A main trailer for independent anime short film Dreaming of a Whale (Kujira o Yumemu) has been released ahead of its May 1 debut on YouTube.
The trailer portrays a girl and her dog wandering through abandoned, post-apocalyptic landscapes, while a poet’s voice sounds over a radio. The synopsis explains that the poet’s words emanate from the radio daily and always at the same time, until one day, the timing changes.
Dreaming of a Whale is the graduation project of its creator Shuzuku, as part of their studies at Kyoto Seika University. The anime was featured at Fantasia International Film Festival 2025 as part of its Anime no bento 2025 lineup and the Philadephia Asian American Film Festival, and won awards at local events like Kochi Anime Creator Awards 2025 and the Ishikawa Anime Award 2025.
Shuzuku handled the script, storyboards, animation, background art, compositing, sound, and music. Credited for cooperation are Olduvai;s Shun Matsuo, Digitalpaint.jp’s Shinsuke Hiraiwa, and STUDIO COLORIDO animator/Kyoto Seika faculty member Kei Masaki.
Myu voices the girl, while Sumto Owara is the poet
A visual was revealed the day before. The short’s YouTube link is here.
Source: Shuzuku’s YouTube channel