Kyuu Ichi Kyuu

A solitary man walks along the shoreline, seeking solace by the sea. However, his attempt at peace is abruptly shattered when a demonic entity materializes—a terrifying physical manifestation of his own deep-seated pain. The creature relentlessly pursues him across the desolate beach, inflicting an unbearable agony that courses through every fiber of his body. Driven by sheer desperation, he manages to narrowly escape the demon's grasp and flee from the torment that threatens to consume him entirely. Despite surviving the harrowing encounter, the man finds himself unable to stay away from the water. Fully aware that returning to the ocean will inevitably summon the demon once more, he consciously chooses to walk back toward the waves. This haunting cycle reveals a profound internal struggle, as he remains drawn to the very place where his suffering takes monstrous form, unable to break free from the gravitational pull of his own anguish. Kyuu Ichi Kyuu is a 2022 graduate work produced at the Tokyo University of the Arts, created within the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Department of Animation.