Ojiisan no Lamp - very heart-warming!

Ojiisan no Lamp is one of the 4 anime selected for Young Animator Training Project. Each of the four 25 min original short anime movies were each given 38 million yen (about US$400,000) for production. The animation production for each short is required to be based in Japan, and professionals will impart their know-how to the young animators through on-the-job training. One of the reasons that the Agency for Cultural Affairs is supporting this initiative is the concern that more of the Japanese animation process is being outsourced overseas — thus leading to a decline in opportunities to teach animation techniques within Japan. Source: ANN

Ojiisan no Lamp is the first of the 4 short anime movies that I watched. I haven't watched the other 3 but will definitely do so. Personally, I really like Ojiisan no Lamp. Though it's only 25 min long, it's enough to touch and engage me.

Story: (10/10) – Great
Ojiisan no Lamp is about a grandson and a grandfather talking about the grandfather's past 50 years ago when he was selling lamps.

Sometimes, simple story is the best for conveying feelings and thoughts. Ojiisan no Lamp is a one good example of such a simple and heart-warming story.

Characters: (10/10) – Great
The main character is the grandfather, Tatsunosuke. Ojiisan no Lamp follows his life from when he's a kid to grandfather. Though there's only 25 min for the story teller and animators to do this, they did it amazingly well!

Art/Animation: (9/10) –Very Good
The art is simple and clean, and it fits the story perfectly. The animation is also very well done. I especially like those night scenes with the lighted lamps.

Music: (10/10) – Great
I love both the Opening Theme "Onii-chan" by Crazy Ken Band and the Ending Theme ""Negai Tomosu Koro e" by Emiko Shiratori. Both suit the mood of the anime very well.

Enjoyment: (10/10) – Great
Though Ojiisan no Lamp is only a short movie, it manages to touch and bring a lot of enjoyment to me.

Overall: (9/10) – Very Good
Ojiisan no Lamp impresses me with its simplicity, realism and serenity. It's a must-watch for all who enjoys slice-of-life.