Shanshui Qing

The joyful tune traversed the serene, painted landscape via a vibration that propagated an audible wave of which cannot be seen, but only heard. The wave of pressure pierced the old sage’s ear drums, alerting him to the presence of a young, vivacious heart who’s spiritual vase had yet to be filled with the wisdoms of the world. But the sage had neither the time nor the willingness to instruct the uncouth adolescent, as he remained steadfast in his cryptic journey.

Nevertheless.

Fate, as one would conjecture, inhibited his forward progression, forcing him to recuperate and recognize his last objective before his demise. Knowledge, ... after all, is a precious gift, one which must be transferred to the next generation to carry the luminescent “spirt” of the past into the future; thus, propelling mankind further into enlightenment through the “standing on the shoulders of giants.” The guqin juxtaposed the jaunty tune of the flute with its methodical, quiet sounds. It offered sophistication and clarity via its demand for meticulous precision, rather than violent strumming. A test of patience, if you will. A reward of delayed gratification, which cannot be realized until the process of learning has been fulfilled.

Such is life.

And just as life capitulates to the inexorable flow of time, humans, too, must purposefully accept the natural flow of the world around them. The flowing streams must be followed in their natural direction and not against it, to avoid unwanted struggle. A guqin should be played in a scrupulous, unhurried fashion, to prevent undesirable tones which may hurt the ears. And the end of a life must be seen as a fulfilled journey with a passing of understanding to the next generation, instead of clinging to possession(s) which cannot be transported into death. If one wishes to live a simple life, they must live simply. Listen to the music. Respect and understand nature. And pass your teachings on to others.

Simple. Yet so beautiful.

I do not believe that a beautiful short film such as Shanshui Qing deserves the low score that it has garnered on MAL. Yes, some of you may be right when you say that this is an old Anime, and yes, some of you might be turned off by the general score that this short film has, but I assure you that those things do not mean much in the grander scale of things. This short movie was made in the ancient year of 1988, yes, but the animation is still fluid and the visuals are still beautiful to look at, unlike most of the ... Anime that came out during that era. The music is some of the most calming in Anime too, and while this short film does not have any semblance of dialogue, it still manages to create enticing scenery throughout it’s short run and convey it’s message without uttering a single word.

The thing about Shanshui Qing, which separates it from other Anime, is that it is relaxing to look at and experience. Rarely is there an Anime where the feeling of comfort is prevalent all the way through while watching. Shanshui Qing does that, it relaxes the viewer, and it is as peaceful as they come. The beautiful imagery, accompanied by the pleasant music, gently grabs the viewer to undergo a dreamlike experience. Shanshui Qing has no dialogue during the entirety of it’s run, only the pleasant music playing over the short’s beautiful visuals. The only two characters the movie has do not utter a single word, only their actions speak for themselves, where they experience life and it’s stages together as a master and his apprentice.

Here is where Shanshui Qing truly shines. It does not need several characters, nor does it need loads of information and dialogue to convey a beautiful message to it’s viewers. It is unaffected by time, as the beauty still looks visually pleasing today. All Shanshui Qing ever needed were passion and vision. It may be simple, but simplicity is not always bad, and Shanshui Qing is an example of that.

Shanshui Qing, to put it simply, is a simple short that does not need complexity to be a beautiful work of art.

Yikes. This is probably the silliest user score I've seen on all of MAL. Feelings of Mountains and Waters is an important, masterful film, and it deserves much higher than a 6. Regardless, on to the review.

One of the most beautiful short films ever, Feelings of Mountains and Waters is like a painting come to life. Themes the film explores include the majesty of nature, the wonder of music, the love between a master and an apprentice, and death, all in a completely dialogue free 18 minutes.

Some films just speak for themselves and don't lend themselves very well to review, this is definitely ... one of them. It's easy to track down and there aren't any language or age restrictions, so I suggest you just watch it and experience it for yourself.

Wei's last work brings together a lot of elements that characterize his filmography and marks his departure from directing animated shorts. A final homage to the Chinese painting, this time in Shan shui style, to the Guqin music, and to the rather common motif of passing along one's virtuosity in favor of self-cultivation. It intends to evoke a nostalgic feeling, a sentiment of longing for what is no more, perhaps serving as a metaphor to his own creative work which ends up serving as both reference and inspiration to any spiritual successor. It can be anything really, insofar as it remains a largely conceptual piece ... whose core is meant to be deciphered in the depths of our right hemisphere. Maybe I'm inflating it. I'd easily argue the last scene is far more powerful than the rest, as the young boatman looking at the white canvas comprises so many possible emotions. Among the best shorts around, it definitely leaves an impression, however slight.

The review will be in English and Portuguese/A resenha vai estar em inglês e português.

Feeling from Mountain and Water or Shan Shui Qing is a short film produced by Te Wei. His brush and ink artwork provides an even more lush experience, blending in with his harmonica and Qing sound. the OST is well crafted in its rhythm and very touching, which makes it very relaxing. His art transmits at all times a certain subtle development of characters, transmitting in the scenery transformations of the exterior and interior of nature and even about emotions. These shorts will always have an enhanced beauty to me. As ... much as it doesn't have dialogues, its proposal role is very well fulfilled, so 10/10.

PT BR: Feeling from Mountain and Water ou Shan Shui Qing é um curta-metragem produzido por Te Wei.
Sua arte com pincel e tinta proporciona uma experiência ainda mais exuberante, misturando-se com sua gaita e som Qing. a OST é bem trabalhada em seu ritmo e muito tocante, o que a torna muito relaxante. Sua arte transmite a todo momento um certo desenvolvimento sutil de personagens, transmitindo no cenário transformações do exterior e interior da natureza e até sobre emoções. Esses shorts sempre terão uma beleza realçada para mim. Por mais que não tenha diálogos, seu papel de proposta é muito bem cumprido, então 10/10.