Seven stories are told in seven very different ways. In a Dahli-esque Serengeti, a tale of a hunter and hunted unfolds. A young boy finds a useful device and is sucked into a futuristic battle. A slow-paced train ride takes two delinquent school children for a ride to the beach and down memory lane. And a baby travels through his dreams because of the ‘Happy Machine’ – amongst other tales.
Witness the true beginning of the Matrix: how men created the machines and how those machines stood up against their masters, and the effects of the great war that waged between them, which in the end led to the fall of mankind. Watch the ship Osiris and its efforts to warn the remaining humans of the imminent attack; follow a champion who happens to break free from the Matrix; explore the exploitation of a glitch in the overall system; observe the story of the Kid and how he was found by Neo; travel with an investigator who tracks the well-known hacker Trinity; and learn the secrets of the Matrix in other wondrous ways.
Animatrix and Genius Party both explore a futuristic dystopian society. Animatrix is, of course, the brainchild of the Wachowski brothers -- but, this series of short animations venture and attack the Matrix world from various directors' viewpoints. It gives the Matrix universe a depth beyond the film trilogy. Genius Party is also a set of shorts which explore a sci-fi projection. It's a little more artistic in nature, but equally stimulating. Don't give up this tour de force of eye/brain candy.
A lot can happen in a minute. Aliens can begin their invasion of Earth, only to be thwarted at the first step; cats can plot their revenge on their careless owners; and children can frolic in the fields with a giant robot. Ever wondered what the average day in the life of an animator is like? Or can a small pellet-spitting alien distract a young boy while he reads manga, in order to escape from his room? And will the machine that a small boy and his pet built allow him to steal a kiss from a girl? From following a group of young women recovering from heartbreak, to the owner of a music store who views his customers as little more than cash on legs, still “the clock ticks on and on in 60-second cycles.”
Short, sweet and a deluge of random animation both ani*kuri and Genius Party feel more like animators showing off what they can do. Although the stories may not always be the most coherent and make sense, they are definitely a fun ride.
If you enjoyed one, you will definitely have fun with the other.
Rumors have it that a monster has appeared over the city, and Yuki would love to catch a glimpse! However, she soon discovers something even more fascinating: a boy named Tetsu not only knows of the monsters, he has a monster pet of his own named Cenco! Yuki is delighted to meet such a creature and tags along with Tetsu to find out more, but soon the two find themselves in the middle of a dangerous conflict with another monster that threatens them and bystanders alike!
This is a recommendation for the short "Shanghai Dragon" specifically in relation to Cencoroll.
Why? Well, they're both fluidly, artistically animated anime shorts that are all about conventional shonen action cliches, with young heroes stepping up to the bat to blow stuff up. There's more comedy, whimsy and nostalgia in "Shanghai Dragon" compared to the detached moodiness of Cencroll, but both are worth watching.