As the opening sequences of “What’s There?”—the first episode of “Kōan”—unfold, we become witnesses to a visual treat. Using black-and-white animation, the episode perfectly juxtaposes contrasting concepts. Good and evil. Predator and prey. Darkness and light. Creation and destruction. Death and rebirth.
A new web series from Moti Media, “Kōan” aims to explore ideas that include duality and perspectives; and how our experiences—both good and bad—can help achieve harmony. Helmed by Pak Hou Chau, who directed the first three episodes, “Kōan” borrows its name from Zen Buddhism. This refers to a paradoxical story, anecdote, or statement used to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning; which, in turn, provokes enlightenment.
The web series comprises of eight episodes, all animated shorts totaling 12 minutes. Hence, it’s probably justified to say that, with such little time, it’s a tall order for the filmmakers to cover as much ground to produce a consistently incisive series.
And for good reason: whereas “What’s There” busts the double doors wide open with its thought-provoking ideas; “Pursuit of Heavens” fails to build upon the quality the pilot episode has. And the third episode, “Cycle,” presents a more middling output that neither elevates nor sinks the series—not adding much value to the series, if any at all.
‘Kōan’ is Overall a Visual Treat That Satiates the Mind
With the first three episodes already out on YouTube, it’s clear what the filmmakers aim “Kōan” to be. The web series, despite the uneven quality, is a poignant visual exercise that dares the viewers to make sense of the dichotomies, dimensional realities, and cycles of life—all presented in breathtaking imagery.
How does struggle beget beauty? Is ‘why’ the most dangerous question, or is it simply the key to unlocking the reason for our very own existence? Also, if change is the only true constant, isn’t the statement already an irony in itself?
While I could go on and on about the questions above, what “Kōan” succeeds at is serving its purpose. The series doesn’t offer defined answers, nor does it want to in the first place. On the contrary, it provides avenue for more questions, in essence serving as an animated Rorschach test of some sort, with open-ended interpretations being themselves the ultimate goal.
In my conversation with Moti Media’s co-founder Ray Yang, he states that the production company believes that perceptions shape humanity’s existence. And it shows with “Kōan,” such tenet is front and center. While it’s an overall admirable job to fascinate our eyes with its animation, we can only hope for more “Kōan” episodes to come that would satiate our mind, even as we ponder our very existence with more questions and fewer answers.
