Madama Butterfly

Impressions:

On a technical note, the stop-motion and sound design was fantastic. The stop-motion was superbly done and had elements of great cinematography, which can be absent in a lot of conventionally filmed pieces.

The metaphors and story were powerful, and I was captivated the whole 10+ minutes. I especially like the way they made the child a fish in a fishbowl, where her water literally broke before birth. This fish-human symbolism kind of reminded me of evolution, but that may be a stretch. Also, I thought it was a interesting touch to make the second couple Barbie and Ken. It made me consider the fact that such an "ideal" entity could be so cruel, almost like America's relationship with foreign companies maybe? Finally, I like how it showed the Asian woman dying and then becoming the butterfly that was shown in the beginning. It's a great bookend and makes you feel like all things are cyclic and that something beautiful can come from something ugly.