Underplayed Gems

Dareka no Manazashi (2013)

Dareka no Manazashi poster
Original title
だれかのまなざし
Directed by
Makoto Shinkai
Genre
drama film, Drama, Slice of Life
Country
Japan
Runtime
7 min
Rating
7.1 of 10 from 154 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A young woman who recently moved out on her own looks back at her relationship with her father and their family life. Scenes from the past and the family cat help show how their bond has changed over time.

melancholicwarmquietnostalgictendergentlebittersweetintimate

What happens

Dareka no Manazashi (Japanese: だれかのまなざし; lit. 'Someone's Gaze') is a Japanese anime short film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. It was initially screened at the Tokyo International Forum on February 10, 2013, though it was also shown alongside Shinkai's film The Garden of Words during its Japanese premier on May 31, 2013. It was later posted on YouTube from September 2013 to January 2014. Dareka no Manazashi is a slightly futuristic story about the maturation of a recently independent young woman and her changing relationship with her father. The story develops through reminiscent scenes of their family life and the connection the girl and her father share with the family's cat. The film was produced by CoMix Wave Films, NEST, and TYO M1 Production in collaboration with The Answer Studio Co., Ltd. The voice cast includes Fumi Hirano, Satomi Hanamura, and Shinji Ogawa. Hirano's narration was crucial in helping Shinkai structure the film. Other leading staff included Makoto Taiga, Miho Suzuki, and Takumi Tanji. Akihisa Matsuura directed the music, and Kazusa wrote and sang the theme song, "Sore de Ii yo" (それでいいよ; lit. It's all fine), which was aimed at matching the tastes of a younger generation. Online reviews and comments universally praised the film as heartfelt and artistically vibrant, though it was criticized for its brevity. It was described as "deeply emotional", particularly for older viewers due to its emphasis on family bonds as a family changes over time. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.