“What is it about the fire? So calm and peaceful, but inside all power and destruction. It’s hiding something, just like people do. Sometimes you have to get close to find out what’s inside. Sometimes you have to get burned to see the truth.”
Tekkonkinkreet is a visually enticing adaptation of the manga of the same name by Taiyō Matsumoto. While the narration does suffer from runtime issues, limiting the potential of the source material- it is nevertheless a film that leaves quite a mark if it is your prior experience with the story.
Art and Animation- Studio 4°C is well known in the industry for its unconventional visual style that complements storytelling. In Tekkonkinkreet, Matsumoto’s compelling vision is brought to life by the studio through extremely detailed backgrounds; while keeping the characters limited to simple shapes to facilitate the smooth animation. The landscape designs are integral to the story of the metropolis town defined by its characters, and the film absolutely excels in it. With the simple character designs, the studio provides a lot of space for movement, especially in the action sequences, while keeping the close-ups detailed to convey the character’s emotions. A particular notable sequence is the psychedelic one, near the climax of the film- where sakuga is used extensively to covey the fluidity of mindscape. Simultaneously, a flurry of horrifying images put through the rippling effect is used in good effect to communicate the grotesque ordeal.
Plot- Takaramachi(Treasure Town) was once a flourishing town. However, its growth has been seemingly halted with its slum infestation and a power struggle between criminal gangs, the police, and ‘The Cats’. Surprisingly, the Cats are two young orphaned siblings: Kuro(Black) and Shiro(White). The relationship between the two brothers is at the heart of the town and the story. After a tussle between the yakuza and ‘The Cats’, a new party headed by a sly ‘Snake’ arrives to take control of the town and its residents’ wallets. Considering the brothers as an immediate hindrance to their plans for the town, Snake places a hit on them. Although the brothers working together fended off the first hitman, the younger Shiro is grievously injured by the second. This leads the protective Kuro to slump in deep dejection as he blames himself for being unable to protect his brother and agrees to police custody for Shiro. After that, an unbalanced Kuro goes on a rampage, hunting down the criminal gangs as he gradually loses himself in the absence of Shiro. This leads Kuro to develop a darker split persona of himself, ‘Minotaur’. At the climax of the film, a delusional Kuro trying to convince random people that a mocked-up doll is his brother Shiro, he is confronted by the assassins, and finally by Minotaur. Locked in his psyche with the metaphysical manifestation of his inner darkness, Kuro manages to triumph over his dark side and reunites with Shiro.
Characters- Shiro: As the name implies, the Yang of the two brothers. Shiro is younger than Kuro and appears to be mentally impaired. He resides in his self-made world of illusions and unbounded imagination. Shiro dislikes the town and has ambitions to leave it with Kuro. However, his ambitions matter little before kindness as he readily gives away his savings to someone who really needed it. Shiro has a sixth sense of danger, but he could be careless despite it. Although Shiro is heavily dependent on his brother, he complements Kuro through their differences. His purity prevents Kuro from going over the edge and still believe in the good of the world.
Kuro: The older of the two siblings, Yin. Kuro is headstrong, tough, and matured for his age. He has a protective nature for the town and his younger brother. Keeping his brother safe is his primary driving force, and he would go any distance for it. Although partnered perfectly with Shiro, Kuro likes to work alone on dangerous missions to put Shiro out of harm’s way. His sense of responsibility is admirable to the point he breaks his own and Shiro’s hearts to separate themselves. Even if Kuro is strong, he is vulnerable mentally in the absence of Shiro. He needs Shiro to protect him from himself.
Suzuki (The Rat): One of the revered figureheads of Yakuza- Suzuki is a gentleman for a crimelord. He loves Treasure Town, being born and brought up in it, and is against the change proposed by Snake. He is kind towards his underlings, especially Kimura, and has a respectable rivalry with the police. Even if he foresees his demise in the face of the perpetually changing town, he does not struggle against it. His acceptance of fate renders him immune to betrayal as he leaves Kuro and Kimura in a state of mental anguish.
Kimura: As Suzuki’s protégé, Kimura loves his job and starts flying high in Treasure Town before his wings are quickly clipped by Kuro. Losing face and then treated with kindness by Suzuki had left Kimura’s ego in shambles. Although he retires from Yakuza with a sense of responsibility for his lover and their upcoming child, Kimura cannot protest when Snake orders a hit on the kids. This transcends later as Kimura clearly gives into being Snake’s new underling and is later ordered to snuff Suzuki. Unable to live with Suzuki’s blood on his hands, Kimura finally rebels and breaks Snake’s control over him as he dreams of a new life with his family, away from the mess. However, fate catches up to him.
Final Word- The film engages from start to finish through its tussle between positive and negative outlooks on life. The narrative feels a bit rushed in the second half after Kuro and Shiro are separated, and Kuro’s character development feels Jarry. Personally, I also feel Suzuki needed more screen time for his death to be more impactful. The superhuman-ness of the three assassins is never explained, but it can be forgiven since it is not the focus of the story told. The metaphysical manifestation of Kuro’s darkness may be seen as a deus-ex machina cause the viewers are never introduced to him earlier, and it quickly resolves the immediate crisis. However, it can be argued that in the presence of Shiro, Kuro never quite needed to channel it. The film ends on a note of hope as Kuro essentially invalidates Suzuki’s final words- “Kuro, this is where we all end up. You can’t choose life. It chooses you.” Kuro chose to make his own world, keeping his belief in Shiro.
 Review : The Treasure Town of Hopes and Dreams ){kind=link}
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