Pukapuka Juju

Synopsis

Mika longs to go to the beach with her father, but his hectic work schedule and fear of the water usually stand in the way. No matter how many times she tries, he gets called away on weekends, leaving Mika disheartened. After yet another canceled outing, Mika distracts herself by playing in a small inflatable pool with her favorite toy, Juju, a blow-up dugong. Suddenly, Juju comes to life and suggests taking her to the ocean instead of her dad. As Mika clings to Juju, she starts to understand that this surprising trip may lead to unexpected adventures.

Background

Pukapuka Juju is one of the four anime works that received funding from the 2011 Young Animator Training Project, titled Anime Mirai 2012. The anime short shared the Grand Prize in the Feature Films category of the 17th Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival in 2013, alongside the project's other shorts.