Kakurenbo: Hide and Seek (2005)

Synopsis: The multi-award-winning anime short KAKURENBO fashions a supremely creepy tale of atmospheric horror based on the Japanese superstition that children who play hide-and-seek after dark will be... The multi-award-winning anime short KAKURENBO fashions a supremely creepy tale of atmospheric horror based on the Japanese superstition that children who play hide-and-seek after dark will be kidnapped by demons. The story centers on a little boy named Hikora, who sets out to play a variation of hide-and-seek known as Otokoyo in order to search for his sister, Sorincha, who has gone missing after playing the game. Taking place at night and requiring its players to wear fox masks, Otokoyo finds Hikora following a fellow player who may or may not be his sister through the eerily deserted, nocturnal city streets and into a secret neighborhood called "Demon City," where flickering street lights heighten the gloom and illuminate sinister statues that seem to spring to life. Deftly sustaining an aura of dread, KAKURENBO transcends the limitations of its length by packing its 25 minutes with well-developed characters, richly detailed writing, and gorgeous computer animation. [More]