i'm quite fond of the nine Animatrix, superbly made companion pieces, interesting stories that surround and supplement the matrix world established by the movies, and along with both parts of the Second Renaissance this is certainly my favourite; i prefer it even to that aforementioned Second Ren origin story. this is despite the fact that this tells perhaps the least significant story of the nine; two others tell stories directly linked to Reloaded, and the other four are examinations of escape from the matrix, converting machines to the human cause, choosing between the matrix and the war in the real world and a detective getting caught up in a battle between Trinity and agents.
the story of this title is thin, flighty and seemingly diversionary like a few of the others; it is a neo-fantastical tale of a girl whose cat goes AWOL at feeding time and who goes searching for it; a couple of capricious kids take her to a haunted house where all manner of spectacular, unnatural and illogical wonders take place, such as rain from the sunny sky, floating objects, displaced shadows, weird fluctuations inside the building, doors to voids which contain echos of your thoughts etc.
it's a dilapidated ruin but the kids make games of and delight in the impossible twists in the laws of physics in the place and play. the girl joins them when she finds her cat. however, agents have identified the place and set out to fix the bugs and reconfigure the glitches. as they get near rats swarm the previously calm building and then the agents break in and kick the kids out. the next day they and the girl return but the magic is gone.
this title is a sea of tranquillity and calm beauty amidst all the style, conflict, struggle, philosophy and bleak post-apocalyptic ruin of the matrix universe, and the tone of the anime and little hints along the way reveal the true purpose and observation of the story. to elaborate, the story begins with a sped up montage of a city centre road crossing and a busy office. monotonous, churning, busy, reliable and ordered. then, a green computer screen moves over to the haunted house. it's glitches and bugs and pathways and malfunctioning routines in this old house and surrounding gardens but the kids who have found it play with and make games out of them.
this is the distinction between the machines and people; where the former see errors, the latter see the changes in reality there and revel in them, they see them as fun, beauty and wonder. the house even seems to react to that, with bright oceans of light and an ability the kids find to make the rules of gravity and time and so forth up as they go along and manipulate them in their harmless, innocent games, enjoying the carefree abandon in the impossible playground. the rats spew out, seemingly in reaction to the approaching agents who arrive as they do.
after the house is built over and glitches and bugs fixed, the kids return but the magic is gone and everything behaves normally. disgruntled, they saunter away, while the girl picks the formerly floating can up and drops it. it rolls over to the house, and the girl studies blood dripping from her hand. she was touched by the random magic and craves more, and an entrancing slowed drop of blood drips to the ground. the title ends with another look at the inner city crossing, as order has been again restored. but for a brief window, there was magic in the world, and the people rejoiced in it.
the delightful tranquil atmosphere of the short is helped by the animation. it's suburban Japan with shrubs and gates and houses everywhere and every scene is over-arched by a bright sunny day, things and backgrounds shimmering and glowing over their crisp outlines in the great weather. Studio 4°C did a good job with their Animatrix projects but this is probably their nicest effort. the music is evocative and perfect for the piece, haunting, dreamy, ambient and rhythmic. director Koji Morimoto and the considerable cast and crew do a great job of taking a simply story and making something beautiful and poignant out of it.
Beyond is an observation on beauty and a calming panorama of creativity in the face of monotony and it celebrates the fun that can be squeezed out of even a system of control. the flower is stamped on but it makes its mark. it is a wonderful piece of animation that goes beyond its insignificant little story in the grand scheme of the franchise and presents a touching beauty in the eye of its beholders that is witnessed and interacted with to gorgeous effect even among authoritarian agents and the dreamworld of the matrix.
the story of this title is thin, flighty and seemingly diversionary like a few of the others; it is a neo-fantastical tale of a girl whose cat goes AWOL at feeding time and who goes searching for it; a couple of capricious kids take her to a haunted house where all manner of spectacular, unnatural and illogical wonders take place, such as rain from the sunny sky, floating objects, displaced shadows, weird fluctuations inside the building, doors to voids which contain echos of your thoughts etc.
it's a dilapidated ruin but the kids make games of and delight in the impossible twists in the laws of physics in the place and play. the girl joins them when she finds her cat. however, agents have identified the place and set out to fix the bugs and reconfigure the glitches. as they get near rats swarm the previously calm building and then the agents break in and kick the kids out. the next day they and the girl return but the magic is gone.
this title is a sea of tranquillity and calm beauty amidst all the style, conflict, struggle, philosophy and bleak post-apocalyptic ruin of the matrix universe, and the tone of the anime and little hints along the way reveal the true purpose and observation of the story. to elaborate, the story begins with a sped up montage of a city centre road crossing and a busy office. monotonous, churning, busy, reliable and ordered. then, a green computer screen moves over to the haunted house. it's glitches and bugs and pathways and malfunctioning routines in this old house and surrounding gardens but the kids who have found it play with and make games out of them.
this is the distinction between the machines and people; where the former see errors, the latter see the changes in reality there and revel in them, they see them as fun, beauty and wonder. the house even seems to react to that, with bright oceans of light and an ability the kids find to make the rules of gravity and time and so forth up as they go along and manipulate them in their harmless, innocent games, enjoying the carefree abandon in the impossible playground. the rats spew out, seemingly in reaction to the approaching agents who arrive as they do.
after the house is built over and glitches and bugs fixed, the kids return but the magic is gone and everything behaves normally. disgruntled, they saunter away, while the girl picks the formerly floating can up and drops it. it rolls over to the house, and the girl studies blood dripping from her hand. she was touched by the random magic and craves more, and an entrancing slowed drop of blood drips to the ground. the title ends with another look at the inner city crossing, as order has been again restored. but for a brief window, there was magic in the world, and the people rejoiced in it.
the delightful tranquil atmosphere of the short is helped by the animation. it's suburban Japan with shrubs and gates and houses everywhere and every scene is over-arched by a bright sunny day, things and backgrounds shimmering and glowing over their crisp outlines in the great weather. Studio 4°C did a good job with their Animatrix projects but this is probably their nicest effort. the music is evocative and perfect for the piece, haunting, dreamy, ambient and rhythmic. director Koji Morimoto and the considerable cast and crew do a great job of taking a simply story and making something beautiful and poignant out of it.
Beyond is an observation on beauty and a calming panorama of creativity in the face of monotony and it celebrates the fun that can be squeezed out of even a system of control. the flower is stamped on but it makes its mark. it is a wonderful piece of animation that goes beyond its insignificant little story in the grand scheme of the franchise and presents a touching beauty in the eye of its beholders that is witnessed and interacted with to gorgeous effect even among authoritarian agents and the dreamworld of the matrix.