This adaptation of the Nutcracker story (by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov) is updated in this stop-motion animation from the original Japanese release of 1979. The new 3-D rendering is complemented by the art direction of Sebastian Masuda who is responsible for much of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's style. She also provides music here.
Production
Masuda's candy-colored dystopia is hypnotic.
Costume
Every doll looks like a Harajuku fever dream.
Score
Kyary's soundtrack warps Tchaikovsky into something else entirely.
Director
Sebastian Masuda
Kasumi Arimura
Clara (voice)
Tori Matsuzaka
Fritz / Franz (voice)
Takashi Fujii
Prince (voice)
Takuro Ohno
Fortune-teller (voice)
Kotaro Yoshida
King (voice)
Aran Kei
Minister (voice)
Hirosue Ryoko
Mauselinks (voice)
Masachika Ichimura
Uncle / Street singer / Puppeteer / Watchmaker (voice)
Tomomi Itano
Princess (voice)
Yuki Saori
Aunt Gerda (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Masuda's 'kawaii' aesthetic here deliberately weaponizes cuteness—this is Harajuku culture confronting European ballet tradition.
The 1979 original was Japan's first feature-length stop-motion; this 2014 version added 3D conversion that took 5 years to complete.
JP
