Childlike Imagination
Anime
I'm trying to keep the characters as young as possible because these works tend to present more imaginative, even incoherent, segments, often due to a limited perspective or understanding of the world inhabited by the characters. Typically, this entails engagement with the unknown or unfamiliar or scenarios that are not fully grasped, and tapping into that feeling is easiest with children. This can include ordinary life expressed in an abstract way in Googuri Googuri, the augmented reality of Dennou Coil, or the dream world of Little Nemo. Initially, the list was meant to catalog independent short films with imaginative transitions, as I feel these capture the tone of what I'm going for best, but there aren't enough good ones that meet my criteria.
Former candidates and removed entries:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/2290/Superflat_Monogram
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1979/Tobira_wo_Akete_1995
https://myanimelist.net/anime/8333/Kodomo_no_Keijijougaku
https://myanimelist.net/anime/34634/Sakana_no_Iu_Koto_wo_Kiku
https://myanimelist.net/anime/3760/Grimm_Douwa__Kin_no_Tori
Former candidates and removed entries:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/2290/Superflat_Monogram
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1979/Tobira_wo_Akete_1995
https://myanimelist.net/anime/8333/Kodomo_no_Keijijougaku
https://myanimelist.net/anime/34634/Sakana_no_Iu_Koto_wo_Kiku
https://myanimelist.net/anime/3760/Grimm_Douwa__Kin_no_Tori
TV, 2007,
26 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Far removed from the original intent of the list, and the core cast is older here than many of the shorts, but the varying ages being immersed in augmented reality fits well.
OVA, 2001,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:9
Okay, they're kittens, but if you replaced them with kids, it'd be close enough. Surreal death trip.
Movie, 2016,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:9
Incredible atmosphere as the two children wander a strange world that approximates an animal husbandry cycle, so they can eat more hamburgers lol.
Movie, 2017,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:9
Miyajima's style is perfect for depicting a technology in its infancy according to a child's imagination.
Movie, 2018,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:9
This short is unique for being a stop motion short in first person POV, so it's one of the most immersive dreamlike animations I've seen, and there's a palpable nostalgia and sense of accessing memories you didn't even know you had, like when there's that uncertainty as to whether you're recalling a memory that actually occurred or one that you just dreamt. There's also a sense of this being viewed through the lens of childhood.
Movie, 2008,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
Probably the most childish-looking Ghibli film. Like a coloring book come to life, filled with sea critters and strange underwater worlds.
Special, 1987,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
Many people seem to prefer the 1984 pilot by Yoshifumi Kondo, and while the 1980 pilot is worthwhile, it's easily the weakest of the three. The final production that resulted out of this massive project was a decent albeit disappointing film. However, it's the 1987 pilot from Osamu Dezaki that is easily the most dreamlike and fantastical, as well as being a great technical piece, showcasing a greater vision for the eventual film, as opposed to the well-executed "chase" sequence from Kondo.
1980 pilot:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/49117/Little_Nemo_Pilot
1984 pilot:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/13789/Little_Nemo_Pilot_1984
1989 film:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/2286/Little_Nemo
1980 pilot:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/49117/Little_Nemo_Pilot
1984 pilot:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/13789/Little_Nemo_Pilot_1984
1989 film:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/2286/Little_Nemo
Special, 2016,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
I'm not actually sure how old these "kids" are supposed to be, but... OK, OK, they're not even humans—they're vegetables: a humanoid head of cabbage and a pea pod lol. But the storytelling in the beginning, the strange happenings, and the careless playing in the "dream world" (???) all come across as whimsical, but this becomes sad and dark.
Movie, 2021,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
One of the shorts I had in mind when I decided to make the list. As far as I know, subtitles are not available yet, and there's a fair amount of dialogue, but the short has such an incredible visual style and tells its story well enough through visual cues that it's understandable. An excellent short about the childhood experience with death, and it has phenomenal transitions. The blurry, naive, childlike images often have a pixelated quality, bringing to mind the pointillism (dots) of someone like Georges Seurat in motion and resembling a distant memory.
Music, 2019,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
Creative and colorful music video that's constantly shifting.
Movie, 2016,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
Covers childhood for a chunk of the short in a fairly creative manner.
Music, 2021,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
Listed as a music video, but it's directed like a short film. A Chinese take on Alice and Wonderland.
Movie, 2012,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
A fantasy/isekai coming of age. I'm mostly adding this for the scenes with fireflies, miscellany involving the village and growing up, and select animated sequences, primarily from Shinya Ohira and Shinji Hashimoto—in particular, the flashback involving the motorcycle and the scene with the boy and girl running down a pathway with lamps are some of my favorites.
Movie, 1998,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
A fun fantasy film directed by Takashi Nakamura.
Movie, 2010,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
Old-fashioned child abuse presented in a metaphorical way and depicted in a lavish paint on glass style.
Movie, 2019,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
Technically, this doesn't fit, as this features a "stuffed animal," but it does have a childlike feel to it, albeit in a very disturbing way. There are also a few children who briefly appear, which just makes it even more disturbing...
Movie, 1988,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
A classic children's film that has a bit of a dreamlike atmosphere. Especially meeting Totoro and the cat bus.
Special, 2002,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
A cute short that gets overlooked in favor of longer-form Ghibli. A number of other Ghibli works could be included.
Movie, 2005,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Unlike the majority of shorts of here, this one is eerie, dark, and oppressive. Has a children's play and is partly from the perspective of a child, but the flow of events and the "dementia" style fits the list well.
OVA, 1988,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Wonderful atmosphere and surreal, which makes this strange childhood tale more poignant.
Movie, 2015,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
A nice story featuring the bond between a mother and child, twined together through folklore. Paint on glass animation almost always results in compelling transitions.
Special, 2001,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Lots of nice animation here. The film could probably work as well, and it has a lot of emotive character acting, but the pilot is vivid in its condensation of elaborate scenes. Plus, a lot of nice work from Ohira, Hashimoto, Oohashi, etc.
Film version:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1116/Junkers_Come_Here
Film version:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1116/Junkers_Come_Here
Movie, 2010,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Another main choice, as this features numerous transitions, distorting time and space.
Music, 2020,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Just a fun combination of colorful visuals and imaginative landscapes set to Snail's House.
Movie, 2019,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Insane transitions and perspective from the child in this paint on glass animation. It's just a bathhouse, but it feels like something out of this world.
Music, 2019,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Quite child-like in appearance and has the transitions common to the paint on glass style.
Music, 2020,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Kind of sappy, but it's paint on glass, and you can expect good transitions.
Movie, 2018,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
This has a "prosaic" aspect that so many stop motion shorts tend to have, but it does blur fairy tale and reality in a manner that makes it work better.
Movie, 2013,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
There's some extreme distortion on this one—squishy and stretchy like a rubber band in style. Definitely interesting for its animation.
Movie, 2015,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
Basically... a non-violent Jurassic Park for kids... It's cute.
TV Special, 1995,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
Mostly of interest for being sand animation and having nice transitions.
Movie, 2011,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
While not as polished as I had hoped, this has a fuzzy, granular image from the past, and it depicts a strange coming of age for a young girl as her grandmother's mental state deteriorates to that of a child.
Movie, 2005,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
To find out what it's like to be raised by a telephone pole.
Movie, 2010,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
Not really into this, but it has some interesting transitions.
Movie, 2019,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
A simple horror short with an intense contrast of playing and bullying and humanity and monsters. The animation similarly ranges from limited to extravagant.
