The Violinist: Ervin Han and Raul Garcia’s beautiful animated drama could easily have been a live-action film. This is not meant to belittle the film or the form; quite the opposite. It tells a grounded tale of wartime grief, love, and friendship: a journalist meets a famous Singaporean violinist, who recounts her trajectory as a musician since she was a child, as well as her strong connection to another musician, both interrupted by the Japanese invasion during World War II. The animation is functional, with nicely (but simply) designed characters and good-looking environments. The voice performances are solid: FOO Fang Rong plays the protagonist when young, and TAN Kheng Hua when she is older. Ayden Sng plays her best friend, another preternaturally gifted musician. Naturally, the use of music is beautiful, ranging from classical pieces to a crucial original sonata, composed by Ricky Ho and Isabel Latorre.