There is a big topic in social media about movie with comments such as [Adults cry out lour] and [Nasu Kinoko seems to be involved in the production.]
That movie is [Sumikko Gurashi the Movie: The Pop-Up Book and The Mystery Child].
[Sumikko Gurashi] is a character product produced by San-X and has developed a variety of products for those who [like Sumikko] such as goods and picture books.
When the movie was announced, [Sumikko Gurashi] has become a big topic among those who have heard the name but does not know any details yet.
Actually, I myself was not familiar with it but when I watched the movie, I got impressed [I see, this is a good one]. In this article, I want to present you the charm of this work.
Cute characters feeling confortable when they are in the corner, but not good at living in the center of the society.
Every characters in [Sumikko Gurashi] have negative and backwards ooking way of thinking, character design is made to lack a bit of confidence. [Sumikko Gurashi] depicts those characters’ life which living together in a corner of room and cafe.
For example, Shirokuma, a polar bear, is born in the North Pole but not good at cold and also a shut-in. If you are not good with cold, you will not be able to live in a group of polar bears in the North Pole.
Other characters like Tokage, a lizard, who is actually a dinosaur but kept his identity secret to not captured. He pretends to be lizard and live quietly in the corner.
Beside animals there are also [Food] characters. Tonkatsu, a leftover of pork cutlet, is 1% meat and 99% fat, so it is left over. Even He could not be eaten, he has all the cares with his shoulders.
In the same way, Tapioka is also leftovers with setting of the milk tea was drunk and left behind, I feel painful when I think about the recent Instagram tapioca boom.
My favorite character is Zassou a weed. Despite being a weed, he dreams to be a bouquet of flowers in a flower shop.
Surely that wish will not come true but still I feel pain in my heart. But seeing his positive attitude, I do not feel any sadness.
The characters in [Sumikko Gurashi] has low confidence in themselves due to their origin but are also minorities. Cute design and negative back-wards looking way of thinking are the key reason why this movie accepted by adults and they heal those who have a hard life if society.
Looking at the Sumikkos’ attitude, if you not familiar with the classrooms in school, you will feel like your own business.
Movie that makes use of the Sumikkos’ characteristics
The movie includes an introduction to all Sumikko characters so if you do not know [Sumikko Gurashi] at all, you will be fine.
In this movie, characters found a picture-book and were wandered in to the worlds such as Momotarou, Arabian Nights and The Little Match Girl. While their travel, they met Hiyoko, a chick, having strange colors.
Like other stories, the all characters have roles. But a Hiyoko who does not know her story.
The pain of not having a place is similar to the Sumikkos who live in the corner.
In the story, the Hiyoko ask the Sumikkos a question, [What am I?] a question about identity directed at the audience too. The composition of the story leading up to the climax is also wonderfully crafted and the feelings are communicated simply by the narration and the character’s play without any lines.
After watching, I felt a very warm feeling. It is a wonderful work so please see it for yourself.
