Yukidoke (The Thaw) is a conceptual work. In of itself, it shows the viewer the perspective of a boy who sees a dog's carcass, and from then on plunges into his own fears. Due to the nature of the film being short, it doesn't leave a lot to see, but a lot to interpret. The visuals are haunting, disturbing, memorable. The sound, minimal, but droning. Dread is the key word here; it's heavy, demented, and sickly.
The negatives come with the character. There isn't much here in regards to that; the short film is more about the atmosphere, the feeling it gives, rather than the characters themselves.
Overall, this is a good short, not really meant to be considered "anime", but still important in terms of Japanese animation.
7/9/7/5/8/7
