The Crocodile That Lived For 100 Days (2021) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

The 2021 animated film The Crocodile That Lived For 100 Days is based on the A Crocodile Who Will Die in 100 Days comic, but as indicated in the title, the film is different from the comic. While the comic ends with the day of Wani the crocodile's death, the film begins on that spring day when he was originally supposed to have a picnic with his friends.

Wani is just an ordinary croc working in the city. He has a close friend group but feels lonely at times. He likes a girl, but can't work up the timing to make his feelings clear. Similar to the comic, the slice-of-life film shares different scenes of Wani's life, from happy times shared with friends to quiet regrets about words never uttered. Each moment is trivial yet meaningful in its own way. Wani may be a shirtless crocodile in blue jeans, but his personality and experiences resonate with that of the everyday urbanite and reflect on the modern human condition.

One of the main reasons why A Crocodile Who Will Die in 100 Days found its way into the hearts of so many readers is the feeling of transience that permeates the story. Wani's very ordinary existence that ends suddenly on a beautiful spring day reminds of the brevity of life and the importance of appreciating every moment of it.

The Crocodile That Lived For 100 Days goes beyond the comic to show the hole that Wani's sudden passing leaves in the lives of his friends. The bittersweet film quietly reflects on coping with loss and grief, and how life goes on for the living while remembering those who have left.

The animation of The Crocodile That Lived For 100 Days stays faithful to the comic's character designs and aesthetic, making for a very minimalist but effective presentation. Somewhat surprisingly, the film is jointly written and directed by Ueda Shinichiro of One Cut of the Dead fame with wife and fellow filmmaker, Fukuda Miyuki, who has an animation background.

By nature of its story, The Crocodile That Lived For 100 Days evokes thoughts of transience, mortality and existentialism, but this hour-long meditation on death is also a story of happiness and healing. The cute and calming film brings up fuzzy feelings about those warm moments and warm people that make an ordinary life beautiful and meaningful.