In the world of stop motion animation, there are infinite avenues a director can take, but many films tend to fall into one of two categories:  Scary films that are too cute for adults, and cute films that are too scary for children.  No one knows why, but it’s been suggested that this uncomfortable Twilight Zone is the very place where many stop motion folks find their natural habitat.

So here to contradict that theory, in all it’s adorable glory, is the purest of the purely-100%-to-the-cute-side-of-the-spectrum films, Komaneko in “First Step.”  The short also doubles as an enlightening window into the process of stop motion, and the psychology of the frustrated animator.  Enjoy!