Akihiko Shiota's second film is a deeply nostalgic, quirky entry in the boyhood mischief tradition of Truffaut and Susumu Hani. The kids, however, have been updated into the very contemporary, emotionally deadened variety. Stylistically, the film saunters through an episodic narrative held together by beautifully rendered naturalistic cinematography. Shiota adds strange touches in the often deadpan explication, with such non sequitur transitions as a shot of a parade of girls riding unicycles, or a scene of a band playing air organs. The main character, Akira, is revered for creating a firecracker gun and devising a way to blow apart paper airplanes in mid-flight. The supporting cast is rounded out by a nervous single mom and her lonely son who collects military model kits. He proves to be something of an artist and provides the film's oddly fitting title as well.-Alvin Lu