Sure, Chainsaw Man’s Denji gets chainsaws for arms and a head in his unholy pact with a demon. But what if you were simply a samurai with a big-arse chainsaw? Hidari has the answer, and the answer is: pretty sick.
This short teaser, written and directed by Masashi Kawamura and animated with Dwarf Studio — known for their sumptuous, adorable work on Netflix’s Rilakkuma series, Beastars, and more — is part of a pitch to crowdfund a full-length version of Hidari through Kickstarter. Inspired by the woodwork and legend of the mysterious 17th-century Japanese sculptor Jingoro Hidari, the story follows Hidari as he takes up a very different kind of blade in a quest for revenge after he’s betrayed by his fellow craftsmen and loses his arm.
Naturally, Hidari replaces the arm with a cool wood-punk prosthetic, and proceeds to slice, stab, and saw his way through a legion of foes in this incredible short film. The action is immaculate, and using puppets (crafted by stop-motion studio Tecarat) that were inspired by the real-life carvings of Hidari makes for a fascinating aesthetic where literal limbs are sliced and stylistic blood sprays become clouds of sawdust.
Kawamura hopes to turn Hidari into a full-blown fantasy action movie by 2028 (good stop motion takes time). The good news is the Kickstarter has already blown way past its 2 million Yen goal in the little over a day the campaign has been live — but you can still go and support it if you’re interested.
While you’re here, why not check out Gizmodo Australia’s guide to what’s streaming this month on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Stan, Binge and more. We’ve also got one for all the good movies coming out in 2023 if that’s more your thing.