Armed train carriages, laughing gangs and steampunk aesthetics in unique and outrageous mix of styles.
Business is not going well and private detective Sotaro and his sidekick Saki take on anything they can get. They are hired to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances, which takes them to a dark, parallel world.
In his debut feature, director Shigeyoshi Tsukahara brings you into a dark, subterranean society, in which armed train carriages, a gang called the Laughing Masks and the police are fighting to the death. Flashbacks gradually reveal the cause of all this violence. Tsukahara uses a steampunk aesthetic and animation that looks to be created with watercolours. In a dizzying stream of images, he flirts with influences from film noir, the classic ‘crazy cartoons’ and other retro styles. With his unique blend of styles, Kurayukaba is the calling card of a great talent, with his own signature style.
Preceded by the short film Shinigami.
