I’ve heard it said that the dreams we have during the night are part of our brain’s way of processing the events of the day. It’s one of the reasons why sleep deprivation is such terrible torture – being forced to forego that kind of mental processing is enough to instigate psychosis. That time sleeping isn’t just for assembling the logic puzzle of human interactions, but also to process the complexity of our own emotions.
Night World, an animation project released as a companion piece to musical artist Aimer’s album Walpurgis, tells three stories that deal with forms of emotional loss. Yoru, a mysterious creature of the night, welcomes individuals dealing with various emotional troubles into the dark, beautiful Night World, where he helps them examine their situations and come to some form of emotional closure.
The world of the night is itself very dream like, with twilight skies dotted with stars and mysterious ruins framing the distant horizon. Yoru, whose appearance is at first troubling, speaks with a low, soothing voice as he guides the various characters toward their understanding. And, of course, Aimer’s music lends a soft and emotional tone to each of the episodes.
This mini series isn’t necessarily what one might think of as a “Halloween” show. It’s not particularly spooky or scary; instead it’s more melancholic or bittersweet, depending on the story. But when I consider the mood I’m in this time of year, I often reflect back on the time in my life when I dabbled in Neo-Paganism. Harvest season and Halloween begins a period in the year of reflection, both inward and on lives of those lost throughout the year, and I think this series exemplifies that type of spiritual exercise.
The episode that resonated with me the most is the third and final one, which follows a young woman struggling with having given up on making art, which had previously given her so much joy. Instead she takes a more typical path in life and sets aside her art for a “normal” job. But while digging through her attic, she uncovers a forgotten memory of Yoru and night world, through art she created long ago. This then gives her the courage to approach her art once again.
Night World is an easy watch, with three episodes less than 10 minutes apiece. It’s also available for free on Aimer’s YouTube channel with closed-caption English subtitles available. It’s a beautiful, unique little series that manages a keen amount of emotional tension within its short run time.