Lu Over the Wall

Lu Over the Wall is one of Yuasa "Yuusa" Masaaki's three anime titles that were produced under his new animation studio he himself founded after Ping Pong the animation in 2014 in purpose of "inventing anime again", but for some reason not even his loyal fans watched Lu. If we say Devilman Crybaby (2018) was what he wanted to achieve with Auers Blu AKA Kemenozume already in 2006, we are not far from truth. On the other hand, if we look into Yoru wa Mijikashi Aruke yo Otome (2017) AKA The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl AKA The Maiden Galaxy, it is just a tributeto Tatami Galaxy like the last name suggests. What is Lu Over the Wall then? Well, for one thing, it is the closest of "inventing anime again." By inventing anime again, Yuusa decided take a look into Europe. More specifically to the country which has created the most original animation movies for over a decade now: France. This was of course not even a new idea. Ghibli had alredy expanded its production to French studios, creating movies such as "The Red Turtle" which is not considered an anime unlike "Da Yu Hai Tang" because reasons. If we think the less anime reminds anime equals inventing anime again, then Yuusa has clearly succeed. Basically a mermaid who can controll water meets people who hate mermaids and then they make music together. Music and dance moves can apparently turn mermaids into humans, but people don't like this very much because fuck mermaids regardless. The story is less generic and quite a bit more mature than in most children adventure movies. The main focus is in the animation directing, details of art and in the audiovisual execution. The music plays a big part in the work, but unlike with the Hollywood garbage movie Coco (2017) -which won the animated feature oscar over Lu because people are fucking idiots- Lu's music is not out of the place. Instead, the whole animation of the movie relies on the music presented during the music sequences. Yuusa did some avant-garde experiments with his ideas this time around. These vary from anti-gravity water physics to obstacles blocking sunlight. I wouldn't say that I am impressed, but some of these scenes really burned in my mind, remaining memorable to say the least. All of this is quite irrelevant to those who watch anime for the sole purpose of being entertained.. From Lu's core, it, above all else, aims to be entertaining movie to watch, and it does its job. I can recommend this to pretty much everyone just for the scene where guy goes to save his computer whilst yelling "muh PC."

This is long, but informative. If you care to, read on my compulsive samurai kin: Let me preface by stating how important it is to this review that Yuasa is my favorite director, so I am naturally biased. I don't know the future, but this is likely the hardest review I will ever do. Lu Over the Wall is essentially a lighthearted youth film charged by Yuasa's gift of creativity. However, given Yuasa's streak as a director, the movie could have been better. Knowing him, much better. There were some Yuasa-esque moments, but those moments didn't show whyYuasa is such a great director. With Kaiba, Tatami Galaxi, Ping Pong the Animation, Mind Game, etc. under his belt, as a fan you come to expect his odd-ball style, interwoven with underlying existentialism that Yuasa is noted for. Further, immersive world building, confident and self-contained story lines, as well as eccentric, visceral art styles are things you can come to expect from Yuasa. This is not that. Seeing the trailer months ago, I was hoping against what I had the sneaking suspicion of-a Yuasa piece for the masses that by being 'pop' dilutes his creativity as a director. A Yuasa piece for the masses doesn't compute. Most people wouldn't typically like Yuasa's eccentric themes and art. At least not the demographic this film was aimed for. So, essentially, instead of the manic and irreverent tone Yuasa fans love, fans of Ponyo and Miyazaki are more likely to find this film appealing. Maybe, I wouldn't know. I don't enjoy family movies in general. So, perhaps I'm being far too critical because I expect more from Yuasa. But, let's pretend I'm not a babbling idiot for a second, and attempt to put aside the fact that he is my favorite director. What does this movie have going for it. Well, it does have a semblance of style. The direction (in terms of cinematics) is spectacular. The angling-where Yuasa chose to point the camera, but for the later portions of the film, was effective in its establishing the setting. It's obvious the production was better funded than usual. Additionally, character development was quite well done as well. What Lu Over the Wall doen't get right is the storytelling and pacing of the plot. At first it was quite immersive, because the setting was established perfectly. As the movie continues however, it meanders, to the point where you wonder if there could have been a better alternate storyboard. Further problematic, I guess common with the genre, is that there was no depth to the story. This review is not objective so I feel comfortable saying that I found fault with that aspect. Truly, imagination flourishes from the beginning to about halfway, when the antics become stagnant. Overall, this film comes across as being this: a misguided but heartfelt attempt of Yuasa to step outside of his comfort zone, only to have it end up being somewhat generic. But there is good news. Dear God almighty, Devilman Crybaby will be the best thing since the Sengoku Period. Honestly, I'm not worthy.

Lu over the wall is an enjoyable watch with great visuals, a good score, a really "generic" story, and a very likable cast. Story: The story is nothing new, I am pretty sure you would be able to make out what will happen later on in the first 20 mins or so(Not saying it's a bad thing) It's really lighthearted and I had grin throughout the movie. Art: It's quit vibrant and lively, and matches the upbeat tone of the movie. Sound:Again really well done, gave a warm feeling whenever there was a musical piece. Characters: A Really likable bunch, specially Lu and the other mermaids. The character design is also done really well. Lu and the other mermaids look really great. Enjoyment: I found it to be really good, the movie achieves what it wanted to be. It makes up for a good lighthearted watch and Is sure to lift up your mood Thing I didn't like : The first encounter with lu could have been done better and it seemed quite forced. The grandpa character Could have been explored more, to give the ending a greater impact. Ratings: I will give this somewhere around 7.5 on a bad day. But my day went well today so: 8/10