Tekkonkinkreet: Black and White.
Opening scene with Treasure Town.
DVD 2007 Sony.
Tekkonkinkreet (a Japanese pun on “tekkin konkreet” or “reinforced concrete”) is the story of Kuro (Black) and Shiro (White), two tough orphans living in the slums of Treasure Town. It is more of a “year in the life of” rather than biographical in nature so the viewer is left to wonder if they are indeed brothers (I do) or simply the tightest of friends. Black is the elder and guardian of White who can fight and generally hold his own but is at the same time mentally several years younger than his chronological 10. White sees the world through eyes that are beyond innocent, frequently slipping into daydreams of hopeful and peaceful places. For White, the daily struggle is to hold onto his rather tenuous grip on reality.
White is the younger fashionable hat-wearing brother.
Black is weary of his responsibility sometimes...
Black on the other hand is the tougher and more street-smart of the two; his overriding drive is to protect White and more generally, “his town”. Threats to the boys range from rival gangs to yakuza to what are perceived to be aliens. For Black, the struggle is to hold onto his innocence and humanity.
Black on watch over Treasure Town
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