With beautifully rendered backgrounds that feel scratchy and illustrative that give it a charm that more rendered images do not, Giovanni’s Island tale of children who live on Shikotan, a disputed territory between the Soviets and the Japanese. Under Soviet occupation, the populations mingle and interact although not without tension. However, the children, who all go to the same elementary school, are able to cross these barriers. It’s a beautiful story about how children are not inherently divisive as society is and that these prejudices have to be taught in order to survive. The children who end up speaking combined Japanese and Russian form fast friendships, ones that are still in threat of the conflict between the Soviets and Japanese on the island. The constant framing device of songs and fiction, particularly that of Night on the Galactic Railroad, add a flair of the fantastical to it all. The animation itself is great too, being able to handle more exaggerated expression and more subtle acting choices thanks to how the characters are designed.
With beautifully rendered backgrounds that feel scratchy and illustrative that give it a charm that more rendered images do not, Giovanni’s Island tale of children who live on Shikotan, a disputed territory between the Soviets and the Japanese. Under Soviet occupation, the populations mingle and interact although not without tension. However, the children, who all go to the same elementary school, are able to cross these barriers. It’s a beautiful story about how children are not inherently divisive as society is and that these prejudices have to be taught in order to survive. The children who end up speaking combined Japanese and Russian form fast friendships, ones that are still in threat of the conflict between the Soviets and Japanese on the island. The constant framing device of songs and fiction, particularly that of Night on the Galactic Railroad, add a flair of the fantastical to it all. The animation itself is great too, being able to handle more exaggerated expression and more subtle acting choices thanks to how the characters are designed.
