La Maison en Petits Cube

[valondar]

La Maison en Petits Cube
(a.k.a. Tsumiki no Ie)

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I figure this is worth starting a thread for, though I know most people aren't all that interested in anime shorts and on the surface this doesn't look like it'd be one of the exceptions. No cool goth-styled action like Comedy or teenage romantic melodrama like Voices of a Distant Star and whatnot. Nope, it's all about the pain and loneliness of being elderly and feeling abandoned. Fun!

But more to the point: This just won the Academy Award for best animated short.

So let's recap, shall we, the amount of anime that has won an Academy Award for anything?

Spirited Away
La Maison en Petits Cubes

And that's it. Think about that, grasshopper.

Does it deserve the award? Well, hell yeah. It's astonishingly well animated, it has some nice music, and it's pretty damn poignant, especially for a short.

Will it find an audience? I'm not sure if this short's fans would ever really extend beyond the people who are likely interested in watching it already or have already done so. The director and studio achieved no modest amount of critical acclaim for Tortov Roddle, which is probably one of the best anime that nobody's seemed to have watched, so I'd expect somewhere in that area of viewership. But who knows - maybe the simple fact of the golden man adorning the shelf of this wonderful little thing will prick up some ears.

Is it the best anime short ever? Well I won't go for those arguments and their circular notions. Let's just leave it at the hopefully uncontroversial assertion that it's a damn good one. I felt moved in a twelve minute span. My tastes naturally incline more towards the dark beauty of Koji Yamamura but I think this one has a direct emotional connection that will appeal to many people.

Do you need to watch this? Well if it sounds boring to you then I'm not that sure I can change your mind, but hey, maybe you watch it anyway?

[Exhale]

It looks interesting (saw a sample). I wonder if it will be available in english soon or is it a nonverbal short?

[valondar]

It's nonverbal.

[Cythraul]

Originally Posted by some guy on youtube

this is terrible this is not anime, what nonsense.

Well, I've got my hopes up. Hope there will be a torrent soon.

[alexander]

Went through the Oscar list yesterday. The homepage for Okuribito was down, so I couldn't look at the trailer.

(in all it's more problematic that WallE and Dark Knight weren't nominated for the big awards. Same disussion every year. I just ignore the Academy)

[Kari5]

I just finished watching it, and I LOVED it. And it also made me cry my eyes out ;3; . There's no words, but the meaning is easy to understand. I don't often watch shorts like this, but I thought, what the heck-it's only 12 minutes. I'm so glad I watched it.

[ForgottenSon]

Like Kari5, I watched this last night and loved it. I was moved to tears.

[chii]

one of the best shorts i've watched :)

[valondar]

Originally Posted by chii

one of the best shorts i've watched :)

Knowing the sheer amount of shorts you've watched that really means something; and it's nice all round to see this get some much needed love.

I'd have to say between this and Tortov Roddle I have nothing but love for Kunio Kato; he has a real gift not just for breathtaking beauty but telling a story in silent shorts. I'd go so far as to all round say he's one of the very best directors in anime shorts. I'll have to look out for more of his stuff.

this is terrible this is not anime, what nonsense.

Well, I guess that confirms it: Avatar is anime after all! ;)

[Kazemike]

Wow... Beautiful

I didn't see the others contestants but I can guess why this is the one who won...
Great work!