Scarlet: Hamlet has been staged, adapted, and reimagined many times over, but HOSODA Mamoru’s has to be one of the trippiest attempts. The gender-swapped prince, now named Scarlet, fails at her revenge attempt against Claudius, her power-hungry uncle, and finds herself in a timeless and terrible limbo. There she meets a paramedic from her future. Her uncle, however, is also there, and power-hungry as always, so she continues her quest. Even if narratively the film strays far from the play, thematically it stays close to it, as it discusses, above all, forgiveness. The animation is stunning, in particular the beautiful and expressive character design, but the three main environments are not far behind in visual spectacle. ASHIDA Mana’s vocal performance as the protagonist is emotional and expressive; OKADA Masaki, who plays the benevolent first-aid specialist, is likewise quite effective.