Picture: Netflix
Episode 4 of Love, Death and Robots Volume 4 takes us into an apocalyptic city with survival at the heart of its themes and themes of reconciliation and perhaps even compromise to achieve a greater goal. Let’s break down 400 Boys, the new episode that features some incredible 2D animation and, surprisingly, the best music of the entire season.
This episode is the third one that comes from the talented team at Passion Animation, a division of Passion Pictures, which is based primarily in the United Kingdom, although they have studios in Melbourne, Paris, Toronto, and New York City. They return after having worked on both Volume 1 and Volume 2, with the episodes Ice and Zima Blue featuring a signature stylishish 2D animation style,
Based on a short story, the stylish episode opens in Fun City, a near-future apocalyptic metropolis where society is fractured into various street gangs, or “teams,” each occupying a different sector of the city and locked in a prolonged turf war.
It begins with three team members known as Slickers hiding in an underground tunnel, trying to reload a gun using electricity-based powers. Their numbers are dwindling, their abilities are fading, and after a massive explosion caves in their hideout, it’s clear they’re no longer safe. As they emerge, it becomes apparent that neighboring teams are being wiped out en masse. “World War Last,” one says as they survey the destruction. “Oh, Skud. 88th is gone. Westland and Chico, too.”
As the group, led by Slash, ventures deeper into the city, they realize the devastation is widespread. “We’ve crossed Quaizs, Silks, and Angels territory. And no survivors.” They soon encounter a lone survivor, a former enemy who once gave Slash his scar, but any past grudges are quickly set aside in the face of a bigger threat. “Ain’t no Soooooots left,” the survivor warns, describing a new faction that’s been decimating the city. With no choice left, it’s time to unite what’s left of the teams and fight back with the Galrogs, who don Roller Skates and blue face paint, helping to bring this collection of teams together a reality.
One figure, known only as the man with the mirror, offers some cryptic insight into what they’re facing. “There were wars in the South. Bonfires made out of cities. Bombs going off like fireworks. The world was broken. And beings from outside oozed through the cracks. And now they want to smash.”
What follows is an all-out battle between the united gangs and the monstrous enemy—giant, baby-like creatures that loom over the city in true Attack on Titan fashion. Or, as someone aptly dubbed it, “Attack on Toddlers.”
Picture: Netflix
Impressive Voice Cast for 400 Boys
Some of the voices in the new episode may be familiar, including John Boyega, Ed Skrein, Sienna King, Dwane Walcott, Rahul Kohli, Pamela Nomvete, and Amar Chadha-Patel.
Speaking with ScreenRant, Robert Valley explained the audition process for 400 Boys was quite prolonged. We probably went through 20 or more auditions for Slash,” the director said, adding, “and nobody was really able to give us the performance that we wanted, which was basically somebody that was youthful enough to pass for a 20-year-old but also sound like they’re in charge.”
They ultimately chose Boyega for Slash, saying, “I think the casting director knew John Boyega, and he came in, nailed the recording session, and was in the edit the next day.”
The director also said he was particularly nervous about adapting this story, given that he knew Millar had a fondness for it. Valley told the outlet, “I took it on knowing that you probably don’t want to drop the ball on this one.”
400 Boys Is Based on a Short Story That You Can Read for Free
This animated short is adapted from a short story by Marc Laidlaw, with Tim Miller adapting it into a script. For those unaware, he’s one of the writers behind Valve’s Half-Life franchise and an accomplished writer and musician in his own right. The episode adapts one of the short stories that the writer first wrote and published in late 1983. However, it was recently reassembled for his anthology collection 400 Boys and 50 More, published in 2016.
You can read the entire short story on Marc Laidlaw’s website here.
An interesting tidbit at the bottom of that page details how the short story was in the sci-fi magazine Omni and got picked up for Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology, suggesting that the short story’s inclusion there has probably led it to become his most written piece of work ever. Then, coming full circle, ties the project back to David Fincher, an EP and director of Love, Death and Robots. He later writes, “The coolest thing to come out of it was a collection of concept art for an abandoned Kevin Eastman/David Fincher animated feature, Heavy Metal 3D. Created by Raymond Swanland for Blur Studio, I hope that someone will allow Swanland’s art to appear publicly someday, because it’s fantastic. He pulled images straight out of my mind.”
Laidlaw took to Instagram to praise the LD+R episode upon its release, saying, “I just watched this story I wrote around 45 years ago reborn as an eye-popping animated short on Netflix. Life is surreal on top of how real it is.”
Director Robert Valley responded to the post, “Well done, Marc. I kept poring over your words over and over again, looking for bits of insight.”
To which Laidlaw responded, “Every time I watch, I find more stuff taken straight from the story and so much more to appreciate. I don’t know if I ever mentioned that I didn’t see The Warriors until a few years after I wrote the story, but people have been thinking I had since the first time I shared it at a writing workshop. Anyway, you crushed it so totally, thank you! Reading your recent interviews, I had no idea this was such an intimidating project! Congrats to you for pulling it off!”
If you’re a fan of the art style, I’d definitely recommend checking out Robert Valley’s website called Massive Swerve, which features lots of stunning photos in addition to purchasable merchandise!
What did you think about 400 Boys? Let us know in the comments down below.
