The story behind 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。and why it's not what you expect
庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。— which translates roughly as "There Were Two Chickens in the Garden" — is a 2026 anime short film that opens with one of the more quietly unsettling premises in recent science fiction animation: Earth has been lost. Humanity, as far as anyone can tell, is gone, wiped out after a catastrophic war with an alien civilization. An alien student named Yohei now attends school on this hollowed-out planet, and his primary responsibility, seemingly mundane against that apocalyptic backdrop, is tending to two chickens in the schoolyard. The chickens are calm. The world is quiet. And that stillness, as the short wastes no time suggesting, is hiding something the audience won't see coming. It's a setup that sounds almost comedic — and it is, at moments — but it carries a genuine science-fiction weight that Fujimoto's best work always manages to smuggle in through the back door.
How 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。came together — production, cast, and festival recognition
庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。was directed and written by Seishiro Nagaya, produced by animation studio ZEXCS, and released as the opening segment of the omnibus theatrical film 「藤本タツキ 17-26 Part-1」. That omnibus — which runs 68 minutes and carries an R15+ rating in Japan — opened in Japanese cinemas on October 17, 2025, before streaming worldwide on Prime Video from November 8, 2025, where it is billed as a worldwide exclusive. The source material is Tatsuki Fujimoto's early one-shot manga, the same creator behind Chainsaw Man and Look Back, and the fact that this was his debut contest submission makes the adaptation feel almost archaeological — a chance to watch a major talent working out the ideas he'd spend a career refining.
Voice performances come from Kensho Ono and Mitsuo Iwata, with Shion Sakurai also listed for the segment. Ono in particular has a career built on emotionally precise work, and his voice lends Yohei an alien flatness that somehow reads as deeply relatable. The omnibus format means the short sits alongside other Fujimoto adaptations, but it was chosen to open the program — which tells you something about how the producers felt about its impact.
On the awards front, the short has been formally selected for the Midnight Short Film Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026 and nominated in the short film competition at the 27th Bucheon International Animation Festival, where it has reportedly received significant domestic and international praise. Annecy selection alone is a meaningful credential — the festival doesn't program novelties. A Blu-ray release of 「藤本タツキ 17-26」 including this short is scheduled as a limited, made-to-order edition on September 30, 2026, for anyone who wants a physical copy. The Japanese platform Filmarks lists over 5,500 user reviews for the omnibus, which signals genuine audience engagement rather than a niche curio.
What makes 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。stand out from other Fujimoto adaptations
Honestly, what's striking is how much Nagaya trusts the silence. The short doesn't rush to explain its post-apocalyptic world or over-justify Yohei's alien nature — it just drops you into a school routine that feels both mundane and faintly wrong, and lets the wrongness accumulate. That tonal control is harder to pull off than it looks, especially in a short format where every scene has to do double or triple duty.
What the short gets exactly right — and I keep coming back to this — is the way it uses the chickens not just as a plot device but as a kind of emotional anchor. They're the most normal thing on screen, and that normalcy becomes increasingly strange the longer you watch. ZEXCS handles the animation with a clean, slightly spare aesthetic that suits the material; there's no attempt to disguise the short's origins as a contest manga, and that modesty actually works in its favor. The action and comedy genres listed alongside science fiction aren't accidental — the short moves fast when it needs to, and there are genuine laughs, but they land harder because the stakes feel real.
The Annecy selection suggests the international animation community sees craft here beyond the Fujimoto name recognition. Movie OTT covers the full festival circuit for streaming titles, and this short's trajectory — theatrical Japan debut, Prime Video worldwide window, major festival nominations — is the kind of path that tends to build a lasting reputation rather than a flash of attention. The voice cast's precision, particularly in the quieter exchanges, is the kind of thing that rewards a second watch.
Where to stream 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。online right now
庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。is currently available to stream as part of the 「藤本タツキ 17-26 Part-1」 omnibus on Prime Video, where it launched as a worldwide exclusive on November 8, 2025. That exclusivity means Prime Video is your primary destination if you want to watch it outside Japan without waiting for the physical Blu-ray release scheduled for September 2026. The Where-to-Watch widget at the top of this page lists every platform currently carrying the title and updates in real time, so check there first if you're on a different service. Movie OTT tracks streaming availability across major OTT platforms globally, which is useful here since regional licensing for short-form anime can shift without much notice. Don't assume the availability you see today will hold indefinitely — short films in omnibus packages sometimes move or get windowed differently than feature releases.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。?
The short was directed and written by Seishiro Nagaya. It was produced by animation studio ZEXCS and forms the opening segment of the omnibus film 「藤本タツキ 17-26 Part-1」.
Q: Where can I watch 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。outside Japan?
The short is available on Prime Video as a worldwide exclusive, where it has been streaming since November 8, 2025. Movie OTT's Where-to-Watch widget at the top of this page shows current platform availability and is updated regularly as licensing changes.
Q: Is 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。based on a manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto?
Yes — it adapts Fujimoto's early one-shot manga, which was his debut contest submission, predating his later acclaimed works like Chainsaw Man and Look Back. The adaptation stays close to the original's post-apocalyptic premise involving an alien student and two chickens on a depopulated Earth.
Q: Has 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。won any awards or been selected for festivals?
The short has been selected for the Midnight Short Film Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026 and nominated in the short film competition at the 27th Bucheon International Animation Festival. Both selections came alongside reports of strong domestic and international critical reception.
Q: Will 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。get a physical home release?
A Blu-ray edition of 「藤本タツキ 17-26」, which includes this short, is scheduled for release on September 30, 2026, as a limited, made-to-order edition. Hard to say if there will be a wider international physical release beyond that run.
Who should watch 庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。— final thoughts
庭には二羽ニワトリがいた。is essential viewing for anyone tracking Tatsuki Fujimoto's career, but it earns its place on its own terms too. Fans of tight, tonally precise science fiction animation won't be disappointed — and neither will viewers who came for the comedy and stayed for something stranger. At under 68 minutes for the full omnibus, the time commitment is minimal. The payoff isn't. Movie OTT recommends it without reservation for fans of short-form animation that actually has something to say. Catch it on Prime Video before the conversation moves on without you.
