Review by llltdesq

This short was nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Short, losing to Mr. Hublot. There will be spoilers ahead:

I came to this short not really knowing what to expect. I'm not terribly enamored of anime's visual look most of the time, though the stills and clips I'd seen looked good. It impressed me more than I thought it would and the short as a whole is quite impressive.

I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, because the short is best encountered with as much left unknown to the viewer. A traveler caught in a storm (his hat blows away at the start) takes refuge for the night in a shrine, apparently a shrine for the dead.

He goes to sleep, only to awaken suddenly to find himself in different surroundings and with the first of a series of odd encounters facing him. He spends a good deal of time adapting to some strange challenges, literally pulling things from the box he carries to do what's needed.

He faces the ultimate challenge and quietly prays to the spirits of the shrine. The resolution of the short is beautiful, with just the right touch of whimsy.

This is available on Blu-Ray and DVD (Short Peace) and is well worth watching. Recommended.