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Forgotten Island’s directors unpack their ‘very personal’ anime references
The directors of *Forgotten Island* explain that its occasional 2D anime-style sequences were inspired by their childhoods and used to reveal characters’ personalities. References to *Sailor Moon*, *Dragon Ball*, and *Street Fighter* add comic, exaggerated flashbacks that contrast with the film’s predominantly polished 3D animation.
Writer-directors Januel P. Mercado and Joel Crawford matched each character’s worldview to different anime influences, including Raww’s Street Fighter- and *Dragon Ball*-style vision of himself as an impossibly muscular warrior. The 2D scenes were produced by Snipple Animation Studios in the Philippines, whose experience in American and Japanese television animation helped bring Filipino creative talent to a story celebrating Filipino culture.
In short
- *Forgotten Island* blends 3D animation with ’90s anime-inspired flashbacks.
- Anime references reflect the characters’ personalities and perspectives.
- Filipino studio Snipple created the film’s 2D sequences.
Explained simply
Forgotten Island is a film that blends predominantly polished three-dimensional animation with occasional sequences in a distinctive two-dimensional anime style. The anime moments reference well-known series such as Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, and Street Fighter, appearing as exaggerated comic flashbacks that reveal how characters see themselves and their world.
The film's writer-directors, Januel P. Mercado and Joel Crawford, drew these anime references from their own childhoods, making the creative choices deeply personal to their vision. Each character's anime influence was carefully matched to their personality; for instance, a character named Raww imagines himself through Dragon Ball and Street Fighter aesthetics, visualising himself as an impossibly muscular warrior.
The two-dimensional sequences were produced by Snipple Animation Studios in the Philippines, which combined Filipino creative talent with experience in American and Japanese television animation. This made the collaboration particularly fitting for a film celebrating Filipino culture, drawing on both international expertise and local creative voices.
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