Adult Animation Revolution: ‘Gemma’

Another year means another stunning Gobelins animated short. In this year’s edition, Gemma, we follow two young women, the title character and Amber, as they grow closer on a date. However, their growing intimacy throws Gemma into a surreal internal struggle. The animators provide a thrilling battle between her inner fear and desire that evokes the artwork of Yoshitaka Amano. It’s wonderful to see animation from the next generation continue to explore LGBTQ themes in creative new ways. There have been many great innovations in adult animation; however, a feature-length hand-drawn animated film with the aesthetic and thematic quality of Gobelins animated shorts is long overdue.