The version of this story I heard from American Samoa, if I remember it correctly is that an elderly blind woman and her granddaughter lived alone, and they needed food. They asked a group of boys cooking fish for some food, and the boys gave them rats instead to mock them. In anger, the grandmother asked her grandaughter to lead her to the cliffs, and they jumped off together and turned into a turtle and shark.

My heart....! Why doesn't this have more recognition?! Love. Love. Love.

I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but growing up in Samoa and having heard the real story of the turtle and the shark prevents me from saying so. They weren't lovers, but a grandmother and granddaughter who lived in poverty. How this video introduced the song was wrong because not only was the melody wrong, but so were the words. We grew up singing the turtle and shark song so I know the song. We sing this song at the big rock bend in Vailoa village where the story is based. Singing this song to the ocean in hopes to see the turtle and shark appear. They show up but not always. I'm glad to have witnessed them swimming near the rock bend once. I still remember the song. Haven't sung it in years since I'm not in Samoa.

Stunning animation, love this treatment.

Awesome work! I am a Samoan High Chief and you've got the story correct! Malietoa Faiga is my Great x5 Grandfather. Genealogy and Samoan legends are my family's specialty. As I have mentioned before, awesome work!

This was beautiful, but the story it is wrong, the story is about a grandmother and a grand daughter who jumped from the cliffs in Vaitogi to escape famine and can be seen as the shark and the turtle when you sing their song at the blow holes in Vaitogi. I have seen them my self. Would be nice to have this redone with the authenticity of the actual story.

these are 2 completely different legends !

Turtle and Shark is a beautiful story I'm Maori and I absolutely love it.

this is amazing! i love how the change of sceneries went

Animation is amazing! Beautiful and captivating!

so beautiful .... this one and all the very short "Ha - Breath of Life" series. A very sensible and delicate way to highlight, to "mettre en valeur" the pacific cultures. Made me feel like going there someday,even if I am very far away ...

Beautiful work! transmits good energy and joy Greetings from Argentina

Extremely, talented man. Thank you Ryan for such a wonderful example of art in animation.

This is a good story but it's totally twisted lol. The real story is about an old lady and her granddaughter. I would know because it is my village's story. Vaitogi-3

Now that's something touching! I'm deeply moved... Thank you for this gift!

This is some Samoan Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet stuff.

Beautiful work! As for its accuracy, keep in mind this legend is passed down through many generations. Over time, certain things about the legend may change. Some families tell it in a different way, that is just the way it is. Anyways, great work! Please create more animated stories of our beautiful legends of Samoa!

Every legends of Samoa always founded from SAVAII..

I am from Vaitogi. People will say this story is not the real story but there are about 4 different variations. Even this "lover" story isnt the one that is told. It gets deeper. Nonetheless, I am happy to know others admire the story.

Love it, there are other versions of this legend, but still this was stunning, is there a link to find the full song at the end of this piece? Pls

You have a God-given gift. The artistry of and emotion expressed in your animations are truly beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with the world.

Love this animation.

Your work makes me want to cry. So beautiful, I'm going to share this with the world.

Nice rendition of an old tale

fantastic. pure beauty!!!

Loved the art direction!

Beautiful art USO! Well put.

Love the artwork!

Love the background music

Holding on to our own truth. This is this world needs. As all sleeps. Be kindly open and loving. Be smarter and work with whatever makes you feel happy inside of yourself.

I am seriously crying right now, god your work moves me. This is art, breathed with life.

Lets see Disney try and make something this beautiful!!!

You have an amazing gift!

OMG...this is so good, I love how you captured the story just by using shapes. And love the storyline. God this is so beautiful! Thank you for who ever made this...thank you!

such an interesting story! love it!

Amazing story and animation sir.

this just sent chills down my spine. beautifully done. good work.

absolutely LOVE your artwork and these cartoons. They are SO important to keep our poly legends alive. Please make more from Tonga and Hawaii. Thank you so much for your work. much love.

I’m Hawaiian and I love this story it’s so beautiful the Samoans are our cousins

I love it guys and good for Samoas at guys good video

That was lovely. You need more views, dude.

I'm from Samoa and I love this it's sad though how they sacrafist there selvs for family the village is family 😢😢😔❤❤

i've been looking for this i like this style of anime, dope

This is absolutely amazing! I love you you created all of this! It it actually a Samonan legend though? I'm just wondering, and what's the music you used, I love that too!! All around incredible =D

That was so beautiful. :3

Its superb!

My school watched this for our learning

Beautiful!

the original story is about a lady and her daughter or grand-daughter during a famine.

Your work shines.

this video makes me stupidly happy

this reminds of the PCC new night show HA!! I

Beautiful video. I love the fluidity of your characters, the emotion evoked with those movements is ten times that actual human movement. Can I ask what song you used towards the end for the credits?

From my head, I hope that this is true..for the sake of magic..that we do very badly need to feel it even for a tiny bit in our lives nowadays.. Good job, Ryan.

I'm pretty sure that this is not how the story goes. These are two stories put into one. The shark and the turtle story is about a mother and daughter that jumped into the sea due to a famine in the village and transformed into the shark and turtle. There's even a song about it. The other story is about the Malietoa and the end of cannibalism in Samoa. Sorry for my two cents :) Love the animation though!!

I also learn another version of this story that the turtle is the daughter bt the shark is the grandma so which story is true?

High Cheif Letuli is my grandmothers uncle ❤

I have no words.

Good animation

Findinding and all beings have kindness lead to death and against Kindness.

Lovely works

nice and sad story just imagine having to live eternally with your love and not being able to hit dat shell

Sounds more real The grandma and daughter don't seem right. But the two been inlove sounds real And thats such a beautiful story.

Way better love-story than Twilight

wonderful

What's the music used called? Love it...

This whole time I thought it was a mother and daughter that jumped the Cliff 🤦🏾‍♂️, mind you I was born in Hawaii but my grandpa family from vaitogi , I appreciate the true story ma guy! Much mahols!

beautiful

@WashyMaru I just mean I literally want to see Disney make a movie like this. I think it would be absolutely stunning.

precious :)

What's the name of the song played in the background - instrumental?

Existe t-il une version sous titrée français ? Merci d'avance de votre réponse.

I’m Samoa 🇼🇸

Very nice. Don't let Disney muck it up!

With all due respect, this is not how the story goes. This is 2 stories that got mixed up. The story of the Turtle and the Shark is different from the Story of Malietoa Faiga and the end of cannibalism (which is sort of what the beginning of this video sounded like)

amazing :D

What was used to create this?

“Sa~va~ii”

I want to do an animation of maui and the sun, is this done in toon boom ????

I wonder if this will be featured in Moana.

I’ve heard both variations of the story but the one of the old woman and her grandmother matches the song that is sung to reveal them from the cliffs if Vaitogi. It was such a surreal and beautiful sight to see! But it’s the disrespect by singing the song wrong for me…🤦🏽‍♀️

doooooty!

Anyone know what that last songs called?

how can ANYONE dislike this?

But I'm sure it would've sounded a bit like these ones... Tongan Nose Flute /watch?v=aW40qY2TU0A Hawaiian Nose Flute /watch?v=HD2tq5Yjj1w The second one sounds similar to the one in the video but I don't know if it's original Hawaiian sound or contemporary.

But why did they jump it sound like a really beautiful love story

The turtle and the shark is about a grandmother and her granddaughter

where do i find them???

wow.

We have story of Uno o Sangone the sacred turtle of Tuitonga Momo who lived in Savaii around 800ad from Tonga🤗

Here my attempt to translate this beautiful piece into spanish. However, I have a pair of doubts (I'm not native english speaker, and don't know the samoan language): I probably spell wrong the samoan words at (0:20) as 'Eyankapo' and at '(1:38 & 2:04) as 'Lituli' (I just write what I hear with my latin phonetics). *At second 1:40 what I hear is closer to "never weighed", but I choose "never waned" cos it seems to make more sense. Please correct me if it was the wrong choice. Hace mucho tiempo... Vivían en la isla de Savai'i 'Eyankapo'... El nombre de la mujer era Fonuea. El del hombre se ha perdido en el olvido. Se habían comprometido uno a otro, y en verdad se amaban. El hombre fue llamado a cumplir un infortunado e inesperado deber para el rey Malietoafaiga. Un deber del cual nunca podría regresar. Y Fonuea fue con él... Nunca llegaron a ver al rey Malietoafaiga. En lugar de ello, huyeron a la isla de Tutuila. Vivieron varios meses con el gran jefe 'Lituli', cuya generosidad nunca menguó.* Pero su paz duró poco. Pues temían que tarde o temprano, las consecuencias de su desaparición se harían ver, trayendo desgracia y deshonor a 'Lituli' y a sus familias en Savai'i. Tras implorar a los dioses por sus familias, dieron su vida. Pero abajo, un dios misericordioso tuvo piedad de ellos. Y aceptó la ofrenda de sus vidas sólo en parte. Y convirtió a la mujer Fonuea en tortuga y a su marido en tiburón, para que vivieran juntos... eternamente. (text/texto) Y aún hoy, cuando los pobladores de Vaitogi cantan la Canción de Fonuea desde los acantilados, una tortuga y un tiburón salen a la superficie del mar.

you should subtitle it :) I'm not native american and that accent is very hard to understand, so i didn't get the whole story and i would love to

@cadacomica um, ryan himself worked for disney at one point..

@ Maria petelo is this a true story?

Ryan .... do u work for disney????? anyway GREAT WORK keepit up!!

leai but I do know Seki.But do u know Sua?Fa🤙

Nice story a few things missing but its close enough but i add the Song to ur Story the kids Sings, pls enjoy! O LE PESE LENEI A TAMAITI. Fonuea, Fonuea, Laulau mai se manamea. Poo sa i i luga nei? Sa Letuli i luga nei. A uaina, a laina. A solo e mata'ina. Lou galu tuu la le i'a, Lalelei, Lalelei, Lalelei.

cool

@cadacomica Disney innovated animation you have to give them credit

@stopmotionpro15 - I only wrote the truth as I see it :) I'm a writer - so I'm an artist (of sorts) - I write what I feel, and his work has a way of stirring the emotions. You not only see his 'stories', you 'feel' and become part of them... which, is what true art is all about, I suppose :)