Modest Heroes

Created by Japan’s four-year-old Studio Ponoc—a natural successor to the legendary Studio Ghibli—this anthology of three strikingly original anime tales, each unique in visual style and narrative tone, is the product of former Ghibli (and other) talent looking for a new anime frontier. In the first, stunningly gorgeous work, a pair of amphibious siblings living in a stream become separated from their Neptune-like father while their nurturing mother is delivering babies. The kids gather their courage to survive the predators above and below the water’s surface in order to save dad. The second story is about a young boy with a deadly allergy to eggs and egg by-products. The vigilance his mother maintains sometimes reminds him that he is set apart from other children, and is always vulnerable. The final short is also about an outsider—a literally invisible man who goes completely unnoticed in all of his endeavors. His lack of mass means that he can float into the stratosphere helplessly, and can’t even buy bread at a grocery store, leading to isolation and a lack of purpose that ultimately becomes a source of misery in search of a miracle. Presented in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo edition, rated PG, extras include a featurette on Studio Ponoc, a film completion press conference, Japanese cast interviews, and an art gallery. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)