Despite not having the fame of its Japanese counterpart, Korean animation has been definitely taking steps forward recently, with the quality of both content and artform improving significantly. “Eyes” is another testament to the fact.
Eyes screened at Busan International Short Film Festival
The animation begins in stop-motion, and the story takes place at the self-portrait class, where a series of students are drawing their portraits by looking at their hand-mirrors. One of the students, Wilson, however, has only one eye, and despite trying to hide it from the rest with his long hair on his face, he is still bullied. A blond boy takes the image he has just drawn, where he depicted himself with one eye, and paints over it with his marker, giving him a patch eye and horns, ruining his work and laughing at him mockingly, along with some other boys.
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A happier presentation, this time with full motion animation, takes place afterwards, where he is depicted in another school, older now, and being able to come up with 3D sketches from his notebook, which impress the other students. Alas, the bullying for his one eye is still there, and becomes even worse actually, as the whole class joins in this time, with the arc seeming to be taking place in the past. Darkness takes over once more, as Wilson is standing in a dark corner with his ruined work, and we are again transferred in stop motion animation and the present. The ruined paper drawing suddenly seems to have a life of itself, eventually leading Wilson in a forest, where all his drawings have come to life. His other self is there also, with the creatures finally providing a circle of friends and giving the young boy courage to move on.
Nam Hyok-young and Choi Yoo-jae have shot a very interesting animation, which focuses on the concept of bullying, how unfair it is, how it generates, and how can the victims overcome it. Through a surrealistic approach that works quite nicely here, they seem to suggest that one must find the strength to move on within themselves, and that managing to overcome depression through perseverance can eventually have life- changing results. Granted, the comment is somewhat romanticized, but the message still echoes realistic and is well-communicated.
Regarding the artform, what becomes evident from the beginning is the attention to detail, with the drawing of Wilson and his surroundings, particularly in the forest and the ‘dream world' being truly top notch. His hair especially are bound to stay on the mind of any viewer, while the fact that the two different art forms here work equally well is a testament to the quality of drawing, coloring and animation.
The music is another point of excellence, communicating the sentiments each scene is supposed to emit with eloquence, despite the complete lack of dialogue. The editing is also good, with the succession of scenes working well, even if it takes a bit of time to realize that the second arc is in the past.
“Eyes” is an excellent animation that shows the progress of Korean cinema in that sector in the most evident fashion.
