Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters

Taking place within the Oshii’s Kerberos Saga, an alternate-world where Nazi Germany won World War II and eventually denazified, Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of Fast Foot Grifters examines Japanese identity through the lens of dine-and-dashers, their preferred food, and the exact nature of their cons. Initially understanding the this con artistry as a necessity of those in squalor and decline, Oshii’s film builds an alternate history that still mirrors the real world but to ridiculous extents. One such ridiculous extent is the idea that tachigui, or eating while standing up, has been outlawed. This snowballs into the idea of there being “Tachigui Masters”, people who are so good at dining and dashing that they have achieved legendary status. Throughout the film, the quality of food offered and the types of food offered changes, keeping in line with Japan’s rapid westernization in our world, but from roots of being under control of an authoritative foreign regime as opposed to having to rebuild from destruction of the atomic bomb.

The “Superlivemation” style of animation created by Oshii works well as an initial gimmick, but doesn’t really hold up as a aesthetic “glue” between individual segments about Tachigui Masters. The combination of photography and live action footage with 3D animation in a cross-hybrid between stop motion and cg creates uncanny atmospheres suitable for the crapsack world of Kerberos Saga, but a lot of the dynamism offered is only showcased in “showdowns” between Tachigui Masters and the chefs and cooks unfortunate enough to have to cook their meals. Between these segments are mostly collage photos and footage, creating a pseudo-documentary feel that is the framework for the entire film but fails to live up to the ludicrousness of the concept. As a continued evolution of Oshii’s superlivemation style, it’s incredibly interesting, but people not familiar with the technique or Kerberos Saga will probably not get too much out of this.

Taking place within the Oshii’s Kerberos Saga, an alternate-world where Nazi Germany won World War II and eventually denazified, Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of Fast Foot Grifters examines Japanese identity through the lens of dine-and-dashers, their preferred food, and the exact nature of their cons. Initially understanding the this con artistry as a necessity of those in squalor and decline, Oshii’s film builds an alternate history that still mirrors the real world but to ridiculous extents. One such ridiculous extent is the idea that tachigui, or eating while standing up, has been outlawed. This snowballs into the idea of there being “Tachigui Masters”, people who are so good at dining and dashing that they have achieved legendary status. Throughout the film, the quality of food offered and the types of food offered changes, keeping in line with Japan’s rapid westernization in our world, but from roots of being under control of an authoritative foreign regime as opposed to having to rebuild from destruction of the atomic bomb.

The “Superlivemation” style of animation created by Oshii works well as an initial gimmick, but doesn’t really hold up as a aesthetic “glue” between individual segments about Tachigui Masters. The combination of photography and live action footage with 3D animation in a cross-hybrid between stop motion and cg creates uncanny atmospheres suitable for the crapsack world of Kerberos Saga, but a lot of the dynamism offered is only showcased in “showdowns” between Tachigui Masters and the chefs and cooks unfortunate enough to have to cook their meals. Between these segments are mostly collage photos and footage, creating a pseudo-documentary feel that is the framework for the entire film but fails to live up to the ludicrousness of the concept. As a continued evolution of Oshii’s superlivemation style, it’s incredibly interesting, but people not familiar with the technique or Kerberos Saga will probably not get too much out of this.