Premiering this month at Fantasia 2019, The Moon in the Hidden Woods is a pretty typical anime-style story: a boy from a humble village meets a princess, they realize they like each other, and then they save the world.
Some time ago, the moon went away, and with it, the protection it offered. Muju, a sky-dwelling evil, now fills the air every night. It has stripped away water and life from the world and summons horrible beasts at night that attack people. Only the places in walled-off cities are safe.
Now, it’s up to Princess Navillera (who is running from her marriage to the evil Count Tar ) and the young musician Janggu to save the world.
The animation in Hidden Woods is very well done, although it’s not breaking any new ground. Fans of Japanese anime will be very familiar with the style.
But where the South Korean film really stands out is with its soundtrack, which is incorporated in the film’s plot itself. Hidden Woods features a stunning percussion soundtrack into many of it scenes. Characters beat drums and cymbals of all different types to create pulse-pounding rhythms.
This love of percussion is highlighted early on in the film, when Navillera first meets Janggu and his friends. Janggu is taking part in a Beat Battle: a street fight against another group of musicians, where the percussive notes they beat out have physical form and attack the other group.
Hidden Woods displays its loves openly, and its other love is dance. Many of the characters perform different dances through the film, and they are all lovingly choreographed and animated. This is especially true for Navillera’s dance in the final act, which looked more like an actual dancer than animation.
Though The Moon in the Hidden Woods doesn’t wow with its story, it’s still a fun fantasy adventure through a steampunk-ish world that’s suitable for the whole family.
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