This thing runs on pure conviction. A 12-minute sprint where a rock band's actual song becomes the skeleton of the story, where the animation doesn't slow down to explain itself because the music already did. You watch heroes find who they are in real time, not through dialogue, not through montage, but through the exact moment the song swells and they stop hesitating. It's the opposite of bloated, it knows exactly what it wants to say and says it once, hard, then gets out of the way.

Red Pepper and Wasabi are partners in the superhero league XPICE, defending the bustling city of Kokyo from the mysterious group Zerogram. Red Pepper charges into battle with blazing fists while Wasabi heals the wounded with a gentle touch. On the surface their partnership runs smoothly, but Wasabi quietly feels there is more to being a hero. When an emergency alert reveals that Red Pepper is in danger, Wasabi, though unsure of their odds, finds the courage to step up. The action short comes from a collaboration between the all-female rock band SCANDAL and the company XFLAG, and it is set to the band's song "Spice." Tsubasa Nakai directs this story of heroes protecting their city and growing along the way.