Sarah Cheok and Olivia Griselda reunite at Cartoons Underground this year with their latest short, “She and Her Good Vibrations.” The film represents a homecoming of sorts for the duo. We at Asian Movie Pulse encountered them at the 2021 edition, where they said they met through a two-day industry workshop hosted by *SCAPE alongside their project producer (and current festival director), Jerrold Chong. The short has since been making its rounds on the festival circuit, following its premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival last year.
The short is not the only thing attracting attention. In “She and Her Good Vibrations,” the protagonist – a middle-aged, stressed out, anonymous woman — finds a pink, pristine Magic Wand at her door. Her eyes light up with excitement. “Connect with yourself!” the accompanying advertisement beckons. “Better than my boyfriend,” the ratings recall. And, indeed, the vibrator turns out to be beyond her wildest dreams. Explosive, operatic, and comically visceral, the short follows how too much of a good thing can also come at a cost — something of which our protagonist learns just a little too late.
Overall, the short is entertaining enough. The digital animations invoke Steven Universe (Rebecca Sugar, 2013-2019)-like reactions, and the pastel color palette similarly reflects the show’s penchant for light-hearted comedy. Like the dramatics of a Masaki Yuaasa piece, however, Griselda and Cheok find their humor in dramatic juxtapositions. A healthy dose of Mozart and Handel complement their dynamic storyboards, and well-situate the metaphorical pleasure of masturbation. As a result, the short is less lusty or erotic than it is simply amusing — making for a relatively family-friendly good time.
“Good Vibrations” does not feel quite new, however, and this may be due to the explosion of similar animations we have seen from Singapore in the last few years. From Calleen Koh‘s breakthrough “Sexy Sushi” (2020) to this year’s “Neh Neh Pok” (directed by student Jaime Ng, no less), these cotton candy-colored explicit narratives feel a tad overdone. Previous conversations with Singaporean animators have cited societal repression and censorship; this short’s interest in sexual liberation feels like a knee-jerk reaction to the environment. I wonder too, if it’s because the short is too frictionless. With no real problems and only pleasure, “She and Her Good Vibrations” presents a feel-good world that does little to stand out amongst the rest.
Overall though, “She and Her Good Vibrations” is an enjoyable watch, and it looks like the animators had fun making it as well. For Griselda and Cheok, this marks some technical promise for their start at Singaporean studio, Finding Pictures. Just as much as our protagonist enjoys her new toy, this short is sure to give audiences a good time.
