As the title suggests, Bâan -The Boundaries of Adulthood- is the story of two people on the cusp of adulthood looking for a place to call home. (“Bâan” [บ้าน] is the Thai word for “home” if you were unaware.) Each feels they don't belong in their own world, so they head to each other's—with Daichi moving to Euthenia and Rin to Earth. However, neither is certain that things will be any better for them in a new world, though both are ready to give it their all.

Daichi finds the simple life appealing. He starts off camping in the wilds outside a village alone. But over time, the self-sufficient hermit starts to integrate with the local community—despite being from another world. Rin, meanwhile, is the daughter of a human immigrant to Euthenia. It is her connection to her father that makes her want to explore where he is from. Rin wants so badly to love her father's world, but finds near-future Japan is not without its problems—especially for a foreigner with magical powers like her.

All in all, Bâan is an allegory for the expat experience—the story of anyone who has ever moved abroad after graduating to find a job. Over time, you are faced with a choice: You either find your true place in a new land and culture or simply experience it for a while before returning to the familiarity of your country of origin. The message of the film is clear: either choice is okay. What's important is that you make the best choice for you—don't double down and end up unhappy just because you previously decided you should be in one place or another.

Frankly, as an expat myself, this short film resonates deeply with my own lived experience. For 20 years, I've watched friends come and go—arriving in Japan sure that it is where they belong, only to face the choice of whether or not to go back to their countries of origin once the luster of adventure fades. And for the most part, nearly everyone does return home—though there are always a scant few who make a new one in Japan themselves.

While the theme is strong and emotionally resonant, the film is more concerned with the story it wants to tell rather than being logically consistent. While Bâan may be a different kind of isekai fantasy from the norm, half the story still takes place in our world. Rin is a girl with literal magic—she has telekinesis and can fly. The idea that no one wants to hire someone with her power set—so much so that she has to take an entry-level job at a call center where her powers are irrelevant—is, frankly, insane. However, because the story needs her to become disillusioned with the fantasy of Earth she has built up in her head, that's exactly what happens. It's contrived writing—and the singular blemish on an otherwise excellent short film.

On the visual side of things, studio daisy uses every moment of the film to show off their animation chops. Due to the short film's 20-minute runtime, much of the tale has to be conveyed through visual storytelling. This ranges from things like the life cycle and importance of the dragon-like Naga to the people of Euthenia to Rin's emotional state, shown through the color variations of her magical wings. The film also contains a solid directorial twist where the composition of the film misleads you into making false assumptions about the story being shown, with the truth only being revealed midway through.

The presentation is likewise bolstered by composer Kevin Penkin's (Made in Abyss, Star Wars: Visions “The Village Bride”) fantastic score. With such a limited runtime, it's the music's job to do a lot of the emotional heavy lifting—and it does so effortlessly.

In the end, Bâan -The Boundaries of Adulthood- is anime YouTuber/podcaster Garnt “Gigguk” Maneetapho's attempt to turn his own personal expat experience into an anime designed to convey those feelings. In this area, it succeeds beautifully. The need for belonging—the home search—is, after all, a universal facet of human nature. While it may be contrived in some areas and not quite flow naturally, this does little to blunt the emotional themes presented. Or to put another way, this short film is certainly worth a watch.

Bâan -The Boundaries of Adulthood- will be released on Gigguk's YouTube channel on September 20, 2025, with both an English dub and in Japanese with English subtitles. A documentary about the creation of the anime will follow a week later.