Let’s take a look at six Asian animation films that deserve your attention. These animated feature movies would definitely clarify some of your assumptions about Asian culture and society.
“A Deer Of Nine Colors” (1981) – Chinese animation film
An old Chinese 2D animated short, “A Deer Of Nine Colors.” The tale is based on a story told in a Buddhist painting. The “Ruru Jataka” artwork is in the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang, China. The story is a basic morality tale about protecting life. The animation is stunning.
The film’s style is vibrant and colorful, like the original mural’s color and character designs. Especially our titular deer, each creature has a sense of movement and grace. Animated character actions like walking or running are well depicted. Our main character fading in and out of frame instead of walking is upsetting to modern sensibilities, but the beauty of this piece will assure that you are never bored while watching. Instead, the slower times allow you to appreciate the tremendous creativity of the environment and animation. The soundtrack has traditional Chinese singing and instruments that not only fit the movie’s tone but also nicely complement the visuals.
“The Legend of LuoXiao Hei” (2019) – Chinese animation film
The character this film is about has a lengthy and interesting background. MTJJ invented LuoXiao Hei, who first appeared in Flash animated shorts and Webtoon comics.
Along with this feature picture, there are currently 43 animated shorts featuring him. The Cat Spirit LuoXiao Hei’s home is devastated by deforestation in this prologue to the animated shorts. The plot follows him as he adjusts to his new surroundings, torn between his otherworldly kin and his human master. This film’s animation is stunning. This video shows a mastery of 2D visuals rarely seen in a world of 3D blockbusters. The movie’s surroundings are stunning, luring you into a world where monsters and humans coexist. The animation and cinematography are stunning. A great piece of art is created by dynamic camera angles, explosive movement, and flowing movements.
“Lava Kusa: The Warrior Twins” (2010) – Indian animation film
The Warrior Twins is another film that looks like a 90s Western cartoon. The story is based on the Ramayana’s twins Lava and Kusa.
Like the epic, the story follows them through their youth. This film was a hit in its original country. The animation is vivid and colorful, featuring 3D elements in a mostly 2D film. While the aesthetic is reminiscent of 90s Western cartoons, the animation is vibrant and engaging. This picture is full of song, dancing, magic, and action, evoking childlike wonder and joy. The music, as befits a nation known for Bollywood, is stunning.
“Padak Padak” (2012) – South Korean animation film
Padak Padak, also known as PADAK or Swimming To Sea, is a South Korean 3D adult animated film. Despite its aquatic protagonists, Padak Padak is not Finding Nemo. If you know how live seafood restaurants function, you’ll be horrified to find that our fishy characters are confined there.
We meet Padak, a mackerel, in a tank in a live seafood restaurant, where she and her fellow fish anticipate, avoid, and grapple with their ultimate end. Unlike the other fish in the tank, Padak has known the sea and is determined to return to it. The bleak setting is taken seriously, as is the fish’s demise. The torturous murder of the restaurant’s chef is presented in graphic detail, adding to the film’s psychological trauma. The gritty, muted nature of the animation bolsters the thought stimulating, emotive, and existentially horrifying story that Padak Padak presents. Surprisingly, this film is a musical. Three songs are featured in this animation: “Forgive Me,” “Nightmare,” and “Think About It/The Eel’s Song.” This film is heavy, but if you can handle the premise and the gore, it is well worth seeing.
“Leafie: A Hen Into The Wild” (2011) – South Korean animation film
Freedom, inhuman animal treatment, motherly love, and the constraints our bodies impose on us are all explored through Leafie, a chicken who fled an egg farm and now lives in the outdoors. She then finds and hatches a duck egg, raising her newly adopted kid despite not being a duck.
Greenie, her son, recognizes his mother and he are not the same and leaves her, only to fall into problems at the same farm Leafie escaped from. The visuals are fantastic. If you can’t remember the weirdly buff anime ducks, you can’t remember the animation. Even the film’s darkest moments are fueled by passion.
You should prefer sub over dub because the Korean voice actors, like the artists, give their all. Aside from a few odd instances of toilet humor, the movie is quite cohesive. You grow to love Leafie, see her as a person, her challenges and her love, and you want her to succeed… That’s what makes the climax so potent.
“Sitara: Let Girls Dream” (2019) – Pakistani animation film
This film addresses the subject of child marriage. Pari, a small child, and Sitara, her elder sister, live in Pakistan in the 1970s. Sitara learns that her father intends to compel her to marry a much older guy. The film’s ending is bittersweet, with the final scenes illustrated in the credits. Waadi Studios struggled to produce this short due to a lack of resources. But antiquated technology, hour-long power outages, and a lack of animators kept getting in the way of making a good animated feature.
Despite this, “Sitara” was finished and released on March 8. Three honors at the 2019 Los Angeles Animation Festival and a special screening at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Interestingly, this film is quiet, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the plot. The entire team’s devotion to this film is clear from the very first frame. There is a lot to love about this film. The city the sisters and their family live in is brilliantly constructed and immersive. The characters’ excitement and delight are palpable, as is their misery and betrayal of their father. This incredibly heartbreaking short film has a message and a studio that deserve support.
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Animost – Vietnam 3D Animation Studio
hello@animost.com
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Image Credit: Imdb.com
Reference Sources:
- Animation World Network: https://www.awn.com/
- Cartoon Brew – Technology: https://www.cartoonbrew.com/tech
- Befores & Afters – Visual effects and animation journalist: https://beforesandafters.com/
- Bloomberg News: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/
- Insider: https://www.insider.com/
- Liveabout.com: https://www.liveabout.com/different-types-of-animated-films-2420979
- Inverse: https://www.inverse.com/