Watch Hidari, a stop-motion anime about a chainsaw-wielding woodcarver

People think about anime when they think of 2D animation or 3DCG animated movies. The possibilities for creating stunning works of art and expression in animation, let alone Japanese animation, are virtually limitless. Case in point: This ridiculously dope stop-motion short about a pissed-off wood carver-turn-samurai who goes full-on “Lone Wolf and Cub” on an small army of ninjas before busting out an arm-mounted chainsaw à la Ash from Evil DeadUsing them to make pulp.

The 5-minute short film, titled “Hidari,” was published on YouTube on Wednesday. Written and directed by Masashi Kawamura, the creative director of the Japan-based advertising company Whatever Co., the short was created as a proof-of-concept film for Kawamura’s true goal: To produce a feature-length stop motion fantasy action movie inspired by the life of Jingoro Hidari, a renowned 17th century sculptor whose life is otherwise shrouded in mystery. In the film, Hidari is portrayed as a carpenter, who after being betrayed and losing his right hand, transforms into an insanely skilled swordsman, embarking on a decade-long search for revenge.

“We wanted to explore the potential of stop-motion using wooden puppets,” Kawamura says in a behind-the-scenes video published alongside Hidari. “We tried to push the boundaries of what’s possible by drawing inspiration from the thrilling action of [cel-animated Japanese animation].”

Though a music video and commercial director by trade, Kawamura has always dreamed of producing a feature-length stop-motion film from a young age, citing animators like Ray Harryhausen (1981’s Clash of the Titans), Kihachiro Kawamoto (1982’s Romance of the Three KingdomsPhil Tippett (Star Wars, Mad GodAs an early inspiration for his animator career, he referred to ().

Hidari’s puppets, and most of its props are made from wood. They were carved by Tecarat in Japan.You can go to the Little FoxAnimation by dwarf Studios, which are well-known for producing such animation. Kaoru and Rilakkuma, BeastarsAnd Oni: Thunder God’s Tale. On top of that, the short film’s set designer Yoshihiro Nose revealed that the set itself was built out of wood from an actual Edo-period wood warehouse.

Kawamura and colleagues launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding effort alongside the short to help raise funds for producing a feature length version. HidariThe publication is expected to be released in 2028. Interest appears to be substantive, with over $4,000 of the campaign’s $14,510 goal already generated within hours of the pilot short’s release. We have at least this stop-motion, sickly-smiling samurai short for us to enjoy.