What would you do if the food you ordered begged you not to eat it? Sounds strange, right? Well, that’s the bizarre premise of this 24-minute animation directed by Yeon Sang-ho—the same genius behind Train to Busan. Let’s dive into why Love is Protein is not just any cartoon but a sharp and dark satire of society itself.
Released in 2008, the film was a collaboration between Yeon Sang-ho and illustrator Choi Kyu-seok, known for their intense, satirical storytelling. Together, they created a thought-provoking, deeply unsettling short film with layers of meaning.
The plot is deceptively simple: Three broke college students pool their last bit of money to order fried chicken. When it arrives, a live rooster appears, pleading with them not to eat it because the chicken is his son. Despite the rooster’s tearful pleas, one of the students immediately starts eating, another hesitates but gives in, and the third abstains out of guilt. Overwhelmed, the third student steps outside, leaving the other two to finish the meal.
Here’s where it gets darker: the rooster owns a fried chicken restaurant and, out of desperation, sold his own son to survive. Even more unsettling, a pig cuts off his own arm to sell for meat—a chilling commentary on poverty and sacrifice in an unforgiving capitalist world.
The next day, the students hold a funeral for the chicken, crafting an urn and releasing its ashes into the sky with a balloon. The rooster bids his son farewell, resigned to his cruel reality. The story ends with an absurd yet haunting moment when one student farts out the chicken’s “spirit,” leaving us with humor, sadness, and existential dread.
Love is Protein critiques the human condition and societal hierarchies. It confronts us with the reality of consumption, where survival often trumps morality. The rooster and pig symbolize those exploited by the powerful, while the students, though complicit, are victims of economic hardship themselves.
Each student represents a different response to moral dilemmas: one prioritizes survival without guilt, another feels remorse but succumbs to necessity, and the last resists but can’t escape the system entirely. Their choices reflect the complexity of human behavior when facing impossible situations.
The title itself, Love is Protein, is a grim paradox. It suggests love through sustenance, yet it questions whether love and survival can coexist when rooted in exploitation.
At its core, this film is a biting critique of humanity, forcing us to confront our complicity in systems of sacrifice and survival.
So, what do you think of Love is Protein? Did it change how you view food, society, or survival? Let me know in the comments! And if you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it—just be ready for an emotional rollercoaster.
