Synopsis
The Acorns and the Wildcat is an unconventional short film presented in picture-book style, coming from the same creator behind Night on the Galactic Railroad and Gauche the Cellist. What makes it stand out from typical anime is its structure: a narrator reads Kenji's story aloud while the visuals consist of a sequence of warm, evocative illustrations, each animated with only the faintest touches of motion. If the film feels strangely familiar without being quite placeable, the reason is likely the exquisitely minimalist animation by Yasuhiro Nagura, who was the animation director on Mamoru Oshii's art-house 1986 feature Angel's Egg. On top of that, Kenji's wildcat is believed to have served as the inspiration for Miyazaki's Panda/Totoro creature. The choice to recite Kenji's story rather than act it out as a drama proves remarkably refreshing, with the author's enchanting language and narrative voice more than enough to keep the viewer engaged. Combined with dreamy music and stunning artwork, the result is a quietly charming, unassuming little treasure of a film.
