Kujira no Chouyaku

I found this by using anilist to search for OVAs that came out from 1980-1999, scrolling down past the most popular ones, and just clicking on whatever looked interesting. I think I will continue to do this regularly from now on because this hidden gem is not even remotely similar to any anime I've seen before. The art reminds me of storybooks my parents would read me as a kid, the setting is incredibley unique and leaves much to your imagination. The blending of 2D and 3D animation creates visuals that are mesmorizing to look at. The sound design is simple but it adds to ... the feeling of it being a low budget passion project. This is a work of art, and absolutely worth the 20 minutes it takes to watch it.

Kujira no Chouyaku is the embodiment of what can only be described as a peace of mind. Based on a children's book also by Tamura Shigeru, Kujira no Chouyaku focuses on the leap of a single whale through the glassy ocean and the memories it stirs up of people who witness this special event.

As per the English title (Glassy Ocean) this world's ocean is glass; people traverse the wavy glass landscape while fish still swim underfoot and glass marbles float around in the sky. If you think about it too hard, it seems more like an apocalyptic world rather than a peaceful place, but ... it still builds a world through the different stories told that really makes you say, "I want to go there," and experience the serenity that the many characters reminisce about.

The pacing and the voice acting are all outstanding to me. The visual are beautiful while simplistic, and the color scheme (black and white plus gradients of cool tones) sets the mood for the entire movie. The waves depicted in Kujira no Chouyaku are rendered in 3D when 3D was barely a thing while the rest is drawn digitally (I believe), so it is really an avante-garde piece.

However, what stood out most to me was the music, written by Utollo Teshikai (AKA Hiroshi Ogasawara). There's something very atmospheric in his music and melody that fits the visual perfectly. The mood conveys something dreamy and worry-free that is very unlike other media then or today.

As you can tell by now, I really enjoy Kujira no Chouyaki. It's admirable because it's not delivering something popular or something that will get attention, but communicating a feeling, and it's pretty damn good at it. I really hope you consider watching this masterpiece of a movie.

This film will dip you into the world where glass waves gently concern the green sky, where it is possible to bring the flying fishes who have stiffened in flight, where translucent sea inhabitants in whom there are small fishes, will sing to you slow, smooth and fluid, as water, the song. Here the jump of the whale who has come up from water lasts exactly six hours. And during this time it unites lives of many people — old friends meet about it, appointments are appointed … About the motionless stiffened huge body... And in each soul this body awakens something the best, ... any strange pacification, allowing to remember something such important, but long ago the forgotten …
I won't play a role elderly girl, fulling life experience and who have seen a lot of on her century... I will make the clever face slightly tired of misunderstanding, and I will surely declare: "I want to admit that after viewing didn't understand absolutely anything!" But now, only ten minutes later after the completion of viewing (minutes five it is still cunning on remembering where I am and who I am) understood that it is an anime especially and it is not necessary to understand. It establishes in soul peace and tranquillity, harmony with itself.
When you analyze this film, even it is somehow too petty and ridiculous to discuss such subtleties as graphics and music.
It is soft surrealism. And if you don't perceive such genre don't undertake at all viewing.Though, for the sake of interest you can look it. The film leaves unusual impression.