CuCureEtude
October 19, 2018
Recommended
Linchpin (n.) 1. A pin placed transversely through an axle to keep a wheel in position. 2. A person or thing regarded as an essential or coordinating element. While I absolutely despise the pretentious practice of putting definitions at the front of written works, I feel understanding these two definitions is pivotal to grasping the genius behind Kanamewo (AKA “A Linchpin”). Utilizing every last second, rapparu is able to create a passionate and impactful work that speaks on the human condition without shoving its ideas down your throat. I absolutely adore this short and hope that this rambling review can help provide some insight on why I hold it insuch high regard. This will mostly be in written in metaphor, so hopefully this will make some sort of sense in the end. Inherently, there will be spoilers in this, so if you’re reading this and haven’t watched it yet, I strongly encourage you to watch it. It’s just 5 minutes. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get right to it.
As a working adult, it is so easy to get swept away by monotonous routine. Wake up, go to work, go home, laze about, go to bed. Rinse and repeat. I’ve been stuck in this lethargic stasis before and can imagine how pervasive this sentiment can be in Japan, where there’s often this underlying notion that values work above personal endeavors. It’s a depressing and difficult state that really weighs down on the soul. From context and musical texture, we can infer that our main character is in a similar state. She’s like a wheel without a linchpin, slowly and tediously spinning through life without much motivation outside of not falling off her axel.
It is then that she finds a linchpin in the form of the spirit. She brings the emaciated spirit home almost out of instinct. At first, she’s hesitant to fully allow this anomaly into her life. She contemplates the benefits and risks, as indicated by two bizarre stops in the music, the first being when the idea of keeping her initially comes into mind, and the second being when the decision to do so is made. With her linchpin now in place, things in life start to gradually take color. The music starts to build as the two get to know each other. The wheel, now secure for the first time in its existence is able to move at a comfortable pace.
However, due to the lack of experience this woman has in living fully, things quickly spiral out of control into a blindingly fast explosion of energy. With a screeching guitar and an absolutely brutal use of the drum machine, the music soars into this maddening tempest of sound. The wheel is blazing over the track in a way it never could’ve imagined. The ride is rickety and filled with things that will inevitably deteriorate the state of the wheel and the much more fragile linchpin, but these glorious moments of passion and unbridled happiness are addicting and euphoric. Even the mundane, such as watching TVs or going for a walk are given new heightened meaning. Unfortunately, this state, the woman must know, is unsustainable. Eventually, the linchpin is going to break.
Upon the first notice of problems, the woman tries to slow down, nurturing the spirit, hoping to bring her back to a survivable state, silently regretting how fleeting the experience has been. But unfortunately it’s too late. The spirit dies and the woman is left back at square one with nothing. In mourning, she falls back to depression, one just as strong, but more pronounced and tangible. Burying the spirit offers little comfort, but allows her to at the very least go back to her old ways. It is not until she’s able to look back at the memento of her experience that she’s able to come to terms with herself and smile. And while she will never forget her first, from here she will move forward to find another linchpin and learn once again how to love life.
This entire story is about recognizing the fleeting beauty of life. Yes, by maintaining the status quo and holing yourself up, you can live for a very long time. But is that really living or just mere survival? Kanamewo proposes we all must find our own reason to live, someone or something to direct our passion towards. A linchpin not only physically keeps us grounded in the axel of society, but mentally is essential to finding fulfillment and self-actualization. We’re going to make bad decisions along the way and there will be times of immense pain, but the triumph past these moments of weakness is what makes the moments of strength ever the sweeter.
I admit that a good chunk of this write up is me projecting my own experiences and philosophy onto the art. While I am now familiar with rapparu’s body of work and can point to many instances where these themes can be found, there’s a real possibility that I’m reading way farther into all this than was ever originally intended. That said, I’m only tackling the short from one perspective in the above write-up. There’s a lot to also be said about the short’s environmental message, interpretation of lesbian relations, etc. It’s just such a dense animation, drenched in pathos and soul. While it’s not perfect, there’s so much to find throughout to the point where I’ve watched it at least 30 times and always come away with something new.
I hope this was an engaging read and gave you some sort of appreciation for the short. Feel free to hit me up if you want clarification or wish to discuss some points further.
