The dog also walks and hits an animated film. No.8] You've never seen an animated film like this!　A fun feature film with no dialogue for 85 minutes "Shaun the Sheep: Back to the Home Movie

We want to meet more and more anime that excite our hearts, anime that will cheer us up tomorrow, and anime that we will always love!　We will introduce you to anime that are hot at the moment, regardless of whether they are new releases or long-term favorites.

No dialogue, no prior knowledge!　Still, the detailed expressions and gestures draw you in, and the fun!

If you go to see the movie without knowing about the TV series "Shaun the Sheep," you will be saying, "What? I was surprised. If you watch this movie without knowing the TV series "Shaun the Sheep," you will think, "What?

Yes, there is no dialogue. The main character is a sheep that communicates with other sheep and sheepdogs by gestures, but does not speak any human language. Since the story is told from the sheep's point of view, the rancher and other humans also speak, but they do not speak meaningful words. The story moves along as it is.

It was not until after watching the film that I remembered that there was no subtitled or dubbed version listed in the screening schedule (......).

When watching a movie produced in a foreign country, the inevitable question is "subtitled or dubbed?　or the dubbed version?" Even if it is not a live-action movie but an animated movie, it is still an unavoidable question. This is true even if the movie is not a live-action movie but an animated one.

If you want to enjoy the atmosphere of the original language, go for the subtitled version. However, the disadvantage is that you can't concentrate on the screen because you are distracted by reading the subtitles. On the other hand, with the dubbed version, you can concentrate on the screen and, above all, it is easier to understand. However, the dubbed version has its disadvantages as well, since the voice and acting may not be to my liking.

There is an unexpected solution to this problem. There is no dialogue!

This is a technique often seen in short animations broadcast on NHK E-television ("Shaun the Sheep" is one of them), but it is amazing that an 85-minute feature film can be made with this technique.

It is basically a slapstick comedy, and there is never a dull moment. The film is sometimes heartwarming, and the climax is tense and exciting, with a slow and steady buildup. The film makes you laugh, surprises you, and shakes your emotions, while also providing an upsurge and a downsurge of drama that is quite captivating.

Warmth of Clay Animation is Comfortable

This is the latest long-awaited feature film by Aardman Animations, the world's leading clay animation studio.

The character Shaun the Sheep originally appeared in the third film in the popular "Wallace and Gromit" series, "Wallace and Gromit in Peril! (released in the UK in 1995).

This year, Sean made his first appearance in "Wallace and Gromit in Peril! This year marks the 20th anniversary of Sean's first appearance in "Wallace and Gromit, Crisis! A commemorative project is underway.

Wallace and Gromit in "Wallace and Gromit, Crisis! is a little lamb, a bit different from the tough and mischievous Shaun in "Shaun the Sheep," but I must say that Shaun is really cute in "Wallace and Gromit," too, and a must-see for fans. (And don't forget to check out Gromit, the intelligent, quiet pooch who talks about his joys and sorrows with his eyes!)

One thing that has remained constant at Aardman Animations since the days of "Wallace and Gromit" is the use of clay animation.

Clay means clay. Clay means clay, and the animation is created by taking time-lapse photographs of clay models, moving the parts of the model little by little. Clay animation is also called "stop-motion animation." In addition to clay animation, there are puppet animation, sand animation, and paper animation.

Clay animation produced by Aardman Animations is also made of clay. Compared to the days of "Wallace and Gromit," the amount of money and manpower spent on clay animation has increased dramatically, and the resulting images are truly stunning.

Now that 3DCG animation technology has advanced, it would be possible to create similar images using CG. Even so, the images of the three-dimensional world created in miniature are full of joy that cannot be replaced by anything else.

To be extravagant and selfish, I had a feeling that Aardman's animation should not be too nicely big ....... I'm happy to see a rise in the level of perfection, but the handmade feel of the early days of "Wallace and Gromit," when the characters had a little bit of the creator's fingerprints on them, was also something that I couldn't get rid of. If I were to use an analogy, it was like the boy next door who secretly showed me his secret toy box.

Therefore, I thought that it would be a little insufficient if the prints were so "splendid" that they could be mistaken for computer graphics (......).

But Aardman Animations knows what it's doing. As far as I can tell from the film, the analog, familiar, and not-too-sophisticated taste has been well maintained.

In the pamphlet, animation artist Koji Yamamura says, "The technique of smudging is very good," and I nodded my head in agreement. It is this kind of detail that gives life to the screen.

The comical and expressive movements of the characters are hard to take your eyes off of them because there is no dialogue. The artwork and accessories are also a delight. When the camera is pulled back for long shots, there is a surprising sense of scale, and when it comes in for close-ups, even the smallest items are realistically rendered.

The characters are easy to relate to and the story is simple and easy to understand. That is why you can concentrate on the images. You can truly enjoy what you see on the screen. You will fully enjoy the feeling that this is what the fun of animation is all about (......).

Children will be delighted by the deep expressions, and adults will grin with delight.

Children and non-English speaking people will probably understand the fun of this film without dialogue. The comical movements of the characters are amusing in themselves, and the sense of success in outwitting the hateful antagonist is exciting.

However, when you think about it, there are some interesting aspects that are difficult to convey to children.

Take, for example, this scene.

Sean and his friends negotiate with a chicken farmer in order to achieve their own goal. The chickens meet secretly in a corner of the rancher's yard, hiding from the rancher, and the scene resembles a scene of a sale of a dangerous product.

Sean gives the chickens a bunch of slices of his favorite bread as a reward for doing what he asked them to do. The chicken quickly counts them with a practiced hand, then gives a frustrated "tsk" and silently nods something. Sean, in response, says, "Oh, dear," and adds another piece of bread. The two (one fish and one bird!) nodded at each other. They nodded at each other and quickly left the place.

This is a funny scene, and it will be better understood by adults who can understand that it is a parody of a common scene.

If you can understand it, it is more amusing. But even if you don't understand it, it doesn't matter. It is perfectly acceptable to understand it in the same way that you understand "those two are doing something bad, aren't they?

That's what anime should have been about in the first place. The gap between reality and dreaming is connected with cartoonish recklessness, and the audience is made to laugh and feel nervous! It makes you laugh, keeps you on the edge of your seat, makes your heart beat wildly, and even makes you cry a little.

This is a film that I hope "anime fans" will watch because it reminds us of the origins of anime, which we tend to forget these days because we are so concerned with the details. I am sure you will fall in love with Sean and clay animation.

(Text by YAMAYU)