PUPARIA

PUPARIA

ONA

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
1
RELEASE
November 20, 2020
LENGTH
3 min

DESCRIPTION

Independent Short by Shingo Tamagawa.

EPISODES

Dubbed

| | |

Not available on crunchyroll

REVIEWS

imnap
78/100
What are 3 minutes to 3 years

Life within Pictures

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.

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.

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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Dimsol
100/100
The entrance to an undiscovered world
__The Beauty of PUPARIA__ Within the span of only 3 minutes, Shingo Tamagawa was able to make a captivating work of art for the eyes of many, each detail, transition, character, time, and place left to be interpreted, all carrying out a tiny but meaningful role. He truly made every second count, and what's even more amazing is how the pace of each scene doesn't need to be short or fast in order for it to be entertaining. It just feels natural to the point where it's easy to forget that this was even an animated film to begin with because it just felt so real. Flowing with time, allowing the atmosphere to carry out a sense of peace and curiosity. __Thoughts__ My favorite thing about PUPARIA is that you don't need to understand what's going on to enjoy it. All you need to do is observe it, and from there it will feel as if you're on a journey, being guided slowly, allowing the mind to enter another world that's filled with life flowing in a stable rhythm. I also feel like both the beginning, middle, and end of this film are connected in ways where if you were to watch this film in reverse from the end to the beginning, it would still be able to carry out that feeling of meaning and wonder. Everything about this film is just so planned out and well put together to the point where it's hard to believe that this film was all made by one person. In a way, this film also feels limitless, and what I mean by that is even though its reached the end, I'm still left with the feeling that there is still a lot left to see which leads me to rewatch the film more than just one time. __Music__ The music used in PUPARIA also plays a key role when it comes to enjoying the visuals of Shingo Tamagawa's work. One of the main reasons as to why I believe music played a key role in Puparia was because it was able to help the atmosphere feel neutral and at the same time able to advance the quality of how vast the visuals truly appeared. It didn't need to sound upbeat, tragic, or too relaxing but rather continuous to help let the mind roam freely while watching PUPARIA. __Closing__ No matter how many times I watch this film over and over, it will forever carry out that same feeling of amazement and curiosity as its always had. PUPARIA has left me feeling so inspired, helping me to understand how special and big the little things are when it comes to the quality of life. To be able to watch this film felt like a privilege that I was undeserving of, but given to me anyway. So thank you, Shingo Tamagawa for making this film, for dedicating 3 years into the making of PUPARIA. No words can express the overwhelming gratitude of thanks I have towards the existence of this film. Personally, I'd give everything about this film a 10/10.
I'm no professional when it comes to making reviews like these, so I apologize if any of my wordings is out of grammar or appears to be confusing to understand.
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