Penguin Highway: A Review
By W.R. Miller
What if The Twilight Zone had an animated episode? Submitted for your approval: Meet Aoyama-san, a fourth grader who knows he’s smart and believes he will make a great adult. “As you can tell,” he says, “I am not conceited, and that makes me great.” He has a crush on a dental assistant, whom he calls “Lady.” She has something he’s attracted to: a knowledge of chest–and “boobs.” Ayoma is a kid in control of his emotions. How? “Just think about boobs if you think you’re going to get angry,” he says.
One day a flock of Adélie penguins appear in a field in the middle of town. This being Japan, and not Antarctica, Aoyoma has to go investigate. Where do these penguins come from? From “Lady.” She throws a cola can into the air and poof!
Instant penguin. Welcome to The Twilight—that is, Penguin Highway. It’s the first feature film from Studio Colorido, adapting Pengin Haiwei, the science fiction novel by Tomihiko Morimi in 2010.
Now, why does “Lady” manifest these penguins—and how? To find out, Aoyama teams with his best friend Uchida and the smartest girl in the class, Hamamoto, who has discovered a watery sphere she calls “Ocean” floating in a hidden part of the woods. Yes, there is a connection between Ocean, the penguins, Lady, and a new species, Jabberwockies, that pop up. It’s up to the kids to find a solution before unreality warps the whole town.
What makes Penguin Highway remarkable is its richly-detailed backgrounds, along with clever staging one would expect from anime, and the “slice of life” approach in contrast to all the weird goings-on. I’d like to call particular attention to the characters’ hands. Hands can be difficult to draw and there is a lot of nuance in their construction. Yet, the animators have captured that nuance brilliantly.
Otherwise, Aoyoma’s predilection for “boobs” and three crotch attacks would likely be nixed on American television since this kind of behavior is “imitable.” Definitely not Disney fare. Likewise, the story moves along at a leisurely pace. Definitely not for those with short attention spans. But in this era of 3D CG animation, one has to salute Studio Colorido for producing a hand-drawn feature, one that is both gorgeous and thought-provoking.
Notable credits go to Hiroyasu Ishida as the director, Yōjirō Arai as the character designer, Makoto Ueda for the screenplay, and Umitaro Abe as the film’s music composer.
In Japan, Toho released Penguin Highway theatrically on August 17, 2018.
In North America, Eleven Arts is releasing it on April 12. See here for list of cities and showtimes.
Seán Schemmel on Star Wars, old and new
At his own panel at SacAnime 2019, January 4, Dragon Ball voice actor Seán Schemmel told the fans about his favorite movies. One was Star Wars.
“I’m an original Star Wars fan. Like, here’s the cool thing. I’m much older than everybody in here. So, the cool thing is, is just like you guys have that moment when you saw the first Dragon Ball movie in the theater, or you’re going to see the movie (Dragon Ball Super: Broly) next week, and Akira Toriyama hasn’t pulled a George Lucas and screwed everything up yet, because he’s Akira Toriyama and he’s hopefully not going to do that.
“I had that moment in 1977, when it was the first time I saw Star Wars (May 25, I think was when it was), and I’m in the theater. I had seen ads on TV, my first thought was, “Holy —-, how’d they shoot that in space?” I was nine years old in ’77. The second part was like—you guys don’t understand, with the internet and with modern new moviemaking, up until 1977, there was a giant black hole of nothing for that kind of movie, Star Wars-type awesome action-based movie with cool —- in it. Like you have 2001 for adults, and a bunch of —-y stuff. So when we saw Star Wars it was like, [angelic] Aaaaaaaahhhh. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe this world exists.” And you’re crying. It was amazing. You’re nine years old and everything cool you ever wanted to see in a movie was there, right? I guess the closest thing for you guys would be like a Dragon Ball movie. I can’t imagine ‘cause I’m not your guys’ age. So (I don’t know where I’m going with this.)
“Star Wars would be a good one. Sadly, the franchise has completely lost me. I have no interest in it any more. I used to have a Jedi coat on my wall. I was hard core. And it’s gotten so ruined for me. You know what I mean? It just doesn’t—even with the new movies. Look, I love J.J. Abrams … he’s great, but at the same time, I was watching it, going, “This is not—I don’t think that magic will ever be, in the Star Wars universe, recaptured. And if it does, it will be an amazing feat. I’ve seen all the new movies. They’re good. They just don’t have, for me, that magic … “
President Grover Cleveland’s first Thanksgiving Proclamation
By the President of the United States of America. A Proclamation, November 2, 1885.
The American people have always abundant cause to be thankful to Almighty God, whose watchful care and guiding hand have been manifested in every stage of their national life, guarding and protecting them in time of peril and safety leading them in the hour of darkness and of danger.
It is fitting and proper that a nation thus favored should on one day in every year, for that purpose especially appointed, publicly acknowledge the goodness of God and return thanks to Him for all His gracious gifts.
Therefore, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate and set apart Thursday, the 26th day of November instant, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, and do invoke the observance of the same by all the people of the land.
On that day let all secular business be suspended, and let the people assemble in their usual places of worship and with prayer and songs of praise devoutly testify their gratitude to the Giver of Every Good and Perfect Gift for all that He has done for us in the year that has passed; for our preservation as a united nation and for our deliverance from the shock and danger of political convulsion; for the blessings of peace and for our safety and quiet while wars and rumors of war have agitated and afflicted other nations of the earth; for our security against the scourge of pestilence, which in other lands has claimed its dead by thousands and filled the streets with mourners; for plenteous crops which reward the labor of the husbandman and increase our nation’s wealth, and for the contentment throughout our borders which follows in the train of prosperity and abundance.
And let there also be on the day thus set apart a reunion of families, sanctified and chastened by tender memories and associations; and let the social intercourse of friends, with pleasant reminiscence, renew the ties of affection and strengthen the bonds of kindly feeling.
And let us by no means forget while we give thanks and enjoy the comforts which have crowned our lives that truly grateful hearts are inclined to deeds of charity, and that a kind and thoughtful remembrance of the poor will double the pleasures of our condition and render our praise and thanksgiving more acceptable in the sight of the Lord.
Done at the city of Washington, this 2d day of November, A.D. 1885, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and tenth.
Thanksgiving Proclamation, November 1, 1777
United States. Continental Congress. Recommendation of a day of Thanksgiving. November 1, 1777.
“Forasmuch as it is the indispensable duty of all men to adore the superintending providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with gratitude their obligation to him for benefits received, and to implore such farther blessings as they stand in need of; and it having pleased him in his abundant mercy not only to continue to us the innumerable bounties of his common providence, but also to smile upon us in the prosecution of a just and necessary war, for the defence and establishment of our unalienable rights and liberties; particularly in that he hath been pleased in so great a measure to prosper the means used for the support of our troops and to crown our arms with most signal success: It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive powers of these United States, to set apart Thursday, the eighteenth day of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise; that with one heart1 and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor; and that together with their sincere acknowledgments and offerings, they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favour, and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance; that it may please him graciously to afford his blessing on the governments of these states respectively, and prosper the public council of the whole; to inspire our commanders both by land and sea, and all under them, with that wisdom and fortitude which may render them fit instruments, under the providence of Almighty God, to secure for these United States the greatest of all human blessings, independence and peace; that it may please him to prosper the trade and manufactures of the people and the labour of the husbandman, that our land may yet yield its increase; to take schools and seminaries of education, so necessary for cultivating the principles of true liberty, virtue and piety, under his nurturing hand, and to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consisteth “in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
An Interview by Katie Leigh!
Today voice actress Katie Leigh dropped by my place to pick up her copy of my new book, The Animated Voice, Volume One. Yes, she is featured in a chapter, from an interview I did with her in Torrance last year. During her visit she did a Facebook Live interview, which you can see here:
