Behind the scenes of HIDARI: The Stop-motion Samurai Film

After being betrayed by his peers and lost both his father and his right arm, legendary craftsman "Jingoro Hidari" is on a journey of revenge with his partner "Sleeping Cat" and his mechanical prosthetic arm. Finally, Jingoro faces one of his adversaries "Inumaru" in a fight to the death...

This music video was shot for Sour's 'Hibi no Neiro' (Tone of Everyday) from their first mini album 'Water Flavor EP'. The cast were selected from the actual Sour fan base, from many countries around the world. Each person and scene was filmed purely via webcam. The song is about discovering your own colour or voice in this world. The webcam provided the perfect medium on which to explore this. Not only did it alleviate the challenge of the non-existent budget but it also overcame the fact we couldn't film the band in person, given the fact the band live in Tokyo, and we all live in New York. Millions of people use webcams to express themselves everyday. What if these individuals were given the chance to collaborate? We felt the result could be pretty powerful and something that no-one had seen before. The video has been picked up by Japanese news, and was viewed 700,000 times in 20 days on YouTube, and has become the #1 Japanese animation film of all time on YouTube.

The short film series "Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition" presented by Studio Khara and Dwango Original projects, spin-off projects, promotional films, Music PV, and VJ Films etc... Various omnibus animations produced with love and energy, regardless of any genres. The digital distribution anime series bring opportunities for project development, R&D, human resources development, and free production under limited period and budget, to explore the possibilities of future film production.

Let’s take a journey during the four seasons with Ochibi! This is the stop motion animation which features the Japanese seasonal traditions.

Betrayed by those desperate to bury the secrets of Edo Castle’s reconstruction, Jingoro loses everything. His father figure, fiancée, and even his right arm. On the brink of despair, the legendary craftsman transforms his grief into an unyielding drive for vengeance. Armed with his extraordinary carpentry skills and a series of lethal mechanical prosthetic arms, Jingoro carves his own path to justice. With his loyal companion, the Sleeping Cat, he faces his enemies in a gripping tale of revenge and self-discovery.