The vertical anime short Buta no Shinju (豚の真珠) — the grand-prize commemorative work from the TikTok TOHO Film Festival 2024 (TTFF 2024) — is now available to watch on the official TikTok of Tik Tok TOHO Film Festival and the official YouTube channel of TikTok Japan. Directed by Issun-saki wa Oji, the film follows a girl named Chika through a world where cuteness and unease intertwine.
About TikTok TOHO Film Festival
Running since 2021, the TikTok TOHO Film Festival is a vertical-format film festival co-organized by TikTok and Toho with the aim of discovering new creators and energizing the film industry through collaborative filmmaking. TTFF 2024 received roughly 400 entries across a wide range of genres. The Grand Prix went to Issun-saki wa Oji’s animated short Yuuenjin (遊園人) — the first animated work ever to win the festival’s top prize.
As a special prize, the Grand Prix winner received the right to produce a new film with full support from Toho’s talent-development initiative GEMSTONE Creative Label. Buta no Shinju is the result of that opportunity, produced entirely as a vertical animated short.
Synopsis
Chika is a young girl living alone with her mother, who requires a constant IV drip as part of her medical treatment. To cover her mother’s care and their daily expenses, Chika takes on jobs through her smartphone and saves every yen she earns. One day, an encounter with a woman named Pomera at work sparks a gradual change within her. “If only we had money.” That single phrase sets Chika on a path toward a future of her own choosing — a tender yet unsettling story about a mother and daughter, and the question of what truly matters.
Staff & Cast
- Director & Screenplay: Issun-saki wa Oji
- Chika (lead): Saito Kyoko (齊藤京子)
- Mother: Ichiryusai Sadatomo (一龍斎貞友)
- Pomera: Kubo Yurika (久保ユリカ)
- Doctor: Nakamura Kazumasa (中村和正)
- Planning & Production: Toho Co., Ltd.
- Animation Studio: TOHO animation STUDIO
- Project: GEMSTONE (TikTok TOHO Film Festival)
What to Look Out For
Every element of Buta no Shinju — character expressions and movement, backgrounds, art direction, sound design, and screen composition — was crafted specifically to take advantage of the smartphone’s vertical format, requiring a production pipeline quite different from Issun-saki wa Oji’s previous live-action work. Saito Kyoko brings Chika’s urgency, inner conflict, and quiet resilience to life through nuanced vocal performance, while Ichiryusai Sadatomo’s portrayal of the mother adds depth and texture to the story’s relationships.
Comments
Issun-saki wa Oji (Director): “This was my first time directing a hand-drawn animation. Working alongside such a remarkable production team — starting with the producer — was an invaluable experience. Through it, I rediscovered both what I’m capable of and how much I still have to learn, and I’m deeply grateful for this precious opportunity. At the heart of this film are things I feel and experience every day. Money is something most people cannot live without in the modern world, yet it also holds a strange power to shake our hearts and our choices. This story doesn’t offer answers. I’ll be happy if it leaves even a small question in your heart: what truly matters to you and the people you love?”
Saito Kyoko (Chika): “Unlike previous Grand Prix commemorative works, I participated in this one as a voice actress for an animated film. I approached every recording session with the feeling of breathing life into the visuals and the character, cherishing each individual emotion. Director Issun-saki wa Oji’s delicate world-building and expressive power moved me deeply throughout the process. Buta no Shinju asks what truly matters in an age that tends to place value on money and virality. I hope Chika’s struggles and her straightforward love for her mother reach as many hearts as possible, and that this film becomes a chance for people to reflect on what they hold dear.”
Work Details
- Title: Buta no Shinju (豚の真珠)
- Release Date: Friday, 21 August 2026
- Where to Watch: Official TikTok of Tik Tok TOHO Film Festival / Official YouTube of TikTok Japan
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