The Death Lullaby

Ignore the negative reviews. This little short is great and I feel that it served its purpose well. The protagonist was as compelling as a protagonist can practically be in a work so short that also includes a portrayal of industrialization/modernization. With that said, the work is heavily conceptual and relies on emotional appeal (rather than direct commentary) to deliver its content. As for the sound and art, one can only be so critical of an animation from 1985 with this style. Although flawed, the art and sound did the intended job. Overall, it was definitely enjoyable; I'm glad someone showed it to me beforeI disregarded it based on reviews.

This is f * cked up movie, to be completely honest with you guys. The synopsis talks about a boy that suffers bullying, but that's not the main focus in this movie. This film has other focus without being properly the bullying problem. I do not quite understand the movie but since the score is low and it was reviewed by such low people, it is the normal that the current anime community (Bleach, Nanatsu no Taizai, whatever..) does not kinda understand since this movie is old for this current era. It has sometimes the 360 ° animation (when the camera rotates around the character) butexcluding that, it has such a poor animation (it is so bad that MyAnimeList doesn't know many information indeed). If you have this as a Plan to Watch do not watch this, just drop this movie or else erase it from your library, is not worth the time. I eventually give it a 3 since I lost time seing this !

People saying this isn't worth your time just have no taste in avant-garde art, so if you do like surrealist and experimental stuff definitely give this a watch. The first song that plays should be more than enough to engage you. It was made by Harada as a grade final project and you can really tell because of the quality overall but it serves right to add to the charm. It's more of an art-driven story than the other way round. The way characters speak and act add the perfect dose of surrealism, and the only English subs available are so badly translated that itenhances the psychotic feeling of the whole OVA. The socio-political message and background about the protests and airport construction makes for an interesting thought, too, but to me it's mainly the audiovisual part where it succeeds. If only I knew more anime in this vein, but this is really one of a kind.

Avant-garde anime often portray thought-provoking plots with rich themes, and more often than not, become social commentaries. This 30-minute film can be considered among them. Produced by a single person way back in 1985 (damn missed that 1984 dystopian mark) on a low budget, needless to say, its production value is negligible- art, animation and OSTs are barebones. So for sakuga lovers, apologies, but there is not much for you in the visual department. However, for those looking for intriguing plot elements with minimalistic yet bizarre, raw imagery in its crudest form, you are probably in for a treat. And there’s no dearth of symbolicimagery in this short film which I would love to talk about: SPOILERS AHEAD: Nido to Mezamenu Komoriuta is set in 1960s Japan- an era that witnessed massive economic reconstruction of the country’s post-WWII ruined economy, the Shinkansen train being its most symbolic representation in both the real world and in this film. The 1960s era, also, is conveniently forgotten for many more uncomfortable facets- the rising socio-economic inequalities (represented by the slums, the pampered boy vs our impoverished protagonist in one of the early scenes, the businessmen enjoying their parties vs the squalid commoners), the Minamata disasters wreaking havoc on the environment along with the toxic chemicals released from factories (symbolized by the polluted waters and air, the dead fish) and the Narita airport protests (demonstrated by the screeching airplane noise disturbing the tranquility of the surrounding residential areas as well as real-life footage of the protests interspersed in between). And amid these tumultuous times lives our protagonist nicknamed “Deppa”- one with the protruding teeth. Many reviews have already highlighted the socio-economic-environmental dimensions of the film, so I would like to instead bring attention to one of the overarching and pretty straightforward, yet ignored, themes of the film- the eternal struggle and conflict between the Strong and the Weak, between the Haves and the Have-nots, which is presented in a very clever manner on two levels- the microscopic and the macroscopic. Deppa’s tale of being mercilessly bullied forms the micro part. A boy who has lost his parents has to now bear with the apathetic (and later hostile) attitude of his live-in relatives; he lives in utter poverty and is constantly bullied and physically assaulted due to his unusual appearance- these all form the basis of the “weak” character archetype. We have the trio of bullies who are not only physically stronger but also have the tacit approval and support of their peers and adults into bullying this “hideous” creature. And on the macro level, we have the conflict between the government and the society, the former a mighty politico-economic behemoth while the latter meek, vulnerable, divided from within and barely managing to stay afloat in the cruel world. Like Deppa, the society suffers from the government’s bullying via its one-sided and opaque projects and policies, and just like Deppa they can only glare – by taking out some token protests and marches. The worst part, however, is not the bullying. Rather, it is the indifferent attitude and behavior of the very agents who are supposed to protect and encourage the weak that is insufferable. The policeman asked Deppa to “brave” the bullying and return to the place that was a literal hell for him-the class, and his own school teachers warmly welcomed him back, neither addressing the bullying nor paying attention to his plight. The adult passers-by either mocked Deppa’s appearance, suspected him of having devious designs (like the school girl whose kindness instantly changed to suspicions on seeing his appearance, and now thought of him as a potential rapist! ), or had fun hurting him mentally and physically as this monster naturally deserved. Similarly, the government sought to capitalize on its gains and take favors from corporations, while destroying the society in the name of progress- the very society that it was mandated to protect and for whom progress was expected to improve their life and security. Hence, both the adults and the government showed aversion towards the ugly and weak (Deppa and the society respectively) and paid obeisance to the beautiful in their eyes- brute power. Such gross neglect and abuse are bound to create grave ramifications, and Deppa was the victim. In an attempt to preserve his mental and physical stability, Deppa slips into depression and loneliness, which ironically makes him more vulnerable to harassment. His one last hope-to see his dying mother-was also crushed like the flowers which the bullies trampled on. This was the last straw and Deppa chose to retaliate. The monster that society had dubbed him till now finally awoke, and naturally, tragedy ensued. Deppa’s act of destroying his bullies was the much-awaited triumph of the meek over the mighty. But was it the “triumph”, the long-held victory that Deppa probably dreamt of? Tragically, no. It only affirmed unquestionably and beyond doubt that Deppa is the “ugly tooth monster” who now has no place left for him in society. Wherever he runs or tries to escape, all he would find are ruins around him, which won’t welcome or protect him. And someday, he would crumble and wither away as a nameless person among the many piles of these ruins – like the sole chimney whose existence either as a deformed standing structure or as a freshly created pile of rubble was meaningless either way. Deppa will cease but the death lullaby-the bullying-will stay, searching for another victim. And what if the mighty continue to prevail over the weak? The film also presents us with this answer in the form of the “tsunami” unleashed by the Shinkansen, which swept away the lives and livelihoods of those miserable paupers like insignificant twigs. Neither able to retaliate nor able to save themselves from the eventual disaster, they were swept and crushed. Their unknown remains now formed the bedrock for the government’s “progress” further, with those train bridges continuing on seemingly into the horizon. It is often said in times of conflict and wars that you either kill or be killed. The film tells otherwise- whether you kill or don’t, it doesn’t matter; for the meek will be killed anyway. Whether this reflects in our own world or simply stays on this film is something to ponder on.