Nido to Mezamenu Komoriuta

Wow. This is a really rough show to watch. I will say up front that it is not very good, but its importance definitely outweighs its quality.

It took one man (Hiroshi Harada) three years to create this 25-minute movie on his own. It's amateur. And crude. With lots of quick cuts and weird scenes, which only add to its experimental nature. After he finished this, he went on to adapt one of the most famous "guro" anime of all time: Mr. Arashi's Freak Show (also almost a one-man effort, and probably the most difficult anime ... I've ever watched).

"Guro" is a genre of anime you don't hear of much in America - basically it is the fetishization of gore, intentionally being as explicit, bloody and offensive as possible. This work definitely edges into that direction, even if there's not much actual gore itself. But the feeling and theme is definitely there, and you can think of this sort of a precursor to Mr. Arashi's Freak Show, as Harada is improving his craft.

There isn't really a story or plot to this. It's really two stories superimposed over each other - a small one and a large one. The more immediate smaller story is about a young, poor, lonely boy with an extremely pronounced "deppa" underbite tooth, who is relentlessly bullied for his difference, without any relief from anyone, anywhere. The larger story (that gets more pronounced towards the end) is the forced modernization/construction of the Narita Airport as it overtakes and destroys the old neighborhood. Although not explicitly said, the two are interlocked in this dark, thematic tale.

Going into this, do not expect a polished work. It is VERY raw. It has many problems. It is very difficult to watch. Some parts do not connect or make sense. Some of it is quite offensive. It's experimental, and art-school. But if you are looking for an anime that has a message and is totally different from almost everything else you've watched, this fits the bill.