#finnish animation

[winntir]

So, this Christmas, I decided to look up a TV movie I saw when I was a kid and never again. It took a bit of work, but I found it:

Jesus, that looks ugly as hell. However, the actual animation is incredible considering the circumstances. It’s a Finnish-Euro coproduction, and the most expensive Finnish film at the time. The way this film handles snow is witchcraft. Story's just okay.

However, look at this fucker:

This is the villain, and he's the scariest and possibly most evil Christmas villain ever. I really don't want to spoil this film, but specifically, I don't want to spoiler him. He's something else, and the fact I didn't remember probably has something to do with the TV version I saw as a child. Otherwise, I would not be able to sleep.

There's also a couple sequels. The second film, like the first, is up on YouTube, named "Niko 2: Little Brother, Big Trouble." Unfortunately, I had to watch the third film on Hulu. They're not really as good as the original, and the Northern European witch magic aspect of the animation kinda dies off in the third film, but they're fun and pleasant enough. I would suggest these films if you have nothing to do over the next week or if you want to add something to your countdown to Christmas viewing schedule; it's not really on the day viewing worthy like Muppet Christmas Carol is.

[toonrandy]

Yesterday was World Frog Day, so in celebration this post shows a new cartoon from Gigglebug (The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti) called Tadpoles (formerly A Super Epic Tadpole Journey to the Surface of Croak Creek -- that's a long title!)!

First announced in 2022, it has recently ordered to series by DR in Denmark, Canal+ in France, and Ketnet in Belgium!

'Tadpoles' Animated Adventure Greenlit by Euro Broadcasters

Helsinki-based Gigglebug Entertainment announces that DR (Denmark) and Ketnet (Blegium) are co-producing and Canal+ (France) is pre-acquirin

Gigglebug flips storytelling with vertical show

Gigglebug is turning the traditional storytelling format on its head with Tadpoles—a new vertical show with a universal theme.

[dengekiboys]

Unstoppable Yellow Yeti Shorts: “Rule #29: Umbrellas Are Strictly Prohibited (Except When It’s Raining)”

[kaamosnoita]

“It is the most exciting moment of the year: The Easter Night and little Mimosa’s birthday party. Muskotti Mother has such a bad memory that she doesn't remember how old Mimosa is. Mimosa's Birthnight is a warm and magical film, yet also a subtle story about the girl's growth into adulthood. The story takes place entirely in the world of witches, which is flooded with the blue glow of the night.“

Mimosan Syntymäyö ( Mimosa's Birthnight ) 1987, Finland by Camilla Mickwitz

[the-second-soshening]

stuff soshi thinks you should watch no. 34: "boxcat / touch grass" (northflowo, 2025)

should this post appear in your feed, then consider this your sign to go outside and perform the titular action

(blood 'n gore warning!)

yum! finnish animation!

if northflowo sounds familiar, you may know them best for their rain world animations. they describe this short film as a "stepping stone on the path to a different project," mentioning that they wanted to branch out to do some more original stuff after doing fan animations for over 10 years.

the animation here is really nice! it reminded me of vewn (whom northflowo says was an influence), and the ms paint-esque aesthetic really fit the whole "early internet artist" theme this short is going for.

what i really liked from this short, though, was its themes. god, this short really spoke to me.

i don't have a large following, but i still get absurdly nervous before i upload my art to the internet, and i say "absurd" because i'm actually really proud of the stuff i make.

i think most of it comes down to reputation? or "brand," as some people would say. it's really difficult to branch out once you've established a following, though i can't really attest to that right now, haha.

still, people come to expect you to make certain things, and that sort of mentality really limits what you can make. i don't think that's really a new phenomenon, but with the corporate path that the internet is going down, it feels like it's been amplified tenfold.

it puts a lot of stress on you, no matter how popular you are.

the climax and the denouement, too, spoke to me a lot. with how common internet drama and doomscrolling have (purportedly) become, it's genuinely refreshing to just go outside and talk to real people.

like seriously. go for a walk. reconnect with a friend. get lemonade with them. go fishing.

touch grass.

anyways, that's just my long-winded way of saying that this film is #relatable. god, i love animations that make me think about things! I LOVE TO THINK

on the topic of thinking, i think tomorrow's watch will be something you'll really like. in fact, it's an entire anime! and a really obscure one at that. ooh, i wonder what it could be? you'll just have to find out tomorrow...