BINCHOU-TAN
Cute to the power of ten, this lushly produced widesceen series seems to be aimed at 5 years olds - surely too young to appreciate the high-tech, state-of-the-art animation. Boasting a rich, orchestral soundtrack, the delicate stories tell of a group of little wood sprites (all girls) who make their way in the world enjoying the pleasures of a simple life and working hard – am I over-reacting when I think this looks like an instructional video on how Japanese girls should know their place?
Cute off the scale, their eyes are ridiculously huge. The main character, the impoverished Binchou-tan lives in the forest in a little hut, sleeping under a little torn blanket. She's so small that she can ride around on the back of a duck! I particularly like her bus stop. She stands and waits, holding a large nut. A bird swoops down and carries her to the next stop! She pays him with the nut!
These are only about 12 minutes long each and I'm not sure how many there are going to be. They are so Japanese I'm worried they won't be sold outside of Japan, but I really enjoy the exquisite care taken in crafting their little adventures. It puts the animation that Disney make for children's TV to shame.
Mark H
No comments:
Post a Comment