Title: Iblard Jikan
Scrumptious Meter: 2 (Let them eat cake!)
Length: 1 episode

Iblard Jikan intends to whisk one to the tranquil world of Iblard. For me, however, it only reminded me of those electronics shops where the flat screen TV’s on display show colorful scenes so would-be buyers could judge the TV’s image quality. I think Iblard Jikan would be perfect on those flat screen TV’s.

Iblard Jikan tells no story. In it, one is merely lead or dragged into eight different Iblard landscapes. Known as Studio Ghibli’s “eye candy”, it is a slideshow of Inoue Naohisa’s paintings with digital elements added here and there. There are no sounds, except for the pitter-patter of rain, the flowing of water, unintelligible conversations, and the occasional creaking of doors, set against the backdrop of soothing music.

There is, however, a progression. The first scenes are quaint and rustic but gradually we see more of the dream-like side of Iblard, which, at its height, is somehow Dali-like. Inoue’s surrealist-impressionist paintings depict the fleeting quality of dreams, as it is with time. Iblard Jikan is no exception to this transcience.