by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
I’ve always had a soft spot for animation. More years than not, at least a couple of animated features find their way onto my top 10 list. So, I’m setting out to shine a light on some films that may have passed you by. The idea with Animation Celebration is to take a look at some underseen gems — so no Toy Story or Frozen here.
Let’s get started.
Having been doing this series for almost two years, it’s interesting when I can see how it’s impacting me.
Case in point: Last year, when Netflix held its first ever Tudum event (think Comic Con for Netflix projects), I found myself circling the project Drifting Home as a possible tentpole for this series. The film is the new release from anime production house Studio Colorido. Aside from one of my goals for this series being to try my hand at some more anime, the limited catalogue is filled with interesting premises. With Drifting Home finally having premiered on Netflix, it’s time to take a look at one of their previous entries.
While I initially had my heart set on their other Netflix production, A Whisker Away (about a girl who attempts to get a classmate’s attention by turning into a cat), another entry appeared to be a better fit. Penguin Highway not only has a lower view count, but also happens to be the feature directorial debut of Hiroyasu Ishida, director of Drifting Home.
The story follows a young student investigating the mysterious reason behind the sudden appearance of penguins in his village and its connection to a woman who works at the local dentist’s office. It seems to fit the studio’s offbeat filmography. Having the kid, Aoyama (Kana Kita), as our main character really works for the story it’s trying to tell. He’s smart, inquisitive, and writes everything down in a research notebook. That comes in handy when a film presents a question like, “Why did all these penguins randomly show up in this Japanese city?” He can be a bit much at time, but for the most part, it’s charming. I enjoyed the research process that both he and his friends utilize in trying to figure out what exactly was going on.
Writing this after seeing Ishida’s second directorial effort, there are some similarities in the stories he apparently likes to tell. This too has an adventurous feel to it — one that continues throughout — as Aoyama and his friends investigate the mystery of the penguins, as well as another related local phenomenon. There are also bullies inserted into the plot who get more involved as it goes along, giving it a very ‘80s vibes. However, I think Ishida pulls this one off better than Drifting Home. Penguin Highway doesn’t quite suffer from the pacing issues, and I felt like the explanations we’re given here (though still fantastical) were more satisfying and better explained when it came to the phenomenon at work. As someone who adores Super 8, this film is not dissimilar in broad strokes and vibe. Perhaps that’s part of the reason I enjoyed it.
It’s well animated, though I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily anything special about what’s being put on screen, apart from a brief dream sequence that’s one of the highlights of the film. It does help when part of that animation work goes into animating penguins, because who doesn’t love penguins? As an added bonus, their cuteness factor goes up exponentially when animated.
From the adventurous feel, to the cute penguins, to the score, there’s just something about this film that puts a smile on your face.
I’m excited to continue to geek out on some great animated work you may not have had a chance to catch. Next month, we’ll put another film from Disney’s “dark ages” under a magnifying glass.
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