Trailer
About
The origin of our animation series less traces back to director Takuya Suzuki’s PhD research at the University of Melbourne (2009–2013), where he explored the question: What defines Japanese-ness?
Through his research, he identified a unique cultural sensibility known as "Kansei"—a deeply rooted aesthetic awareness shaped by traditional concepts such as emptiness and wabi-sabi.
Recognizing this sensibility as a cultural treasure and a timeless value, Suzuki initiated the less project to share this subtle yet profound perspective with audiences around the world. The series blends manipulated imagery with Sho Sakai’s distinctive music to evoke and express the quiet beauty at the heart of Japanese sensibility.
Story
The first installment of the less animation series is titled The Rain Garden, inspired by the music piece “H.T.M Garden of Rain” composed by Sho Sakai—who is also a co-founder of Café Rig Rina.
In this post-human world, humanity has vanished. Only a robot, insects, and plants remain. The story begins in a long-abandoned café within a botanical garden. There, a moss-covered mascot robot—once part of the garden's attractions—awakens from a long slumber as rain gently falls on its head. Disconnected from its original system and without a clear purpose, the robot begins to move.
What will it discover? Where will it go?
less – The Rain Garden is a quiet, poetic fantasy told through evocative animation—a contemplative journey through memory, nature, and solitude.
Music
Sho Sakai’s original music plays a vital role in expressing the elements that cannot be fully conveyed through visuals alone.
His compositions explore the fluidity of time and rhythm—particularly the emotional perception of time that shifts with our state of mind. Time seems to slow when we gaze at the sky in peace, and rush when we're caught in the demands of daily life. Through subtle, shifting rhythms and tonal instability, Sakai captures this ever-changing sense of time and inner movement.
His music seeks to release internal tension, gently disrupting our habitual rhythms and engaging our deeper biorhythmic balance. By embracing unsteadiness and asymmetry, his soundscapes evoke a quiet emotional resonance that lingers beyond the image.
The music for less is developed in close parallel with the animation process—evolving gradually through layered revisions. In fact, it was Sho Sakai’s initial composition that served as the creative spark for the entire project.
Characters
Robo
The origin of this robot is unknown.
It awakens with the gentle strike of a raindrop, its body seemingly built from long-lost ancient technology. Yet, it remains largely a mystery—an empty shell with no discernible data or internal systems. Its frame is composed of aged copper, bolts, and screws—many of which have turned to stone over time.
Robo’s design draws inspiration from Japanese mythology and the wabi-sabi aesthetic. Moss, reminiscent of that found in Kyoto’s Sanzen-in and Rurikō-in Temples, grows across its armor, reflecting a beauty rooted in imperfection and transience. Its hollow body represents an empty vessel—waiting, like a yorishiro, to be inhabited by a soul or divine presence in the Shinto belief system.
A notable feature is the extendable arm mounted on its left side. Due to the robot’s short arms, it relies on this mechanism to interact with its surroundings—though it often limits its ability to function freely.
Perhaps most striking is the living flower growing atop its head, which Robo cares for meticulously. The type of flower changes with its emotional state, suggesting a deep connection between mood and its physical form. Robo, as such, is not static—it evolves.
Kerberos
Kerberos is Robo’s enigmatic pet.
Its outer shell appears metallic, though it's unclear whether it is animal, insect, or a bio-engineered being. Hidden within its body are smaller versions of itself, much like a matryoshka doll. It feeds on nuts and bolts—particularly drawn to the ones on Robo’s ears.
Kerberos is always seen wearing yellow headphones. Whether it's listening to music or simply using them as earplugs remains unknown. Despite its quirky appearance, it is surprisingly sensitive. Like Robo, flowers bloom on its body—but when they wither, Kerberos ceases to move, as if sustained by their life force.
Doctor
A mysterious pig-shaped doctor.
He appears only in Robo’s dreams—sporadic, surreal visits that hint at a deeper connection. Known for his long-term research on plant life, much of his work is hidden in metaphorical "black boxes" and left unexplained.
He drinks black coffee religiously and has made a personal vow to eat French toast on the final day of his life. Whether this day has symbolic meaning or not, no one knows.
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