‘Tobe! Kujira no Peek’ is the story of two brothers who find a small, injured albino whale, hide it in a secluded inlet, and nurse it to health. The whale is discovered by a circus leader who takes it captive, and the boys seek to free it. This is a family movie with a cute, cartoony whale. It has other expected elements like a cruel group of bullies and the greedy circus owner, indifferent to the animal’s pain. The movie is of note for several reasons. First, it was directed by Kouji Morimoto, who apparently had some serious animator connections in the early 90’s; this movie has many quality keys. Second, the character art is by Satoru Utsunomiya, who has a distinct and original style. Subjects move with fluidity but have simplified, geometrical facial features, hair, and body shapes. This is perhaps exemplified through the eyes, big yet low in detail, just beady and shiny. Fans of his work on Gosenzo-sama may want to investigate. The movie is set in a coastal town in Spain and is realized with beautiful art direction of the architecture and coastal formations.
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