This review might contain spoilers. You may proceed if you can handle the truth...

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Gekimation is a Japanese form of cutout animation many anime fans have never seen or heard of despite its almost 50 years of existence. Unlike conventional animation techniques, where separate still images form an illusion of motion, the animators record the movement of the paper figures in real-time. Because gekimation is less time-consuming than the traditional approach, the method is a perfect choice for independent animators without the support of a studio. Another benefit of this animation technique is that the artists can set distinctive accents with liquids, slimes, fire, smoke and light, similar to live-action movies. In contrast to stop-motion techniques, it is impossible to move individual body parts and change the facial expression of the cardboard puppets within a shot. Consequently, gekimation works need many brief shots and separate paper models for particular circumstances.

Surprisingly, only a handful of gekimation works exist, even though the roots of the animation concept, the European toy theatre, go back to the late 18th century. Like gekimation, a toy theatre consists of a paperboard-printed stage, scenery and characters. As with any other form of media, the toy theatre had its ups and downs in popularity. While more and more households could afford a television, the toy theatre fell into obscurity. In 1976, the adaptation of the dark fantasy manga Cat-Eyed Boy used a mix of live-action and cardboard figures, an early instance of gekimation. The author Kazuo Umezu was part of the gekiga movement, which aimed to increase the age of the manga readership since its target audience was still children in the 1960s. Apart from providing more mature themes, some gekiga authors also wanted to shock the audience with disturbing, repelling and frightening elements. The 'geki' in gekimation refers to this adult manga movement and emphasises the intention to repulse the watchers.

The Burning Buddha Man by independent animator Ujicha honours its origin, the toy theatre, with its opening of a young adult recreating the first animated scene with cardboard stages and figures. Furthermore, the first gekimation film's gross, deformed Buddhas are a homage to the body horror of the Cat-Eyed Boy. By sacrificing a cohesive plot and well-written characters, Ujicha focused on the ambition to make his work as unconventional as possible. Against all odds, he succeeds in creating not only an artistic statement but also an entertaining movie. The combination of the amateurish art style, messy plot and out-of-place special effects, i.e. the realistic fire, smoke and slimes, excellently harmonises because it fits the work's grotesqueness. Another addition enriching the work's bizarreness is the silly and inappropriate facial expressions of the characters in many scenes. Unfortunately, Ujicha did not experiment with the dialogue, sound effects and score to enhance the absurdity, but they are all polished and decent.

In summary, the Burning Buddha Man is one of the rare instances of a bad movie being a superb work of art. Undoubtedly, the film is only for a niche group of animation fans who adore weird experiments within the medium. Nevertheless, the distinctive animation technique deserves more recognition. Hence, it is a must-watch for any serious anime fan. While writing the review, the film is not on a streaming service, but you can buy a physical copy online.