Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
incognitoderp
Tsumiki no Ie at its core is a story about memory and experience. The exploration of the flooded house is nostalgic, elevated through cleverly positioned flashback sequences. The house itself becomes a metaphor for living in the moment, which is symbolically flooded, swallowing the man's past, left with memory. Ultimately humanity is left with the passage of time. The bricklaying motif as one of creating memory to which the opening scene reveals an elderly man laying bricks, now alone and yet continuing to live in the moment. It is less a commentary about climate change and rising sea levels then it is a device to demonstrate how enduring memories are to us humans.
The music is also effective, following a slow, poignant piano and violin combination that sustains itself throughout the 12 mi…
Read at the sourcePetruFuracao
“The irreversible passage of time.”
During high school, I encountered this theme countless times in the poems and texts we studied in literature. I never paid much attention to it back then, but somehow this short animation made me think about it again.
Visually, the anime looks like that kind of random short animation that suddenly appears on your YouTube feed. You click on it out of curiosity, watch it once, and then it stays in your mind for the rest of your life. You can tell it’s something more unconventional or “artistic,” even though using that term feels a bit cliché.
There isn’t a single line of dialogue in the film, only a melancholic classical piece playing in the background. What you hear matches perfectly with what you see on the screen. A beautiful soundtrack that gently ca…
Read at the sourcewhiteflame55
This is such a simple yet deeply affecting short movie (just 12 minutes). A man being forced to build upwards to escape rising floodwaters shifts in the other direction as he dives down through the various levels of the ever-growing building, visiting different parts of his life that he was forced to leave behind. No dialogue, so you just soak it in. The closest thing I can relate this to is Up's first few minutes, but there's little sadness to this. The reminiscence feels warm and comfortable, and the artwork and music perfectly feed into that. By the end, the journey to find a pipe is a journey through a life well lived in reverse. It's somber at times, but that feeling of connection with the past absolutely hits home.
So, yes, I loved this. One of two short films (this and Shashinkan)…
Read at the sourceCaeruleus_CCXVI
8/10 ~ Its a great metaphor
This was a great 12 minutes, a touching tale at the end of someone life looking back at where they come from. You can probably extrapolate more from this short film but it really just is a look back at life, each brick is just a moment of his life and hes just about at the end. The lack of dialog, paired with somber music and a very realistic artsyle was a joy to watch.
Now, I dont understand how this is considered anime, but AtLA, Rohirrim, and Arcane are not? bit weird if you ask me.
I would recommend this to probably just adults, anyone good with self reflection on their lives. I really dont think Kids, Teens and Young adults will enjoy this one, but dont let me stop you from watching!
Read at the sourceBee-ku
Okay, fine. You got me. I admit I didn't fully understand this short, it has a deep meaning that I can't quite grasp because my mind just kept thinking “Why did everything suddenly fill up with water?”. I don't have much to say about it. The short lasts 12 minutes and tells you from beginning to end a story that you do understand, but in my case, I did not understand the meaning. It has no dialogue, however, it is not necessary to understand or empathize with the protagonist, you know what he is feeling when he remembers certain things, you can understand the sadness of the protagonist with certain changes in his life, but still... Why did everything fill with water? What does the water symbolize?
Read at the sourceSuwanaide
The animation is very pretty. I don't know if it would be considered "anime" in the traditional sense, but that's for more knowledgeable people than me to decide. The music is beautiful and used to great effect. There's no dialogue, but despite that you get a very good feel for the main character.
The plot, and with it, the world it exists in, can probably either be taken literally or metaphorically or both. The main character lives alone in a house in a water-world of sorts. The sea is always rising, and as it does, he has to keep building additional levels above as the lower levels flood. He, and previously his family, started on the ground level, and moved up as this happened. As the latest sea-level rise happens he drops his pipe down an opening, so he dons some scuba gear to go get i…
Read at the sourceznjsensej
From the moment I started watching, I was captivated by the amazing artstyle, animation, and overall vibe that the anime exuded. The message that this anime conveys is truly beautiful, and I believe it is a work of genius that is worthy of attention from anyone who appreciates good storytelling.
The fact that the anime manages to convey so much in just 12 minutes is truly astounding. Katou Kunio has done an exceptional job of delving deep into the theme of loneliness and how memories can serve as a lifeline to those who are struggling to find purpose in their lives. The symbols and metaphors used in the anime are incredibly powerful and thought-provoking, highlighting the effects of time on our lives and the struggle to find meaning and purpose.
The subtlety and calmness of the backgroun…
Read at the sourceNextUniverse
Look at it, what do you see first?
Whenever something short comes along, it is usually of no use to create an elaborate story in such a short span of time, that isn't to say that they are doomed to be consistently flawed, for there is another aspect to the taken in.
Presentation.
In short movies as such, presentation is pretty much the only factor to worry about, since stories within each genre usually play out somewhat similarly, with the only difference being how they are physically made. Compare the titles, "La Maison en Petits Cubes", "Furiko"/"Pendulum", "Shelter". They are all of the same tree, yet look nothing alike. Does that mean I must solely base this review on the presentation of "La Maison en Petits Cubes", in some sense, I should, but there is a story to be told regardless…
Read at the sourceHageUnko
This short movie offers 12 minutes of beautiful art.
The art feels like drawn like old anime series did ,which is something I really love.It had some heartwarming yet simple music that made me feel really connected to the story
A message that I got from this movie is that life is seperated to floοrs ,each one has different types of memories happy and sad ones .In the end though each floor offers mainly the ones of beauty and happiness.
I don't know why, but I really love this message ,even if one disagrees with my thoughts ,the movie is still worth ,cause as mentioned, it's short and really heart-warming
That's all I have to say
Take care
Read at the sourceghorardeem
So I was looking for something short enough to watch while I finish my dinner. And I stumbled upon this anime called Maison en Petit Cubes. I thought it's 12 minutes, let's give it a try.
Now, I was left completelyyyy blown away after it ended. I love how much it says in just 12 minutes. Maison en Petit Cubes didn't need a huge script, high-budget animation yet showed so much. I think it's a great anime and worth watching but if you're looking for good animated animes, perhaps look for other animes. But I recommend to watch this anime!
Read at the sourcePlebPenguin
This short Movie is truly a little masterpiece in its own right.
In essence, it tells a Story of growing old and the memories we leave behind. And even though this simple idea is conveyed in a Story as short as 12 minutes it still managed to pull my heartstrings. I just loved everything about the presentation, the long shots, the Artstyle and coloring that looks like a moving painting, the very subtle facial animations just everything.
This is accompanied by an ever so fitting musical score, which almost acts as an Narrator, because it captures the internal feelings/thoughts that our main-character has seeing/reliving his old memories.
That being said, Kunio Katō deserved his Oscar and I can highly recommend Tsumiki no Ie
Read at the sourceKitzo
(Spoilers, sort of, sorry.) This is a simple and short film about an old man rediscovering the life he has lived. It makes me appreciate, from an old man's perspective, the things we do in life. Being a young person, I have my whole life ahead of me, and this makes me want to do good in life and create memories that I can likewise, recollect and enjoy remembering. This can be interpreted as quite grim, but in another light, nostalgia can be a nice, non-regrettable feeling that makes one happy about the life they've lived. The accompanying music is elegant, but like the rest of the short film, simple. It makes me wonder what memories I've created thus far that I can humbly remember and enjoy doing so. Take things slow, and do them right. This is more of a blob for myself than a review haha.
Read at the sourceST63LTH
House of Small Cubes is a animated short film about the parabolic achievements and memories gained through one's lifetime all while maintaining relevance in an evolving society. All of this detail is experienced through purely visuals, not a single piece of dialogue was spoken which makes this amazing.
Story: 9/10
Firstly, the rising sea levels can be interpreted as tides of a changing society, we see that as the old fellow journeys downwards the house levels coinspire with the sea levels and reveal a nostalgic memory of the old fellow's spouse and the surrounding society at specific times. This symbolic representation is a powerful message implemented in a mere 12 minute film allows it to develop more depth in its plot than most 12 episode series seeking to arouse a similar style. Furt…
Read at the sourceCuriouswanderer
Thanks to a fellow MAL member -michira- who suggested as a hidden tearkjerker gem of an anime , I would've never realised that this ever existed!
Now I didn't cry throughout watching the short anime but it was very sad to see an old man go through life on his own and having to build multiple houses so that he doesn't get drowned. Yup this short might as well prepare us for the future because climate change is seriously becoming more of a popular topic nowadays and we could have more storms coming our way before we know it.
I don't want to give out much detail about the whole short because I pretty much would be spoiling the whole thing. However, definitely give it a watch folks, it's very good!
Read at the sourceTerajima
I rarely agree with the oscars, but with this short film awarded as the best animated short film of 2008, I completely agree.
What a wonderful work, I think it's the best short film I've seen in my life, and the best animation piece with the permission of 'Spirited Away' and 'Grave of the Fireflies'.
It seems to me that the twelve minutes that it lasts are among the best in the history of cinema. A true jewel that talks about memories, about what we long for, about melancholy... With a beautiful tone, very beautiful, that calms and relaxes you while you see it, while you think about everything you miss. Very special, really, a delight...
Read at the sourcemattkerr494
Life is just a game of keeping your head above the water. Whether this is what the creators had in mind when creating La Maison en Petits Cubes (つみきのいえ), I am not certain. What I am certain of is the themes of life going through a variety of stages, and at each stage you leave something behind. As you look back further, the more obvious about the changes you have went through. At each stage, something gained, or something lost, only a little different than the stage that came before but ultimately, each part leading to the next, when the water rises and moves you onward. Not a word is spoken, but each level of the old mans abandoned haunts holds the ghosts of a different life. The animation and music conveys the sense of melancholy that each of these past lives, as the memories still fresh…
Read at the sourceLily77
I think that it's beautiful that something so short and simple can explain a life journey expanding for many years.
This movie is a wonderful visual metaphor of each stage of life that perfectly depicts the isolation of living alone. The animation is hand drawn giving it a beautiful vintage feel that makes the piece seem way older than it is.
I love the idea that water represents life moving forward, or upwards in this instance, and that as he moves under it he rediscovers the rooms full of all his memories from the past, and that each hatch opens to reveal another memory looked within his mind.
The idea that he has to build a house to continue living nicely represents the pain of moving on. Something that I found especially sad was that as you look across the water some of the houses…
Read at the sourcePersonano
I only just got to the end of this short film, so this review will be full of my direct feelings about this 12-minute piece of animation.
The House of Small Cubes, or Tsumiki no Ie as it's known in Japan is nothing short of perfection. I'm still recovering from the emotional impact it had on me as these very words are typed.
This..STUNNING piece of pure art has left me gasping of air after trying to hold in my emotions. The sheer bawling state I would've been in otherwise would most likely have alarmed my family.
I had been reduced to tears in the first few seconds. That should give you an idea just how amazing of an experience the rest of it all was.
This may sound cliche, but it's absolutely true. Despite no words ever being spoken in the entirety of the 12 minute run, Tsumiki no Ie…
Read at the sourcePlasmatize
“.........................................................” - ??????
This unnamed main character never utters a single word, nor does any other presence in House of Small Cubes’ short 12-minute runtime. And yet, through the power of strong, detailed visual storytelling, it tells a tale as rich and captivating as many titles 25 times its length.
In a world of continually rising water levels, a widowed elderly man must continue building layer upon layer onto his house peeking above the surrounding sea, while migrating all his belongings up to remain afloat, each layer growing more cramped than the last. He spends his remaining days alone, his past losses weighing him down, until one day, an event drives him to reminisce on what led him to that point, and find his perspective changing in th…
Read at the sourcePharuanUndearth
Unlike most of the other reviewers who pissed themselves stupid with some notion that this is a masterpiece of some metaphorical/philosophical greatness. It's not. There I said it, it is really a waste of 12ish minutes of your life. If you're a student of art definitely watch it, or if you're like me and "like art but nah not my bag", then don't waste your time.
Pros: Artsy, nothing else.
Cons: Bad music, no acceptable lines of speech, non-interesting or intriguing characters, story has little to no substance.
If there was some story attesting to how this world became flooded and why does it keep rising, or interaction between neighbors then there would be a story but there is none. Smoke, stare, eat, maybe build, brood about things that were, that really is the extent of this "anime".
Read at the source
