Initially, the most striking feature of this short 3 minute film is the gorgeous art. Each frame is densely packed with so much detail in both characters and backgrounds, yet managing to never feel hyper-realistic, instead feeling illustrative and awe inspiring. And when all of these hand-crafted frames come together they manage to bring to life this unnerving and, at times, dystopian world that fully immerses the viewer, making for an unsettling and beautiful intimate viewing experience. This is further helped by the surreal soundtrack that is continuously playing throughout the entirety of the film. I’d also like to include the huge amount of detail and effort engraved into the eyes of each person present which really manages to paint expression on their otherwise expressionless faces. And it’s just some of the best and most vivid eye movement in animation I’ve ever seen.
All of this comes together to build an almost addictive viewing experience that’s so captivating it leaves you wishing for more.
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#Moths and Pupas
PUPARIA is split into three main scenarios, and although on first glance they might seem unconnected, after further inspection I was able to discern one visual motif that tied all three of them together – moths. One of the things moths represent is vast changes and seeking the light. As such, moths are a clear visual metaphor for the world’s sudden and tremendous changes that leave us in the dark. The first scene is very picturesque and tranquil as we’re shown a young girl resting beside a giant moth-like creature peacefully.
The next scene throws this out the window though, opting for a more alarming atmosphere in both the character and the background, and then as impending doom and change hastily approach we transition into the final scenario that ties it all together.
Here the viewer is witnessing a totally unfamiliar landscape and world, one in which humanity has united to face those changes, and just like the humans present there our eyes remain unhinged, waiting to see what the moth-like individual is going to do next. Then, as if in response, the individual looks beyond and turns back to the audience and smiles.
This whole 3 minute adventure’s narrative is knit together by the omnipresence of moths or pupas and is telling the story of humanity’s unpredictable ever-changing position to the world’s whims and leaves us with an ambiguous ending that brings the question of whether looking for light will bear fruit unanswered and up to each viewer. The message that PUPARIA is trying to get out is one that is especially relevant right now with the world continuously burning before our eyes as uncertainty fills even the idea of tomorrow.
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#The One-Man Army
Shingo Tamagawa is the person solely responsible for the creation of PUPARIA.
Growing up he loved drawing and later pursued animation after being inspired by some of the greatest creators in anime like Hideaki Anno and Hayao Miyazaki, but after working for 5 years in the anime industry he felt as though he would soon reach the point of hating drawing all together and decided to take a one year and a half break from it entirely. In that time he reflected upon himself and ideas started pouring in, which led to the creation of PUPARIA – a creation process that took him three years. Going into PUPARIA, Shingo pursued different, more challenging ways of expression as he felt the anime industry is giving less and less room for experimental anime, in turn becoming stagnant and favoring trends. With this in mind he decided to take a stance against this and show – if to no one else, to himself, that animation and doing what you love can still be fun. He removed himself from the thought of profits or efficiency and succumbed to a pure desire of making something beautiful and original, hoping that if the anime industry would be more like this it would be just a tiny bit happier. In the end, he puts it into words better than I ever could: “I make animation to create new things and generate new emotions that I haven’t felt before. I believe everybody has that joy inside of them.”
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