The famous trope of the princess being in another castle has been told in countless fantasy parodies for years, but The Legend of Pipi by Julia Schoel and Birgit Uhlig takes that premise to a whole other level. Made as a final thesis film at the acclaimed Savannah College of Art & Design, the main premise behind the film centers on an unlikely knight-like hero named Pipi who is the last thing an unnamed cat kingdom needs to rescue its princess. While the film is darkly humorous by nature, the amount of work put into one 7 minute film proves how much time and effort can be put by animators working remotely.
As far as the plot is concerned, Schoel and Uhlig execute their film as somewhat of a running gag, in that Pipi goes through castle after castle trying to rescue the right princess. The plotline could have easily gotten predictable given the type of narrative this is going for, but Schoel and Uhlig make it interesting by having all the various princesses meet differing outcomes. On top of all the unique amount of monsters Pipi ends up unintentionally fighting, all the princesses meet their own individual fates in a sardonically comedic manner, almost as if they're really not worth all the pain Pipi endures in rescuing them. In addition, the added touch of making Pipi pantomime adds into the humor by allowing whatever he's thinking to be expressed visually without the need of dialogue, allowing the viewers to fill in the blanks fairly well. The very few bits of dialogue are merely used to establish the film's narrative, especially with a typical prophecy opening. With the added bonus of a hysterical punchline for an ending, no one else could have expected Pipi to be the hero they needed.
Going into the visuals, the art direction looks fairly similar to other cartoons, but still looks appealing in its own right. Courtesy of artist Olibhéar, the look of the film feels like a solid blend of modern TV fantasy animation such as Adventure Time and The Owl House, the aesthetic of Midnight Gospel, and the works of Felix Colgrave. On top of some gorgeously surreal backdrops, the heavy emphasis of lineart in both the character and layout design allows for a delightfully organic quality in simple shapes and darker shades in the foreground. So while the production design may not be the most unique to today's animation going audience, the artists behind the film clearly made the most by telling their story based on what they love. The character animation, while stylized and limited, breathes so much energy in well choreographed fight sequences and specific layouts that communicate the mood of the scene. Every thesis film ever made, good or bad, is derived from the works that inspired its creator, and The Legend of Pipi is far from any exception.
In a day and age where we're seeing arguably even more indie projects roam around than ever before, The Legend of Pipi fits that mold beautifully. Given how much love and passion Julia Schoel and Birgit Uhlig displayed in bringing their story to life, along with the help of SCAD'S highly collaborative animation program, there is a high chance their story will inspire a whole generation's worth of creatively driven talent to tell their own stories their own way. Here's hoping that whatever Schoel and Uhlig get to make in the future will share almost the same enthusiasm and energy as their breakout thesis film.
