citizenelf

A cautionary, yet chilling tale on the dangers of succumbing to the evils of the world due to fears and a sense of unfairness. It's a refreshing take as the antagonist serves as more of an authoritative mentor, rather than a direct adversary, and It holds up reasonably well for its age (although the English dub has aged terribly), seemingly taking a lot of aesthetic inspiration from American productions of the time. Perhaps more relevant now than it has been in a long time.

csrz

Do not be deceived by the film cover or title. It's such a great children animated film that goes into places which I do not expect. What starts as a cheery cutesy story then spirals into a bleak psychological horror. It gets pretty depressing as you follow the lamb's journey through grief, anger, and revenge in the aftermath of a horrible tragedy. Visually it's genuinely nightmarish for the most parts with a darkness that is rarely found in family animated films these days. One of those films that make you feel an unexpected deep sadness when it ends. Though the voiceover narration does feel somewhat distracting and obtrusive at times, this is still a great watch.