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I'm glad I found this (rather obscure) short, because I definitely enjoyed it. It's not a new favorite or anything, but it's different from anything I've seen. And I think "different" is the key word here. The art style isn't on par with any big-budget studio animation, but it's *different.* When characters move, their outlines stick around and become part of the background. This was probably done to speed up the frame animation, but it looks cool nonetheless. Sometimes this effect is obvious, but sometimes it turns into a game of trying to find a lingering piece of outline. (Also the wood grain on the ... floor in a few shots is beautiful)

The sound is minimalistic, since no one is talking. Ambient sound is only used in a few instances, but every time it sets the mood perfectly. The "action sounds", mostly thumps against the floor, are low quality. But they still feel real, like the characters have actual weight.

There's not a single word in this short, written or spoken, and the visual storytelling isn't very obvious either. On my first watch I wasn't sure what the point was, but it feels obvious that there is a point. You might have to watch it twice to get it, and I don't think that's a bad thing.

This is a small project, and it shows. But I still think it's worth watching for anyone who's interested in animation, or arthouse anime in general. And besides, it's 4 minutes long. If you read this whole review, you've got time to watch the short.

Pale cocoon, set in the year 22XX, presents the viewer with a profound and novel message: “Wouldn’t it suck if earth got ruined and really sucked because we had so many wars?” Real heavy stuff.

Right from the start, it looks cheap. The art is very flat and simplistic, and the movement gets really choppy a few times, especially when panning over the computer screens. The sound isn’t bad overall, but it’s nothing special.

To me, Pale Cocoon is at its best near the middle, when it shows you pictures of our new home and just builds the atmosphere. The music really shines here, but showing the ... setting doesn’t work well when the setting is both dull by design and drawn in an uninteresting way.

The short ends with a plot twist, but it really doesn’t change anything. The characters aren’t affected, and the message doesn’t get any smarter. Both the world and characters are almost devoid of personality, which might be understandable given the short runtime.
I don’t regret watching Pale Cocoon, but I doubt I’ll ever watch it again.