Magic Candies

One of the great pleasures of watching animation is seeing developing technology and dedicated craft come together to produce moments that just knock you sideways. Right from its opening scene, in which the camera pans across a city which is beautifully lit and rendered in magnificent detail, Nishio Daisuke’s Magic Candies stands out as something exceptional. It’s one of the hottest contenders on this year’s short film Oscar shortlist, and the best thing about it is that it’s not just technically brilliant – it’s deftly scripted, ably performed and great fun to watch.

Nishio’s work has little to do with the most popular style of Japanese animation as it’s known in the West. It’s three dimensional and extremely expressive. Young protagonist Dong-Dong (Shima Haruto) is a picture of melancholy – despite being determined to deny it – as he lingers on the edge of the playground, playing with marbles by himself. Even his dog, Gusuri, doesn’t seem to want to be there, stopping to sit down at every opportunity. The marbles, however, are entrancing in their beauty, and Nishio neatly captures the sense of wonde that children feel on looking at such things. Dong-Dong decides to buy more, but when he places them on the counter in a nearby shop, he is told that his selecyions are not marbles at all but sweets – magical ones.

In the UK there is a long tradition of artistic overlaps between children’s entertainment and psychedelic drug culture, so it’s rather charming to see a Japanese film diving head first into this too. Childhood, after all, is a progression through different states of mind as the brain matures, and there’s room within it for some very strange moments. After eating the first sweet, Dong-Dong finds himself having a conversation with an unexpected interlocuter. The effect of the second sweet is similar – with different lessons to teach – but after that they begin to do different things. Through these possibly drug-induced, possibly magical, possibly imaginary experiences, Dong-Dong begins to see the world in new ways, gradually letting go of his hang-ups and discovering new sources of joy.

Adapting the work of Korean children’s author Baek Hee-na, Nishio really succeeds in getting us inside Dong-Dong’s head, reminding us how unreasonable adults seem at that age, and how easy it is to fail to grasp what other people are thinking. He does so in an enchanting, colourful landscape which makes every moment of viewing a delight. Not too sugary, so it won’t spoil your appetite for more, Magic Candies is a perfect treat.