Ranked #4921

Eikyuu Kazoku

The overall design and animation was superb (just what you would expect from the director of Magnetic Rose and Beyond - 2 of my favorite short animated films). The 'story' was meant to unfold in an abstract fashion, but it was so disjointed and incoherent that it became annoying at times. It's definitely worth watching if you're into surreal images and experimental animation - but don't go in expecting much in the way of character development or plot (although it does make sense in its own unconventional way).

Hey look! It’s a dark and stoned Truman Show! … No, it’s not. This series was born as an unorthodox series of 53 little episodes of about 30 secs each and only later made into a whole for commercial purpose.

ART & SOUND SECTION: 7/10

The general feeling of the world in terms of genre categorization is a dystopian cyberpunk version of our modern world. Everything is dark colored, with rough edges and a feeling of ugliness and decay. You see crude and dirty skyscrapers, mingled in cables and other contraptions, all over the place.

The character figures are drawn in a way that is not reminiscent of mainstream anime. If it weren’t for the Japanese voices, you would easily mistake it for an experimental/alternative, low budgeted European production. It gets some points for originality but it loses them again for not being exceptional.

It has very good motion fluidity, as characters and objects move in a very rubbery and fast (but not realistic) way. There are various characters that dress in weird cloths and do pretty bizarre things, making the world a very unique but also disturbing place.

Music themes and voice acting were very few and low-toned but they aided in the grim atmosphere perfectly.

STORY & ENJOYMENT SECTION: 7/10

A family escapes the filming plateau and discovers that is being monitored as part of a reality game, causing the producers of the show and the fans to run amok.

At first, I thought it was just the anime version of the Truman Show. But then, I discovered that it is far more mature than that lukewarm movie.

-There are similarities in the way amoral people exploit the daily lives of others in order to make a buck. A good message; no matter the media presenting it. The producers of the show are a bunch of greedy money-hoarders who try to cover-up their mistakes with silly filler shows and solve all their problems with money.

-The fans of the show on the Outside World are a bunch of amoral idiots, who don’t really care about the well being of the reality family. They just want a show to look at and get famous by being close to other famous people. The producers offer a bounty for the capture of the family, and they brainlessly rush to get them without a second thought. It tells a lot about how people dehumanize before materialism and ephemeral fame.

-The family members themselves are quite buffed with everything that is going on. They realize that their lives were just a show but they are too scared and confused to do something about it. Everyone is trying to capture them and they never have a moment of peace after they discover the truth. In the end, they are captured and partially willingly get brainwashed to forget everything and return back to the show, like nothing happened. It tells a lot about how people are willing to stay in the dark, instead of risking and trying to solve the conspiracy that controls their lives.


So, the general theme of this movie is the way the modern world dehumanizes people and turns them into passive and materialistic zombies. It is a very good idea but the movie lasts too little, it is straightforward, without much dialogues and the subliminal messages are not given with a spoon. It is to be expected that it will feel quite silly to most viewers.

CHARACTER SECTION: 5/10
No prevailing characters or even character development exists in here. The reality family has very distinctive quirks and personalities but that does not make its members interesting as characters. They could have matured if they had tried to change their destiny but they were either captured or gave up and returned to their initial behaviors. The producers and the fans are just generic archetypes and not individual personalities. The entire cast deserves some credit for the realistic way they move and grim but that is all.

VALUE SECTION: 3/10
Pretty low. It is a good idea, born out of short sketches. But it lasts too little to make a solid impression. It is very good for the social messages in it but you will remember those without having to watch it twice.

VERDICT: 6/10
The accused is found … GUILTY! … of providing a summary and not a thorough essay.

SUGGESTION LIST
The Truman Show. A lukewarm movie with a similar (although inferior) premise. read more