Ah Hamilton. The smash hit rap musical came to Disney+ last year, bringing a whole new audience and a wave of enthusiastic tributes (even The Muppets got involved). But 2021 has just delivered a tribute we guarantee no-one was expecting – the first act of the musical performed scene-by-scene by... Animal Crossing. No, we didn't get it at first, either.
In case you're not familiar, Animal Crossing is one of the most popular Nintendo Switch games of the moment. And an (extremely committed) Hamilton fan has brought the world to life in a whole new way, by putting the cast to work performing Hamilton. It's one of the most surreal yet hilarious (and strangely mesmerising) animated music experiences we've seen. Hamilton fans (and non-fans, actually) – don't throw away your shot at watching it below (sorry, it had to be said).
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We have to be honest. When we heard about this, even as Hamilton super-fans, we weren't sure what to expect (or even why this is a thing). But YouTube channel GuitarKnight14 has brought the show to life in a surprisingly immersive way, using the original soundtrack as backing. It's an intricate, über-detailed performance, crossing from stage to on-location scenes, which use Animal Crossing scenery to inject detail that even the stage show didn't capture (due to being on, y'know, a stage).
Sure, the mouths don't move and the characters bobble around in that slightly weird way they do when standing still in Animal Crossing, but there's real personality injected into the characters through their mannerisms, expressions and interactions. The impeccable timing, lighting effects, dance numbers and humour mean that once you start watching this, you'll genuinely find it hard to stop (so make sure you've got a spare hour and 13 minutes). And the title role of Alexander Hamilton is played by a cat, in case you were wondering.
Don't worry, you won't be left without the second act forever. GuitarKnight14 is busily working on the second act, so expect cabinet battles and duels galore when the next instalment is released. You can donate to the creator's Patreon right here.
If all this has got you in the mood to explore more animated music, see our pick of the best animated music videos. Want to make your own animation? You need these brilliant animation tools.
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