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Kouhei Nakama Keeps the Strange Things Happening in New SWELL Short Film

Posted on Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Tokyo artist and animator Kouhei Nakama whose delightful brand of CG strangeness we’ve featured here and here just dropped us his latest motion experiment, a wonderfully unpredictable short film called SWELL.

Kouhei Nakama: This film explores a fundamental question: “How far can a form transform and still remain human?” Inspired by philosophical sci-fi works such as Osamu Tezuka’s Phoenix and Masamune Shirow’s The Ghost in the Shell, the project uses dancing human bodies as a visual motif to examine the boundaries of human identity.

“This film explores a fundamental question: “How far can a form transform and still remain human?”

The core priority of this project is universal, non-verbal communication. By eliminating complex cultural contexts, language, and overly intricate backgrounds—and pairing the visuals with a minimal soundscape—the film creates an intuitive experience that resonates with audiences anywhere in the world.

To realize the animation of a body expanding dynamically while dancing, the project utilized Cinema 4D’s Cloth Simulation featuring the “Mix Animation” function. By combining rigid dynamics and soft-cloth physics, the setup allowed for a seamless balance between regions driven strictly by the underlying character rig and regions governed by dynamic cloth physics, capturing both intentional movement and natural deformation.

Images

A blue, bald human figure stands against a yellow background, covered in large, shiny, pinkish-red bubble-like growths on various parts of its body—reminiscent of the mesmerizing visuals found in Kouhei Nakama’s CG film SWELL. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A colorful, abstract 3D creature with red, blue, and white bulbous shapes stands centered on a bright green background. Reminiscent of the playful and surreal designs found in Kouhei Nakama’s short CG film SWELL, the creature appears symmetrical and stacked, featuring multiple limbs that add to its whimsical character. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Two humanoid figures with bright orange and pink flowing, abstract costumes face each other, set against a solid blue background—a striking visual reminiscent of Kouhei Nakama’s short film “SWELL.”. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A vibrant, kaleidoscopic spiral with red, orange, and purple patterns radiates from a central point, set against a yellow-green background. Reminiscent of Kouhei Nakama’s mesmerizing visual style in his short CG film SWELL, the design creates a hypnotic, swirling visual effect. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Abstract 3D shapes in red, blue, and purple cluster symmetrically against a pale yellow background, creating a mirrored, organic pattern in the center reminiscent of visuals from Kouhei Nakama’s short CG film SWELL. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Direction: Kouhei Nakama
Music: “RAM” by Zeta

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
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Category: Animation, CG, Character Animation, Featured, Motion Capture, Short Films · Tags: Kouhei Nakama, Zeta