Kodama
2023 · 15m · USA
Directed by Brian M Tang
A member of an elite SWAT Samurai team embarks on a rescue mission into the spirit world to recover his father from vengeful Japanese yokai spirits, blending modern tactical warfare with ancient samurai tradition.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
SWAT samurai team enters the spirit world to fight Yokai wearing Noh masks — 1.3M YouTube views says the genre crowd is fed, but this reads as a proof-of-concept reel hoping for a feature deal. Fine if you like that.
Tang's SWAT-samurai-yokai mashup with noh masks and wuxia wire-work is a production-design feat that 1.3M YouTube views and SOTW confirm has visual conviction. Whether the conceptual fusion holds is another matter, but the spectacle is undeniable.
1.3M views on SOTW with 54K likes and only a 15-second preview visible — the engagement suggests the SWAT-samurai-yokai genre-stack actually delivers, and pairing wuxia wire-work with noh masks is the right craft instinct rather than just an aesthetic mashup. Big swings need big execution; the audience response says it cleared.
Reviews
With an awesomely cool premise, strong visual execution, terrific action-directing and ambitious storytelling, Tang had produced a piece worthy of the genre short craze.
Ambitious visuals combined with creative storytelling fused with pulse pounding, gravity defying, slicing and dicing action design that equals or surpasses a lot that is seen on the big screen or streaming.
Festivals
- SXSW Film Festival 2023