Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre Blu-ray Movie Review

A superb collection of three animated works from Ghibli animators

Modest Heroes is a absorbing collection of three animated shorts created by talented young filmmakers from Studio Ponoc. Following the closure of animation production at famed anime powerhouse Studio Ghibli, several of the studio's younger talents went on to form their own animation studio and Studio Ponoc was born to help carry on the Ghibli legacy of quality anime. The short film compilation was produced by Yoshiaki Nishimura (When Marnie Was There, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya).

Following up on the hit Mary and the Witch's Flower, the studio decided to follow a different approach with their second feature and created an anthology showcasing the rich talents of three of the studio's top talents: Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Kanini & Kanino), Yoshiyuki Momose (Life Ain't Gonna Lose), and Akihiko Yamashita (Invisible). Each short film was written and directed by these enormous talents working for Studio Ponoc.

Kanini & Kanino is the first short. The film focuses on two young crab-people who are siblings living in the ocean. As the story unfolds, the characters go on a journey which places them within the line of many dangerous obstacles (including gigantic fish which pose a serious threat to their survival) as the siblings try to become reunited with their loving father. The short film reunites director Yonebayashi with composer Takatsugu Muramatsu (both of whom worked on Mary and the Witch's Flower).

In terms of animation quality alone, Kanini & Kanino is easily the most impressive of the three shorts. With amazing Ghibli like animation the piece is simply beautiful to behold. The rich tapestry of the underwater world is brought to stunning life with imaginative art that feels carefully designed from beginning to end. While the film follows a basic narrative the beautiful synchronicity of the animation and sound make it a compelling experience.

A journey of one's imagination

For the second short film in the compilation, the studio tackled a much different subject which is based on a true story. Life Ain't Gonna Lose explores the bond between a mother and child as a mom tries to protect her son Shun from a life-threatening allergic reaction to eggs. With a serious medical condition, Shun could die almost instantaneously when coming into contact with foods processed with eggs in the ingredients. Full of spirit and a sense of adventure, Shun attends school with his friends and even plays sports. He must overcome his obstacles in life to be the best person he can be (and his mom is there to help make sure that future becomes a reality).

This feature feels inspired by the works of Isao Takahata (Only Yesterday, Grave of the Fireflies) and has a slice-of-life feeling to it. The drama in the story is compelling and feels authentic. Life Ain't Gonna Lose is no fantasy story but one which feels grounded in reality. The animation is unique (featuring watercolor style art) and stands out as the most creative of the three shorts. The film's charming score by Masanori Shimada matches the visuals and pulls at one's heartstrings.

Invisible, the final short to be included in the Modest Heroes compilation, was directed by one of Studio Ghibli's most talented key animators: Akihiko Yamashita. Having worked with the famed creator Hayao Miyazaki as an animation director on Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo, the highly talented Yamashita impresses with a superb action-packed short which gleefully plays with it's fun concept: an invisible man navigating life. The animation is this short is terrific and has a more “hip” tone than the other shorts. The film is exciting with the rhythm and pace of the piece featuring an adrenaline-pumping score composed by Yatsutaka Nakata (Utsutsu).

Modest Heroes was originally envisioned and proposed with four animated shorts. One short was set to be directed by the famed Isao Takahata (who passed away before the production could be completed). While it would have been terrific to see the proposed version of the film produced the version that ultimately resides is a thoroughly engaging experience which confidently reaffirms the enormous talents of the animators from Studio Ponoc and why it's so wonderful that these Ghibli artists have formed their own animation studio. Kanini & Kanino has the best animation, Life Ain't Gonna Lose tells the best story, and Invisible rewards audiences with a closing short that has the most high-energy creativity. Modest Heroes is a wonderful effort which reminds one why the short form medium is still such a vital form of filmmaking.

Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Modest Heroes arrives on Blu-ray in North America from Gkids with a absolutely gorgeous looking presentation. Featuring a high bit-rate encode of 30 mbps, Modest Heroes is a visual stunner which features amazing color reproduction and overall detail. Each of the three short films featured in the collection looks lovely here and does a terrific job of reproducing the animation: from the colorful blend of traditional and CG animation in Kanini & Kanino to the watercolor style art of Life Ain't Gonna Lose. Even the more muted animation style of the short Invisible looks splendid here. Free from distracting banding or compression issues, the transfer is extremely well-done. GKids did a great job of bringing the film over to North America.

Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Presented with both an English dub version and the original Japanese language version, Modest Heroes arrives on Blu-ray with a superb 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio presentation. The lossless audio quality is encoded in 24 bit high-resolution and it's apparent the uptick in fidelity and clarity benefits the audio. Each short film has excellent highs and the sound quality is highly engaging and invigorating. The bass particularly impresses on the third short "Invisible" and stands out as the most exciting sound design of the shorts and has a pulsating score which makes creative use of the surround sound. Detail is quite strong and both subtle moments and action- oriented scenes are given careful attention to detail. An extremely high quality presentation which will not disappoint.

Kanini & Kanino: Special Note

It's important to note that the first short film which is included on this release is in Japanese dialect but is actually a fictional made-up language which is known as "Crab language" according to filmmaker Hiromasa Yonebayashi. The language is fictional and is therefore not translated with any English subtitles when selecting the Japanese language version presentation. This is intentional and there is nothing wrong with the disc.

When viewers select the English language selection on this release one will experience English dubs produced for the second and third shorts Life Ain't Gonna Lose and Invisible. However, due to Kanini & Kanino featuring a made-up language the producers have decided not to re-dub the Japanese version into English and it presents in Japanese (again, without subtitles).

This note is simply to remind viewers that there is no defect with the disc and that this is the intended presentation for Kanini & Kanino.

Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Modest Heroes of Studio Ponoc (HD, 21 min. 35 sec.) is a fascinating sit-down interview with the primary producer of Modest Heroes, Yoshiaki Nishimura. During the discussion he explains how the studio decided to approach making a short-film compilation project their latest endeavor and the creative process behind the production.

Topics in the discussion also cover the important thematic elements behind the storytelling (and why these aspects were so important to the filmmakers), the developmental process for Kanini & Kanino (what it was like working with filmmaker Hiromasa Yonebayashi), how Life Ain't Gonna Lose was based on a true story and the reason the story spoke so much to everyone at the studio, and the cool energy of the final short in the collection: Invisible. Nishimura even discusses the origins of Studio Ponoc and the reason for its foundation.

Film Competition Press Conference (HD, 9 min. 43 sec.) is taken from a premiere screening of the film. The conference includes interviews with the producers, filmmakers, and voice-actors who were involved in the three shortswhich comprise Modest Heroes. Each director holds a cue-card which they flip to reveal the "key word" defining the film. Funnily enough director Hiromasa Yonebayashi reveals Kanini & Kanino has the key word of "crab language" (which he described as the language spoken by the characters).

Japanese Cast Interviews (HD, 8 min. 23 sec.) features excellent interviews with the voice-actors involved in the production of all three short films which comprise Modest Heroes. Fumino Kimura (Kanini) and Rio Suzuki (Kanino) discuss how excited they were to be offered the job opportunity to be involved in the production of Kanini & Kanino and delve into the topic of their characters.

There are also insightful comments from the cast of Life Ain't Gonna Lose: Kentaro Sakaguchi (Dad) and Machiko Ono (Mom) both offers their insights into bringing these roles to life in the recording booths. Invisible, the final short in the film, gets the spotlight as well with the lead voice-actor Joe Odagiri discussing his artistic process on the short film and what it was like to do voice-acting. He similarily is accompanied by Min Tanaka (who discusses his part in performing the blind man).

Lastly, the interviews also include discussion with musician Kaela Kimura about writing the film's opening theme song and what it was like to work with the production team (including head producer Yoshiaki Nishimura). Kimura also discusses what she wanted audiences to take away from the song and the feeling of joy she hopes audiences will feel listening to her music.

This is an excellent compilation of interviews which gives adequate time to voice-actors in each of the three short films. It's a well-rounded supplemental feature which fans of the film should consider as a must-watch. Exploring the featurette, I found myself smiling throughout the enthusiastic interviews. Great insights are provided.

Art Gallery (HD, 4 min. 52 sec.) contains high quality background art, character design sketches, color tests, concept artwork, and an assortment of other sketches and production art from the three features which comprise Modest Heroes.

Trailers (HD, 5 min. 49 sec.) contains a collection of trailers created for Modest Heroes: U.S. Theatrical, Japanese Trailer 1, Japanese Trailer 2, Japanese Teaser 1, and Japanese Teaser 2.

Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of Studio Ghibli will love this rewarding collection of short films produced by former Ghibli creatives who moved on to form Studio Ponoc after the closure of Studio Ghibli (though fans of the studio can rejoice in knowing that Miyazaki has again renounced his retirement and is working on a new feature set for release in 2020). The film has incredible animation and each story feels distinctive.

The Blu-ray release has incredible picture-quality and superb 24 bit audio. The release also contains an absorbing collection of supplemental material which helps enhance the appreciation of the filmmaker's ambitious undertakings. This is an essential release for anime enthusiasts with a love for the work of Ghibli.