volume), the beginning of things, in which the Japanese archipelago is born and the land is set up due to earthquakes, volcanoes, and climate change, is described as a myth, replacing various deities. (Source: Official Website)
Supernatural
Many years ago, a young woman named Unai-Otome lived in the village of Ikuta. As she was beautiful it was no surprise that she had two suitors, both deeply in love with her. The girl was torn apart over which one to choose. In her desperation she chose a third option - taking her own life. Although her intentions were absolutely pure, not even in death did she find the solace she desired. Many decades later, a pilgrim walking by her grave meets a beautiful young woman and her story once again rises from the depths of time.... With a plot based on a classic play of Noh traditional theatre, the film presents the peak of Kawamoto’s mastery thanks to its expert mediation of the absurdity of the human condition.
Drama
The story takes place before WWII at a photo studio on top of a hill. Many people visit this studio to have their photos taken. One day, a couple comes, but the wife is so shy that she always lowers her head. The owner of the studio tries all kinds of tricks to get her to smile and eventually succeeds. One year later, the couple comes again, but this time they bring their daughter along. She always looks grumpy, and again, the owner has to try everything to get her to smile. Thus starts a long-running relationship between the girl and the owner, and time passes to years and then decades...
Supernatural
Based on an ancient legend, Dojoji Temple tells the story of a young priest who finds himself the object of intense infatuation and lust from a young woman. As he rebuffs her advances she becomes more and more desperate eventually turning herself into a gigantic serpent. The priest is hidden under the bell of the temple but the woman's passion is so intense that escape is impossible. A short animation from filmaker Kihachiro Kawamoto. This film utilizes both stop motion and standard animation techniques.
Adventure / Fantasy
A short film based on Niimi Nankichi's masterpiece, "Gon, the Little Fox", with a new story added based on an original interpretation. The film depicts the existence of barriers that man and beast cannot overcome. The stage is natural woodland close to a vllage in Japan, which is home to many small lives. This sad, yet gentle tale that unfolds in the beauty of nature.
Drama
The My Road series - Scarlet Road (2002), White Road (2003), Indigo Road (2006), and the most recent instalment Lemon Road (2008) - can be read as meditations on loss and mourning. These poetic films tell their story through motif, character expression, music and montage and require repeated viewing for one to absorb the subtly evoked layers of meaning. (Source: Midnight Eye)
Drama
An old man lives in a town that has become submerged in water. As the water level rises, he's forced to build additional levels onto his home with bricks (cubes) in order to stay above water. One day he accidentally drops his favorite pipe into the lower levels of his home, and decides to rent scuba diving equipment in order to go searching for it. As he descends through his sunken home, the old man recalls memories of the past in each room. (Source: Anime News Network)
Sci-Fi / Slice of Life
Tsubasa Shiina is a 10-year-old girl who recently moved to Hokkaido to live with her father. In school, she is very quiet and unsociable with her classmates. Then one night, she witnesses a UFO crash in the forest near her home. She rushes to the scene and finds the pilot, codenamed "D.D.", in a barely stable condition. Also in the scene is a Maguar, a hideous alien that hatched aboard D.D.'s ship. As the Maguar is close to taking Tsubasa's life, an alien lifeform fuses with her body to form the Riberus battle armor Figure 17, which shortly destroys the alien threat. The life form takes the name Hikaru and turns into an identical twin of Tsubasa. As time passes, Tsubasa becomes more open to everyone around her, thanks to her new twin sister Hikaru. However, with Maguar eggs scattered all over Hokkaido, their ability to form Figure 17 is needed to eliminate all hatched Maguars until backup from D.D.'s home planet arrives on Earth. (Source: Anime News Network)
