✦Elzary
Cinema·4 min read·👀 Watched 2022.05.30

Love, Death & Robots: Jibaro

Under 20 minutes, no dialogue, every frame a feast for the senses — I couldn't stop screenshotting. The kind that gives you goosebumps.

2022 · Full of surprises · Alberto Mielgo · Netflix

Themes: patriarchy, colonialism, a woman's revenge, a wrong emotional bond.

Years ago I watched season one, episode one and felt nothing at all — until recently, seeing so many people recommend Jibaro. Figuring it's under 20 minutes (a procrastinator's blessing: I can put off my shower another 20 minutes), I gave it a curious try — and got completely pulled in. As a lover of dark humor and a visual creature, I sank right into its story and its impossibly exquisite animation.

The opening close-up on the soldier's ear actually renders the translucent red of blood as the sun shines through it (reportedly they filmed live actors first, then did post). The sound design later is great too — like the clinking of the siren's ornaments. All of it proves Love, Death & Robots really is no ordinary animation~

And it doesn't rush the setting just because it's only 20 minutes — every frame is a feast for the senses! It had me screenshotting nonstop, haha (images attached below — the goosebump kind).

It's a short animation with a story, no dialogue, letting me imagine the characters' "subtext" for myself. Watching other reviews (like "This Is Not a Review") pointed out deeper meanings in this episode — myth, the imagery of water, allegory of its time and setting — which pulled me in even more (the knowledge and the team are just too impressive) 😍

Reading into it

Some say this piece is about nature striking back, but to me it feels more like betrayed affection — because at the very end the siren weeps, and I think it's because the soldier betrayed her feelings? A kind of disappointment, like waking to find you've been robbed clean?

Anyway, it's an animation that gives the audience huge room to imagine — love it, love it 💕

All I can say is: the range of things this piece made me feel is just too, too, too stunning! 👍👍👍👍👍

#animation#anthology#netflix
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