kambole campbell
@kambole.bsky.social
critic @ Vulture, Polygon, Cartoon Brew, Animation Magazine, Empire, Little White Lies, i-D, IndieWire, others.
1/3 of the animation newsletter re:frame: http://reframenewsletter.online/
help me out here if you’d like: https://ko-fi.com/kambole/
1/3 of the animation newsletter re:frame: http://reframenewsletter.online/
help me out here if you’d like: https://ko-fi.com/kambole/
Umurangi Generation vibes
November 11, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Umurangi Generation vibes
more interviews on the way too! one with Lost Land director Akio Fujimoto, another with a pretty important figure in the anime industry. been keeping busy, which feels good.
November 11, 2025 at 3:40 PM
more interviews on the way too! one with Lost Land director Akio Fujimoto, another with a pretty important figure in the anime industry. been keeping busy, which feels good.
the film looks spectacular, even if not all the jokes land it's very nice to look at!! really thrilled with the materials they gave us for the piece too
November 11, 2025 at 3:39 PM
the film looks spectacular, even if not all the jokes land it's very nice to look at!! really thrilled with the materials they gave us for the piece too
I interviewed ChaO director Yasuhiro Aoki: bsky.app/profile/cart...
One of the year’s most unconventional animated features, 'ChaO' turns a mermaid romance into surreal comedy. At the Tokyo International Film Festival, director Yasuhiro Aoki explains how he built its bold visual world. (Lots of BTS artwork!)
Yasuhiro Aoki on the Layered, Comedic World Of 'ChaO'
Director Yasuhiro Aoki reflects on crafting humor, rhythm, and visual contrast in 'ChaO,' a futuristic love story between a human and a mermaid.
www.cartoonbrew.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:34 PM
I interviewed ChaO director Yasuhiro Aoki: bsky.app/profile/cart...
moving on! I also covered the Tokyo Intl Film Fest's animation symposium, some gems in here:
www.animationmagazine.net/2025/11/insi...
www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/anime-...
www.animationmagazine.net/2025/11/insi...
www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/anime-...
How Film Festivals Can Better Serve Animated Features
At Tokyo IFF’s Anime Symposium, filmmakers discussed how festivals connect animation with global audiences and keep cinema experiences alive.
www.cartoonbrew.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM
moving on! I also covered the Tokyo Intl Film Fest's animation symposium, some gems in here:
www.animationmagazine.net/2025/11/insi...
www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/anime-...
www.animationmagazine.net/2025/11/insi...
www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/anime-...
*a quick aside: I'm in Edinburgh for Scotland Loves Anime, introducing a strand of films I curated (I also did one in London): www.lovesanimation.com/cinema/edinb...
November 11, 2025 at 2:49 PM
*a quick aside: I'm in Edinburgh for Scotland Loves Anime, introducing a strand of films I curated (I also did one in London): www.lovesanimation.com/cinema/edinb...
gonna post some more TIFF coverage now that I'm back* – my third Indiewire review, on The Obsessed: www.indiewire.com/criticism/mo...
‘The Obsessed’ Review: An Italian Man Hops Between a Million Different Hobbies in a Fun and Quirky Anime Musical
A unique art style helps Takahashi Wataru's unclassifiable adventure feel wildly different than most of today's anime films.
www.indiewire.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:19 PM
gonna post some more TIFF coverage now that I'm back* – my third Indiewire review, on The Obsessed: www.indiewire.com/criticism/mo...
I’ll never forget you, Suica Penguin 🕊️
November 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I’ll never forget you, Suica Penguin 🕊️
legit emotional listening to Book of Daniel, the opening and ending of XXX couldn’t feel further away
November 7, 2025 at 8:58 AM
legit emotional listening to Book of Daniel, the opening and ending of XXX couldn’t feel further away
listening to this while strolling up to Senso-ji Temple was a vibe
November 7, 2025 at 8:55 AM
listening to this while strolling up to Senso-ji Temple was a vibe
nearly ended the trip (mentally) for me because now I want to go home and build it…
November 6, 2025 at 2:43 PM
nearly ended the trip (mentally) for me because now I want to go home and build it…
oh yeah I know about what it ties into but that actually wasn’t really what I found bumpy, more the stopping and starting as they get through a lot of context (something they are actively working on in a new cut)
November 6, 2025 at 2:11 PM
oh yeah I know about what it ties into but that actually wasn’t really what I found bumpy, more the stopping and starting as they get through a lot of context (something they are actively working on in a new cut)
then there’s I Am Frankelda, where any and all narrative lumps almost immediately stop mattering all that much because of the sheer creativity on display www.indiewire.com/criticism/mo...
‘I Am Frankelda’ Review: Mexico’s First Stop-Motion Animated Feature Is a Macabre Beauty That Revels in its Own Creation
A prequel to the Cartoon Network series "Frankelda's Book of Spooks," the Ambriz brothers' debut feature is an ingeniously crafted delight.
www.indiewire.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:45 PM
then there’s I Am Frankelda, where any and all narrative lumps almost immediately stop mattering all that much because of the sheer creativity on display www.indiewire.com/criticism/mo...