Sure, Chainsaw Man’s Denji gets chainsaws for arms and a head in his unholy pact with a demon. But what if you were simply a samurai with a big-ass chainsaw? Hidari has the answer, and the answer is: pretty sick.
This short teaser, written and directed by Masashi Kawamura and animated with Dwarf Studio—known for their sumptuous, adorable work on Netflix’s Rilakkuma series, Beastars, and more—is part of a pitch to crowdfund a full-length version of Hidari through Kickstarter. Inspired by the woodwork and legend of the mysterious 17th-century Japanese sculptor Jingoro Hidari, the story follows Hidari as he takes up a very different kind of blade in a quest for revenge after he’s betrayed by his fellow craftsmen and loses his arm.
Naturally, Hidari replaces the arm with a cool wood-punk prosthetic, and proceeds to slice, stab, and saw his way through a legion of foes in this incredible short film. The action is immaculate, and using puppets (crafted by stop-motion studio Tecarat) that were inspired by the real-life carvings of Hidari makes for a fascinating aesthetic where literal limbs are sliced and stylistic blood sprays become clouds of sawdust.
Kawamura hopes to turn Hidari into a full-blown fantasy action movie by 2028 (good stop motion takes time). The good news is the Kickstarter has already blown way past its 2 million Yen goal in the little over a day the campaign has been live—but you can still go and support it if you’re interested.
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