There is a street where no one lives, where ghostly lights flicker in the shadows. It is whispered that children who play hide and seek there after dark are kidnapped by demons and disappear forever. A boy named Hikora joins the game in search of his missing sister. Eight children gather. The street lamps flare though no one is there to light them. The game and the terror are about to begin!
Story:
The basic premise is as follows: Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek is based of the old Japanese mythology of “Kamikakushi” which literally mean “Spirited Away” in English. This was due to the common disappearances of people in ancient Japan, causing people to believe that a god that has “Spirited Away” that person. Hikora heard a rumor that in an abandoned city, an exciting game called “O-to-ko-yo” is played. Kids who follow the dim beams of partially illuminated neon signs, looking for the lit up syllables O, to, ko, and yo will find their way to the staging ground for a game of hide and seek unlike any other. And once seven kids, all properly arrayed in fox masks, have arrived, the game will begin.
In truth there is not much to discuss regarding plot of Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek, as it really doesn’t give away much other than the few bits and pieces here and there. You have to take in consideration that it is only 30 minutes long, and it can seem a bit minimal at times. But this does not really distract from the overall feel of the story, and in my opinion only enhances it even more. This gives a feeling of alienation, the same type of alienation the kids experience when playing the game of Kakurenbo in this strange city. Kakurenbo is truly a open ended and leaves itself open to multiple interpretations depending on the viewer.
Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek is eerie throughout, but at the end, the true nature of the game is revealed, making the earlier parts even more unsettling upon re-watching it. I highly recommend watching it at least twice. Even small things, like the flicker of a neon sign seem that much more sinister once you know the reason behind it. Which makes Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek one of the most unsettling Anime I have watched in recent times.
Characters:
All the characters in Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek is “surface characters” meaning they have no real depth. There is at least some character development present with Hikora and his sister, which is really a minimal amount of development when compared to the other characters in the movie.
But that is where the cat like masks the kids wear during the movie comes into play. Each of these masks gives them a individual personality, as you can identify each of the kids by the mask that they wear. Needless to say each of these masks can easily be defined as a “personality” and makes up for the lack of character development in the movie.
Animation:
The quality of the animation would be amazing from a big studio like Mad House or Gonzo, but this is a work of a four member production team called “Yamatoworks”. In fact, it was so good, that the President of Toei Animation, who also was present, said “If one person can make something like this, that we need to have several hundred people employed to do, we will soon be out on the streets!”.
The Movie creates a effective eerie dark design and atmosphere, thanks to the sporadic lighting effects from assorted lanterns and signs down to the glowing eyes of the demons. Which services to project the creepy horror tone to the viewer. Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek is an excellent example of how far independent Anime has come, and that such superb animation can come from such a small group of animators.
Sound:
The voice acting is great for every character in Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek. The cast includes Junko Takeuchi, best known as the voice actress for Naruto, playing the lead role of Hiroka. One thing that is prevalent in Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek is the sound quality.
Sound is a big part of Japanese horror and Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek upholds this old Japanese horror tradition. Things creep around and go bump in the night, lights flicker on and off, and the scream are horrifically realistic. Adding to the already dark and eerie atmosphere of the movie.
Enjoyment:
Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek is a highly enjoyable horror short movie with just the right amount of atmosphere and story telling to keep you nailed in front of the screen. Walking down a deserted street at night, has never seemed so surreal after watching this movie. As it is not hard to imagine that there is an demon right behind you following your every move.
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