Padak

Lee Dae-hee's 2012 Korean animation is set in the tank of a seafood restaurant and is not made for children. A mackerel taken from the ocean and dropped into the tank tries to escape before being eaten; the other fish have been there a long time and have built their own hierarchy, beliefs and submission. The allegory is plain: those living inside a closed order find the one who raises the idea of escape more dangerous than the order itself. The animation is crude because of the budget, but the design is deliberately unpleasant; the fish are not cute. It is one of the few examples of independent animation in Korea and struggled to find an adult audience on release. Who it's for: viewers interested in animation for adults and allegorical storytelling. Who it's not for: families looking for animation suitable for children, or anyone unable to take violence toward animals and a hopeless ending.