A Piece of Phantasmagoria

This wonderful animation brings us inside the beautiful mind of Tamura Shigeru. . Each episode brings a story that plays within the world of Phantasmagoria. The stories have a warm and relaxing nature to themselves while having a touch of melancholy. The animation design is completely unique and follows the style that has given Tamura Shigeru a cult following within the illustration world. Each story is told by a narrator which generates an effect that is more often found within literature than anime. The stories are accompanied by delightful music and the most charming sound design. Fans of Studio Ghibli should not miss this animation! A truly charming animation!

Am I the only person to see this gorgeous and charming work? It doesn't have 5 votes yet as of this writing. What a secret treasure. Whimsy, fantasy, offbeat -- it's like Neil Gaimon's Japanese cousin. I found this on an app called Yo! anime -- but wherever you can find it, get it if you want something different and delightful. I haven't finished it yet; I'm savoring it. 12 episodes, total 77 minutes. Imagine if Heavy Metal had been playful and lighthearted, gently humorous. Sort of like surreal little urban fairy tales. ...

Okay, that's all I was going to write, but IMDb wants me to write more. The animation is hand drawn. The first episode is about the projector that plays the night sky, and the projectionists who run the projector, and more. Odd little bits of things on the screen to sample; kind of decentralized images like a Jacques Tati film, and some of his tone, too, sort of. Let me call it playful again. Okay! Now we're good! Go find it!