Showa Shinzan

Combining 3-D computer animation, archival footage, and drawings, Alison Reiko Loader's beautiful Showa Shinzan, based on actual events, draws on the tradition of Japanese Bunraku puppetry (albeit in CGI form here) to tell the WWII-era story of a young Japanese girl named Yasuko, who is sent to live with her grandparents in the northern town of Hokkaido after her father is killed. Once there, Yasuko observes the sideline work of her grandfather, postmaster Masao Mimatsu, whose meticulous observations of a series of eruptions from nearby Mount Usu ("the earth was lifting her face towards the sky") are ignored by bureaucrats singly focused on the war. Mimatsu's predictions prove accurate, however, and the new mountain Showa Shinzan emerges out of the smoke and fire--with volcanic activity ceasing only with the exact end of the war in December 1945. Loader's assured mix of animation styles, coupled with creative split-screen work (particularly enchanting are the paper screen panels that slide apart to introduce several scenes), turn this lovely story of a young girl's wartime experiences with her grandfather into an eye-popping delight sure to be savored by animation fans of all ages. Highly recommended. Aud: E, I, P. (R. Pitman)