Shopping Guide
Ryo Hirano is a young filmmaker born in 1988 who draws a world different from ours in a charming way while using Japanese taste. He has completed his much-awaited new work, Paradise, and an event commemorating the release, “Hajimete no Trip,” will be held on Jan. 12 at Uplink in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The charm of Ryo Hirano’s works have a kind of psychedelic charm.
The charm of Ryo Hirano’s works lies in the multi-layered, mysterious story and characters and the world he creates. The occasion for people starting to notice his talent was a work called Kappa no Ude (2009), which won the grand prize of the 3rd Students’ Digital Media Contest, held in 2010 by Apple.
There is a Kappa whose arms are pulled out for a strange reason. His friend tries to save him, but ends up being dragged into something mysterious instead. Although this work includes some startling scenes, it is being cited for having a somewhat unique background that makes the viewers feel warm. The excellent direction and technological strength brought appreciation, making Hirano’s name widely known.
After that, he produced Holiday, a work we could say formed his position as a filmmaker. As Hirano says, it is a work themed around “water and humans” that depicts a story in a bizarre world, and it follows the trio of a newt, a girl, and a man who is, for some reason, naked. Holiday received the second prize at the 3rd Shimokitazawa Film Festival in 2011 and first prize at the 17th Student CG Contest the same year. It was also elected for judge’s recommendation in the animation category at the 15th Media Art Festival of the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
At the same festival, the 15th Media Art Festival of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, he received the Rookie of the Year Award for the MV of “Hietsuki Bushu,” a song by Soichi Terada’s music project, Omodaka.
“Hajimete no Trip” is an event that commemorates the completion of Hirano’s new short Paradise and offers a program fully packed with Hirano-style charm.
Paradise takes place in an sci-fi based world, and it revolves around a bear searching for his nose that has been cut by humans and a boy who works part-time at the cemetery of the space station as a cleaner. It will be screened three times due to the sponsor’s consideration and wish that “viewers taste mind-boggling developments in 20 minutes.” Hirano had the following to say about Paradise: “This time, I produced Paradise, an animation that’s about 20 minutes long. It is a completely original anime that follows after my graduation work, Holiday. It’s difficult to express its theme in a single word, but the story revolves around “teeth,” “pubic hair,” “radio waves,” “life,” and “traces.” The stage keeps changing and the story progresses as they intertwine, and mysterious scenes follow each other. I’d be very happy if you could enjoy it many times, as if you were travelling with the character costumes of the bear, the boy, or the tooth.” (from the event page on Uplink)
The event will also feature Hirano’s making of the jacket for Tanabata no Hito, an acoustic live with Tavito Nanao, a talk with Ito Gabin who has worked on many projects as an editor/creative director, and a handicraft exhibition with Miquraffreshia, an author who destroys the concept of handicrafts and rebuilds it.
Furthermore, Paradise DVDs with limited edition pamphlets will be sold at the venue. I want to stand witness as this new talent sets out to surprise not only Japan but the entire world.
Source: Kai-You
Source article written by Shun Takeda
