Many YouTubers have tried their hand at the thing their channel is about to varying success: everything from making movies to video games. Bâan: The Boundary of Adulthood is one of those projects. It’s a short, 18-minute film from the mind of Garnt Maneetapho, known online as the AniTuber Gigguk, and Studio Daisy, who have previously worked on a few music videos and short films.
It’s sometimes difficult to find works from YouTubers that are actually worth watching, in my opinion, but Bâan is a welcome exception. You can tell that real care was put into its creation. The visuals of its South East Asian myth-inspired world is stunning, and Kevin Penkin’s music works so seamlessly alongside it. The story itself is touching as well, tackling exactly what the subtitle mentions: that time of growing up, of finally seeing what it means to be an “adult.”
It also really sets itself apart from the rest of the isekai genre which it’s nestled in. That feeling of moving to a new place, of finding out more about yourself and where you truly belong, is encapsulated in willingly transporting to another, more fantastical world as easy as one does by flying on a plane to another country. That’s the case of Daichi, but the same is also true of the reverse, as Rinrada travels from the magical world of Euthania to the more mundane Japan, looking for work and trying to find herself.
There’s more to it than just that, especially in how the short film tackles family, which I really enjoyed, but since it’s such a short film I’ll leave it up to you to find out for yourself. That being said, I give Bâan: The Boundary of Adulthood One Thumbs Up. If you’ve ever felt homesick, or ever moved for college or work, or even fresh out of college, I’d recommend this film, as you’ll connect with the characters the most. If you haven’t, you won’t feel as connected to the characters, though that is mainly due to the short run time of the film.
Verdict: 👍
