Kenji
Miyazawa’s Night on the Galactic Railroad
is the one Japanese children’s book non-Japanese speakers might know and even
own. It has been adapted as anime features and inspired films like Giovanni’s Island. Miyazawa’s story “Kaze
no Matasaburo” might not be as familiar to English audiences, but it was also
the subject of several feature treatments. The characters of Miyazawa’s classic
tale have been reconceived as anthropomorphic animals (as was often the case
with Railroad) and the narrative is
simplified, but the purity of spirit remains in Hiroki Yamada’s animated short Matasaburo of the Wind (trailer here), which screens
during the 2017 Fantasia International Film Festival.
Even
though summer is fast approaching, Saburo Takada has transferred to a remote
provincial school. In this case, the city native is rather stunned to find
herself sharing a classroom with a bear, a tortoise, a rabbit, a frog, and an
earthworm—as fellow students. There is also a human boy who rather fancies her.
Much to his annoyance, some of friends get it into their heads she is
Matasaburo, the son of the wind god, because she arrived in such gusty weather.
Its rubbish of course (starting with her being a girl), but she will have a
fateful encounter with the real Matasaburo.
Yamada’s
deceptively simple animation is packed with warmth and nostalgic goodness. The
streamlining of the story boils it down to its essence, but the
twentysome-minute running time is still long enough to feel substantial. The
supportive but unobtrusive score further heightens vibe of summer rain and
cicadas chirping. This really is bitter-sweetness at its sweetest.
After
watching Wind, a complete
retrospective of films based on or inspired by Miyazawa’s work suddenly sounds
like a heck of a nifty idea. Yamada’s adaptation is just good for what ails
you. Very highly recommended, Matasaburo
of the Wind screens this afternoon (7/30), as part of the Fragments of Asia shorts block at this
year’s Fantasia. Kang Heekyung’s superhero romance Rainbow also screens as part of the block. It is also sweet and
well-meaning, but it cannot match the charm and depth of Matasaburo.
