Shelter — music, memory, and cinematic animation (A-1 Pictures & Crunchyroll)

Shelter (Porter Robinson & Madeon; A-1 Pictures / Crunchyroll) is a musical short film that combines electronic music production with top-notch Japanese animation. In just 6–8 minutes, it tells an intimate story about memory, loss, and virtuality.

Shelter tells the story of Rin, a girl who lives in a virtual world created by her father to protect her. The narrative uses electronic music (Porter Robinson & Madeon) as an emotional thread, and the animation, by A-1 Pictures, employs dreamlike shots, detailed backgrounds, and imaginative sequences that connect with the viewer’s heart. Visually, the short film is impeccable: painted backgrounds, cinematic camera movements, and color direction that alternates between warm and cool tones to mark the contrast between memory and confinement.

Technically, the collaboration between Western musicians and Japanese studios created a hybrid product: the video clip is perceived as a short film due to its compact narrative and its ability to tell a life story in fragments. The short film was received with enthusiasm (millions of views) and has become a benchmark for how music and anime enhance each other.
Recommended for general audiences and for anyone who wants to see a piece where music is not an accompaniment but a co-star. Visually beautiful and emotionally effective.