Memories
Dir: Kôji Morimoto, Tensai Okamura, Katsuhiro Ohtomo
2004
****
Memories is a collection of three unrelated Manga animations, each one made by a different director and with their own unique styles. Magnetic Rose, directed by Kôji Morimoto is the serious short that sees 2 astronauts trapped in a fantastical world aboard an unmanned spaceship. It's beautifully animated and aptly dark and mysterious, it's almost a shame that it wasn't made into a feature length film. Stink Bomb, directed by Tensai Okamura seems to be the least popular film of the three among viewers but I rather liked it. It is full of the odd, somewhat surreal humour that many Manga films are known for and it breaks up the two other films rather well - again, a feature length version or even a real life version (directed by either Joon-ho Bong or Joon-Hwan Jang) would be awesome! Last of all, Cannon Fodder, directed by Katsuhiro Ohtomo has a much more serious tone but a more childlike style of animation. It's quite Orwellian in its idea and like an Asian LS Lowry in its style (if you can picture such a thing). It's probably the most thought-provoking and original of the three films but I would say they are all equally good in their own different ways.