Typhoon Noruda

In filmmaker Yojiro Arai’s 2015 short anime adventure, teenage boy Azuma confronts mysteries within mysteries in the midst of a powerful typhoon trapping him and his classmates at school. Spotting a strange naked girl in an otherwise empty classroom, Azuma sees her leap through a window and disappear. But she turns up again, fully clothed, rain-soaked, and in distress, drawing Azuma away from his peers as they deal with the school building crumbling from severe weather. Questions arise: who is this girl, and is her sudden arrival connected to the storm? What made Azuma and his best friend get into an uncharacteristic fistfight just before the crisis? What is the odd blue jewel the girl wears around her neck, and what does it have to do with an enormous hole in the ground leading to who knows where? Boasting fine visuals, Typhoon Noruda tells a suspenseful and exciting story that should have appeal even beyond anime fans. Presented in a dual-language Blu-ray edition, rated TV-PG, extras include a bonus short film, a Q&A event, and an interview with the creative team. Recommended. (T. Keogh)