An animation involving a dog, a girl, and imagination.

October 3, 2010 7:33 AM

SLYT Something I found last night that I thought was quite wonderful and appropriate for a lazy Sunday. I was really impressed with the way they handle sense in this, and it made me warm and fuzzy. I hope this isn't too terrible for a first post.
posted by Han Tzu (31 comments total)

Great find! Growing up with a blind parent make this all the more meaningful to me. Thanks for sharing this.
posted by DavidandConquer at 7:44 AM on October 3, 2010

Putting on my film critic's hat, I'd have to say that this particular piece of animation wore its Studio Ghibli influence on its sleeve. Actually, both sleeves. And its hat. This blatantly obvious copying made me want nothing more than to see the real thing, which, as a totality, is so much more pleasing, so much more artful and finessed. The rather awkward combination of the drawing style grafted onto the Ghibli aesthetic made this film, for me, almost unwatchable.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:57 AM on October 3, 2010

that was a lovely find! there's a definite Miyazaki influence to the style that I love. the part in front of the bakery was straight out of Kiki's Delivery Service. but still a unique and heartwarming story.

on preview: I disagree flapjax, I think the style worked here. it was consistent and simple, not trying to be a lush film but a cute short.
posted by wundermint at 7:59 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

I enjoyed it; thanks, Han Tzu!

And flapjax, don't be That Guy. "I am familiar with this work's influences, therefore I deem this mere imitation" is rarely a winning attitude.
posted by languagehat at 8:28 AM on October 3, 2010 [7 favorites]

Oh, my, how wonderful! Glad you posted this.
posted by Wolfdog at 8:44 AM on October 3, 2010

This is really sweet. (And I agree, there's a lot of Ghibli influence here, but it definitely seems petty to say that this therefore can't be enjoyable on its own merits.)
posted by LairBob at 8:48 AM on October 3, 2010

Thank God I'm not overly familiar with sleeve-worn Ghibli. I found this utterly charming.
posted by Michael Roberts at 8:49 AM on October 3, 2010

I hope I never know what Studio Ghibli is, the ruination of all that is good. Thanks, this was great.
posted by stbalbach at 9:02 AM on October 3, 2010

Aw. Awwwww! Whaleblimp.
posted by katillathehun at 9:45 AM on October 3, 2010

That was really beautiful, and unexpected. Thanks for posting it.
posted by MrVisible at 9:46 AM on October 3, 2010

Whoa...to be clear (and fair), "Studio Ghibli" is the production house of Hayao Miyazaki, and have (IMHO) made some of the most wonderful and beautifully made animated films, ever -- "My Friend Totoro", "Princess Mononoke", "Spirited Away", "Ponyo", "Howl's Moving Castle", among many others. Whatever you do, please _don't_ write off Studio Ghibli.

The point is should really _not_ be to tarnish Ghibli...it's just that to say that to reduce things to "I recognize X's influence in Y, so Y sucks" is a pretty broad (and by extension, confining) standard. When you state things that emphatically and that simplistically, it leaves open absurd parallels, like "Shakepeare's fingerprints are all over Kurosawa's 'Ran', so it sucks," or (conversely) "'The Magnificent Seven' is just a rip-off of 'Seven Samurai'".
posted by LairBob at 10:04 AM on October 3, 2010 [4 favorites]

_{[Heh..."My Neighbor Totoro"...need more coffee]}
posted by LairBob at 10:07 AM on October 3, 2010

This is a lovely find, and fairly realistic in its depiction of how people with low vision perceive the world.

My one critique of the post is that it didn't really tell me anything until I clicked through from the front page and saw from the title that it was an animation. Commentary is best for comments, description for the front page.
posted by Kattullus at 10:34 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Where's the doubleplus favorite button?
posted by chairface at 11:10 AM on October 3, 2010

Great find, thanks for sharing.

Like Katullus, my only critique is in the framing of the post. While you don't have to give anything away, it's nice to have a rough idea of what you might be getting into. I would have posted something like:

Out of Sight (SLYT) is a cute short animated story about a child's imagination and senses.
posted by schyler523 at 11:12 AM on October 3, 2010

I found this really sweet and nice.
The one thing that bothered me was the direction of the girls pupils and how they didn't quite line up with what the direction should have been for her line of sight. I thought that perhaps she was blind, and maybe she is, although if she was I think it should be emphasized more so people don't just write her eyes off as bad animation.
posted by lauratheexplorer at 11:13 AM on October 3, 2010

I thought it was fairly obvious that she was blind: she walked into the fence, had to feel around the hole in it, and seemed to attune to things more by sound (and sniff!) than by sight in general (although I'm not sure just what she "saw" in the middle portion).

Lovely link, lovely first post. Thanks!
posted by maudlin at 11:30 AM on October 3, 2010

Thanks for posting this!
posted by gallois at 11:41 AM on October 3, 2010

I didn't get the blindness until the end when she had to feel to see what the dog had brought.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:41 AM on October 3, 2010

The blindness was pretty obvious from the get-go. The title alone should have been a big tip off.
posted by chairface at 11:57 AM on October 3, 2010

The blindness should have been obvious from the first comment on the video.

Some people will pick up on it at different moments. I don't actually think we need to argue about when it became obvious.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:09 PM on October 3, 2010

very charming indeed, good first post mate.
posted by aeroboros at 1:01 PM on October 3, 2010

This is a fine single-link post. I really liked the style of motion where her environment is revealed as she moves. And the reveal of the whale blimp, with its galley of flippers, made the cartoon.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 2:09 PM on October 3, 2010

Nice find, utterly charming!

I have no problem with the homage and can advise anyone who enjoyed this and isn't aware of Ghibli to get their hands on some and thank us later.
posted by Iteki at 2:39 PM on October 3, 2010

Loved it! My kids watched it with me and quickly picked up that she was blind. But, they grew up watching Toph from the Avatar, with her acoustic "sight".
posted by russmaxdesign at 2:51 PM on October 3, 2010

.....I was especially happy that she was never seemed very afraid of losing her dog. It was optimistic immediately. I loved when he came back. Thanks so much for sharing it. Totally warmed my heart.
posted by naplesyellow at 2:57 PM on October 3, 2010

That was amazing. Thanks!
posted by archagon at 3:07 PM on October 3, 2010

That was really nice. Thanks.
Ghibli , I know not.
Would having done, ruined it for me?
posted by jan murray at 4:01 PM on October 3, 2010

And flapjax, don't be That Guy.

heh heh! Well, in my defense, I did preface my comment by saying I was putting on my *film critic's* hat. And look! As is often the case, the film critic's opinion ran absolutely counter to public opinion! I was the only one in this thread who didn't adore the film! You gotta admit at least, then, that's a jin-yoo-wine film critic's hat I was wearing, for sure!

But I'm glad so many folks could find enjoyment in the film. It achieved its objective: hearts were warmed, folks were entertained, and that's a positive! Yay!

Ghibli , I know not. Would having done, ruined it for me?

I wouldn't know, only you could answer that. There's tons of Ghibli out and about, so... check it! By way of comparison, perhaps if I'd never heard Little Richard's Tutti Frutti, or anything like it, then Pat Boone's Tutti Frutti might have rocked my world.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:07 PM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

adore this film? guilty.
posted by victors at 5:39 PM on October 3, 2010

That was really sweet. Thanks!
posted by Ahab at 7:23 PM on October 3, 2010