Jul 8, 2017
After rating this 5 minute short at a 9 despite the overall score being so much lower, I couldn't help but leave a short review to defend it.
Mr. Ando has been around a long time, I remember watching it 7 or 8 years ago on YouTube as a middle-schooler. I thought it was goofy for sure, but after coming back to it as an adult, I have a newfound appreciation for this spectacular short. I'd forgotten all about Mr. Ando until I saw that its director, Takashi Taniguchi, would be returning with a series of shorts for this Summer 2017 season, titled Piko-tarou no Lullaby
...
Lullaby.
Every character in this sketch is voiced by one gentleman, Takashi himseslf. He writes and animates all of his shorts and brings life to all of his characters himself, making his work incredibly unique to him and him alone. His delivery in Mr. Ando is beautiful, utilizing his crude recording equipment to create a comical comradery between the forest creatures (some of which include a bear, a penguin, and a trout.) The sparing sound effects are performed by Takashi as well, often in a very dull tone of voice to add to the droll atmosphere.
The story is simple, of course. It's just enough to allow the forest creatures and their personalities to be presented and tested, without overstaying its 5 minutes. The main focus of this short is placed on the curious nature of Mr. Ando, the local forest penguin. I wish I could go into detail as to why this is such a clever absurdity, but I don't want to spoil such a short adventure. Hopefully you will come to realize the genius behind this story's subtleties yourself.
The only fair criticism I can give to an ONA thats strong points lie in its crudeness, is the music (or rather, lack thereof). Ando of the Woods ends with a heartfelt ballad, written and performed by Takashi himself, but this is the only soundtrack held to an otherwise perfect short film. The silence assists in emphasizing the comedic awkwardness that comes from the sound direction consisting entirely of Takashi's mouth and hands, but I honestly feel that a few short and simple background tracks would aid in delivering the flow of the short.
Please watch this. It's 5 minutes and it's uploaded on YouTube. You're not honestly going to complain that you wasted your time. I promise you'll at least get a few chuckles out of it, really.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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