It was
difficult for me to narrow this list down as I saw so many great animated
shorts this year. Thanks to computer
technology democratising animation production and the rise in animation courses
at Japanese post-secondary institutions, there has been an explosion of new
talent making waves in Japan.
Two trends
in Japan that are apparent in my list are the growing numbers of women
directing animation and overseas students coming to Japan to study and work. Women have long played an important role in
animation as inbetweeners, writers, and film producers, but it is only in
recent years that women have started to outnumber men in animation schools. Geidai (Tokyo University of the Arts) reports
women outnumbering men in the two cohorts currently underway in their graduate
programme. The minimal aesthetic of Yoriko Mizushiri has been a festival
favourite in recent years and her latest film Snow Hut has been just as well received as Futon (2012, read review). Mari
Miyazawa, of e-obento has brought her kawaii food
aesthetic to stop motion animation in her delightful films Decorations and Twins in the
Bakery.
Japanese
animation schools have also been attracting students from overseas, particularly
from China and South Korea. These young
people grew up with Japanese animation on television and at the movies and see
Japan as the ideal place to develop their skills as artists. Names to watch include Yangtong Zhu, Yewon Kim,
and Hakhyun Kim.
The Portrait
Studio (寫眞館, 2013)
Takashi
Nakamura
Legend of
the Forest, Part 2 (森の伝説 第二楽章,
2014)
Macoto Tezka
My Milk Cup
Cow (コップの中の子牛, 2014)
Yangtong Zhu
こうこう | koukou from takashi ohashi on Vimeo.
Kou Kou (こうこう, 2013)
Takashi
Ohashi
Waiter (2013)
Ryōji Yamada
00:08 (2014)
Yūtarō Kubo
Everyday Sins
(日々の罪悪, 2014)
Yewon Kim
Fireworks *
Beads (2013)
Masamu
Hashimoto
MAZE KING
(2013)
Hakhyun Kim
It’s Time
for Supper (夜ごはんの時刻, 2013)
Saki
Muramoto
Nara Arts
Festival CM (奈良県大芸術祭プロモーション映像, 2014)
Tochka
Snow Hut (かまくら, 2013)
Yoriko
Mizushiri
The Hyuga
episode of Kojiki (古事記 日向篇,
2013)
Kōji
Yamamura
Rhizome (リゾーム, 2013)
Masahiro
Ohsuka
Blue Eyes -
in Harbor Tale – (2014)
Yuichi Ito
Celebration
and Chorale (祝典とコラール, 2013)
Yukie
Nakauchi
Decorations
(デコレーションズ, 2014)
Mari
Miyazawa
A Reflection
of One’s Mind (2014)
Kōhei Nakaya
Digital (2013)
Osamu Sakai
Poker from CaRTe bLaNChe on Vimeo.
Poker (2014)
Mirai Mizue and Yukie Nakauchi
Cathy Munroe Hotes 2014