Memories (1995)

A trio of anime shorts made by notable genre directors, each one based on a story by Katsuhiro Ôtomo, creator of the seminal Akira (1988).
01. Magnetic Rose (Dir. Kōji Morimoto). Four space-garbage collectors respond to a mayday call and get more than they bargained for. Written by Satoshi Kon, who adds his reality-bending skills to Ôtomo's. Music by Yoko Kanno.
02. Stink Bomb (Dir. Tensai Okamura). For a regular bio-lab worker, what starts out as a simple cold turns into the worst day of his life. More comedic than the other two, it nevertheless has a serious side with a grave message.

03. Cannon Fodder (Dir. Katsuhiro Ôtomo). An Orwellian setting with some masterful world-building. It's like a showcase for the freedom that animation offers over live action, specifically with location panning and movement.

3½ trajectories out of 5

Short Peace (2013)

Kōji Morimoto's anime intro is followed by four short animations from Shūhei Morita, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Hiroaki Andô, and Hajime Katoki, respectively. Each one takes a different thematic approach to its subject, but all in some way represent Japan and capture a little of what makes it unique. Subjects include culture, religion, passion, folklore, noble sacrifice and post-war concerns, set as far back as the Sengoku Era and up to the near future. They’re all created digitally but animation styles differ from one to the next. The first is the only one that looks awkward, being too digital in nature. In contrast, the second is a loving nod to emakimono, even down to the perspectives used.

4 protective measures out of 5

World Apartment Horror (1991)

The first live action feature from Ôtomo (the director of Akira (1988)), was from a story written by Satoshi Kon. Being a fan of both men’s work meant I was understandably excited. It’s a low budget horror comedy that follows the misfortunes of an ineffectual Yakuza named Ita as he tries to make a small group of foreigners leave an apartment block that his boss wants to demolish. But amongst the residents is one who won’t be easily moved, because they’re dead. Evil spirits are the worst kind of tenants.

2½ holes in the floor out of 5

Mushishi (2006)

A mysterious and occasionally eerie live action adaptation of the long running manga. The film follows Ginko, a Mushishi (bug master), as he travels the land healing ailments, restoring the natural order where he can.
The bugs of the title aren't your typical garden variety creepy crawlies, they’re an ethereal essence that exist tenuously, visible to certain people.
Ginko’s story has relevance to the stories of the people he meets on his journey, and by helping them he begins to help himself.
It drifts off course a little but always finds its way back. I was fully enchanted by the fairytale nature of it all.

3½ healing lights out of 5

Akira (1988)

A cyberpunk milestone of Japanese animation that was instrumental in bringing the genre wider recognition in the West. Adapted from a whopping 2182 page manga it's no surprise the story is hard to grasp at first, but repeated viewings reveal subtle plot points that help fill in the blanks.
It’s set in Neo-Tokyo, 2019, a city populated with biker gangs, terrorists and religious rapture freaks. Within that framework a small group of friends get embroiled in military matters that should've stayed buried.

4 mutated fap hands out of 5