A Tree of Palme
Source: TV
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Added 4/23/2008
Updated 3/23/2017
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This feature movie (dir. Takashi Nakamura, 2001) is the story of a wooden robot who undertakes a dangerous journey to the underworld, during which his adventures humanize him, for better and for worse.
It was created by a distinguished staff of artists, chief among them being Nakamura himself, noted as one of the three animation directors who created Akira (1988). He then directed the quirky children’s story Catnapped! (1995) and most was the creator, author, character designer, and director for the TV series Fantastic Children (2004). The late Mamoru Sasaki (1936-2006), served as chief animation director for the film. Beginning with script work on the landmark Takahata/Miyazaki adaptation of Alps no Shōjo Heidi in 1974, he worked on a variety of important anime projects, including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Jin-Roh, the Ghost in the Shell movie and Fushigi Yuugi. In his last years he worked extensively on the Naruto saga, serving as chief animation director for the first two movies (both released after his passing). Mutsuo Koseki, a veteran of Grave of the Fireflies and Little Nemo, was art director. He served in the same capacity for other movie-length anime projects such as A Wind Named Amnesia, Spriggan, and, most recently, Legend of the Millennium Dragon (2011). The artwork, handsomely painted, often generously oversized, and among the last ever used by animation studios, generate quite a visual impact.
1 Palme and Popo
This section collects some of the most intense images dealing with Palme's journey and the difficult relationship he develops with the human girl, Popo.
2 Koram and Shatta
Second to the plucky puppet and his human companion, the movie revolves around the mysterious warrior Koram, who starts Palme on his quest, and her son Shatta, who goes along with him. The two are similar in many ways, and bound together by blood (figuratively and literally). In different ways, the two grow during the complex story, and both are visually memorable as well.
3 Supporting Cast
Nakamura's world is populated by a rich understory of interesting characters, ranging from creepy perverts, abusive parents, and sinister hunters, to inventive hybrid creatures. Highlighted in this section are Palme's quirky inhuman companions, Mu, Bu, and his devoted "crow-snake," Baron.
4 Backgrounds
The background art for this film is equally interesting, the more so as you get a sense of the intense detail with which Nakamura's cinematic world was dreamed up. The original backgrounds include some of the largest items of animation art that I own, up to two feet or more in width and intimately detailed.
5 Production Sketches
The production sketches show how often complex scenes were worked up from rough conceptions to the final vision. These sketches, now becoming more available, often are extensively annotated and include remarkable shuusei (or "correction") sketches that are often faint but remarkable in introducing fine but significant details.
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