The opening shots of The Great Passage’s second episode serve as the firmest possible reaffirmation of its character acting acumen. Not only are the incidental characters walking through this establishing shot traditionally animated (itself a rarity for modern crowd scenes), they’re actually given personality, boasting distinctive body language and a variety of character-defining gestures in their time on the screen. It seems fitting that a show which has already attested to the intentionality of every creative choice you make would be so generous in animating these tertiary characters; as with the dictionary they hope to build, everything that is included is included for a reason, and honed to the highest possible standard.
Tag Archives: The Great Passage
The Great Passage – Episode 1
The Great Passage opens with an evocative shot of a ferris wheel suspended over a great sea, an expanse the narrator describes as the “vast ocean of words.” Our thoughts are imperfect instruments with no inherent vessel, and so our natural state is to be stranded on islands of misunderstanding. Words give our meaning form, and allow our thoughts to connect across this sea. And dictionaries are the ships that cross it, offering clear and sturdy definitions to master the tides.