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Wednesday, January 24, 2024

LU OVER THE WALL / YOAKE TSUGERU RÛ NO UTA (2017)

Masaaki Yuasa puts out some spectacular anime in handling a fairly standard setup: High School mates start a pop band, two guys with opposite personalities (introvert/extrovert) and a wealthy girl singer whose connections make things happen.  She’s the usual hysteric sidekick (and a bit of a chore), but the boys are winning, with character animation showing more expression than normal for anime.  That said, the figurative style becomes even more lively, and fun to watch, during flashbacks & digressions that dial down to an abstract illustrated storybook style.  More of that, please!  All of it nicely merging to display the texture of life in the buildings & layout of a little fishing town surrounded by water and distant mountains.  So, it’s disappointing when magical sea creatures, the ‘Merpeople,’ enter the storyline in act two, causing trouble and making a mess of things.  Title character ‘Lu’ is the first to show, falling hard for our morose teen musician when almost everything about her (design to voice to personality) is off-putting.  The difference between what reads as ‘cute’ in Japan, and ‘creepy’ elsewhere, apparently lost in translation.*  Later, the Merpeople storyline morphs toward a Living Dead scenario that doesn’t follow any logical path.  Same-o on the flood they bring to cover the town till sunshine puts a stop to things.  (Yep, we also get Vampire Tropes.)  Lots of good animation wasted here; along with a fun pop score for those who can get into a bubblegum æsthetic.  Perhaps Yuasa has other films to better show off his obvious talents.

WATCH THIS, NOT THAT/LINK:  Our current go-to animation suggestion, and not just for an alternate take on coastal town kids & misunderstood sea beasts, is Pixar’s LUCA/’21, with cool motorbikes instead of a  pop band.  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2021/07/luca-2021.html

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  *Or is she meant to look like one of the once ubiquitous ‘Troll’ dolls.  Some found those cute, yes?

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