In the seaside village of Hinashi Town, Kai Ashimoto's grandfather is one of the locals who reinforces the legend that mermaids lurk near Merfolk Island and consume humans. Due to allegedly attracting merfolk and subsequently causing the death of the elder's mother, music is seldom discussed in the Ashimoto household. Even so, Kai finds solace in making looped beats on his laptop and uploading them to the internet.
Despite his reserved and glum demeanor, Kai is approached by Kunio and Yuuho Ebina, two cheerful classmates that happened upon one of his videos. The pair ask him to join their rock band but are met with apathy. Nevertheless, Kai agrees to accompany them in a practice session on Merfolk Island, where he soon witnesses something that he cannot explain.
Later that night, Kai is composing music in his room when he attracts a familiar entity—a mermaid. As she twirls and grins to the sound of his stereo, Kai discovers a number of aspects about the being who introduces herself as Lu: she possesses incredible water manipulation powers; she buds a pair of functioning legs with the sound of music; but most notably, she is a truly benevolent creature who simply wants people to like her. Fostering a dynamic friendship, Kai and Lu gradually come to express their genuine selves, testing the long-standing boundaries that have deafened the resounding harmony among the people of Hinashi Town.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
moonbell
I watched this film at Annecy Animation Festival, right after I'd seen two other anime films (In This Corner of the World and A Silent Voice) neither of which I will be reviewing or spoiling here but both of which were, while wonderful films, not particularly cheerful. Therefore, as the last anime film I was seeing in the programme I kind of expected that kind of tone to be present in Lu also. I had also seen the trailer for it and it very much made the film seem to me like a bootleg Ponyo... yet I somehow really wanted to give it a chance. And Iam so, SO glad that I did. All my expectations were subverted and the trailer does the film no justice. The only way I can really describe Lu Over The Wall is by saying it simply feels like the feeling of sheer joy, in film form. I'll admit, when it started off, with the slightly sulky male protagonist and his musician friends right at the start I thought "oh no, what did I get myself into", but the moment Lu enters the scene that was all gone and the film was an absolute joyride. At points when I thought I couldn't be having more fun, it got more fun. I was grinning for a solid 60% of the film and the audience was laughing at multiple points and if that's not proof that this film is pure joy, I don't know what is.
Catch me buying this film on DVD and playing it if I'm ever down, and in the unlikely event I ever have children I promise you they will be raised on this stuff.
kokuborou
Let's take a different approach about this movie....from a child's perspective this movie is very attractive and he feels vey connected to the story ,art and characters and will have a great blast watching it. One thing for sure this movie was made to be viewed together with all family members on a Sunday afternoon . It's has a simple and catching formula with a little fantasy and magic added to spice up things.The visuals are appealing and the ost is catchy. What's remarkable about this movie is how it handles the bond between humans and mermaids and how it influencedthe lives of the human characters and their choices. It doesn't try to go deep or portray a dark side of it, it stays the same innocent , simple and magical story from a book that your mother would have read for you when you were a child before going to bed.
From my point of view this movie didn't feel so appealing for my taste or left something memorable especially the characters. Some characters didn't have enough screen time and they could have shown us more about their past (for example Kai's dad band) to leave that emotional impact and connect us to them. Although i gotta admit that the last 10 minutes did a great job of that but despite all of that it seemed rushed and the attachement was lost. The story seem akward in some parts but hey that's just my own impression and how i felt you can judge it with your own mind after watching it.
To end my review if you want to have a reminiscence about your childhood and you don't mind the eccentric and childish style of storytelling then this is your perfect choice otherwise if you don't like this genre you may avoid wasting 2 h.
Karhu
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."
SamuraiSteve
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.
Hibikase
U N D E R R A T E D, is what I would describe Yu Over the Wall. In an industry saturated with a consumer culture bent up on their attachment to overused cliches, character archetypes, and meta-humor, it becomes more and more difficult to find something that truly stands out from the crowd and expand the appeal of the anime medium. Yu Over the Wall (YOtW) is one of the debut works of the new studio, Science SARU, formed by the renowned director, Masaaki Yuasa (directed works such as Ping Pong the Animation and the Tatami Galaxy), and producer Choi Eunyoung. I personally foundYOtW to be a brilliant piece of creative work lead by a group of very passionate, and talented people. The film touches upon themes of youth, community, and the generational gap in Japan in a very subtle, yet meaningful way, and is a great film for both anime newcomers and veterans alike.
Story (8): The story of LOtW may seem conventional at first: a mysterious, yet adorable creature brings joy to the life of a gloomy adolescent, and together they try to gain the acceptance from their community that opposes the existence of such creatures. It's a time-tested formula that is sure to bring about a lot of feels, yet LOtW manages to give a fresh new take on this genre of storytelling with its clever integration of its modern setting, Hinashi Town, a rural Japanese fishing town built on a history with certain "mermaids." With spoiling anything, I felt like lore of the setting was very original and really gave the plot some backbone to deliver its narrative.
Art (9): A lot of people might disagree with on this, but I find that the unconventional style of Yuasa's works to be brilliant and helps progress anime a more diverse art form. Even though the animation of LOtW isn't as avant-garde as the Tatami Galaxy or even Ping Pong the Animation, the influence is definitely there. LOtW sports an expressive and bombastic style, embodied within the main character of the show, Lu, who was a sheer joy to watch splash and dance around the screen. The beautiful renderings of Hinashi Town and the fluidity of the water and character animations is truly something to behold.
Sound (9): The soundtrack of LOtW is simply put, incredible. Very rarely does the music of an anime give it so much personality, and possibly even define its identity as a whole, with the only other example I can think of being FLCL. Each and every song performed in this film is both memorable and amazingly executed within the given scene as to not feel ham-fisted. I will without a doubt get the OST for this anime as soon as it gets released, and hearing every track never fails to bring a huge grin on to my face.
Character (7): While the main protagonist and his friends of LOtW: Kai, Kunio, and Yuuho, appear at first to be a trio of cliche cardboard-cutout archetypes, it will later be revealed that are actually more deep and intricate than they initially appear. This is thanks to Yuasa's incredible attention to detail when presenting these character's mannerisms, conversations, and backstories. Lu, without a doubt, is the highlight of this animated feature. Her energy and pure charm is infectious, and it is always a joy whenever she is in the spotlight. Much of my surprise, many of the background characters and townspeople of Hinashi Town were also given unexpected characterization and development. My only complaint is that Kai's development towards the end of the film was a little rushed as the plot started to take center stage, but I won't complain too much since this is a film and things like this is inevitable with only a 2-hour runtime.
Enjoyment (9): Lu Over the Wall was a blast for me to watch. I love shows and movies that have a distinct and consistent atmosphere and tone, so LOtW immediately immersed me into its world of child-like wonder and spectacle, with occasional tints of melancholy. I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia whenever each song plays paired with a stunning shot of Hinashi Town or the vast sea with the sunset in the distance. This feeling especially takes on when the main song, Utautai No Ballad, plays, reminding of my own childhood days that have long passed.
Even though I know that not everyone will enjoy the same appreciation that I have for this anime film, I still believe that more people should at least know that this anime exists, and give it chance. You might even be pleasantly surprised, or blown away like I did :)
Overall (8.7/10 - Great)
Hagorama
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
seannyb
In 2017, cult anime creator Masaaki Yuasa directed two feature films out of his new Science Saru studio. "Lu" is the weaker of the two. Watching it is like watching three anime movies at the same time. Whatever conceptual or emotional core it could’ve had is deafened in a cacophony of tangential ideas and subplots. A teen weighed down by his parents' divorce joins a band whose practice sessions summon a mermaid in a declining fishing town. Meanwhile, the town opens a mermaid-themed amusement park. Meanwhile, there’s a cataclysmic curse that threatens to swallow the town. Meanwhile… "Lu" can’t care less about its own subject matter, whichis disappointing considering the storytelling strength of Yuasa’s other recent works. Rather than develop any facet of it to satisfaction, the hokey film dashes from one animated spectacle to the next, which is entertaining in its own way, considering that Team Yuasa are no mere Studio Ghibli pretenders on the visual front.
Science Saru has controversially trained its core animators in the forbidden art of Adobe Flash (now Adobe Animate). Through computer-assisted inbetweening, they’ve created a world of constant, mesmerizing motion while avoiding the robotic feel of something like "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". Some sakuga-heads may disagree, but it’s an impressive technical showpiece that makes uniquely different tradeoffs in the limited-animation world. It’s a shame this wizardry was applied to something so otherwise conventional.
EvanLoh
"A great movie about friendship and mermaids indeed!" Pros 1. Weird but unique art and animation 2. Excellent soundtracks 3. Likable characters, especially the mermaids Cons 1. Story is nothing original, pretty predictable2. Some may find it hard to like the art choice
3. The story is weird, like very weird, some may find it hard to like it
<LONG REVIEW>
I started this because I have heard a lot of praise for the director of this movie, Masaaki Yuasa. I didn't know what I was getting into with this movie,the only thing I know is that it's about music and friendship. At first I find it quite hard to like the art and animation choice. It's quite different from other anime I watched before and it's isn't very consistent. To describe the animation, it's like Trigger but on more drugs. But slowly I got used to it and saw the charm in it.
Story wise, it's nothing we haven't seen before. It can be quite predictable. But I like the way they decided to handle it. Mixing it with great soundtracks and the unique art adds in a lot to the overall enjoyment. To be honest, the story isn't bad, it's quite a fun story actually. If you don't mind stories aimed at kids then feel free to watch this. Also, the story gets weirder as the movie progressed, but at least it's fun to watch. I can see the script writer enjoying himself while writing for this movie.
A lot of characters are under-developed, but this doesn't matter. It's not a movie focused on the characters, it's more story-centered, so I can put this issue aside. Each character is likable, especially the mermaids. Our main character did go through his own drama, but it's nothing we haven't seen before. I especially like Lu, the best character in the movie. I like her personality and also design wise she is freakin' cute. Lu's father is quite a well-written father character. As I have said above, the friendship development between humans and mermaids is quite spectacular and heartwarming.
Speaking of a music themed movie, of course the music is going to be good. I love every tracks in the movie. Each of them really did adds in a lot to each scene. Props to the composer. I highly recommend you to watch this if you want a movie with great soundtracks. The voices for each character is also well done. I can see that the VA's are trying their best to make the characters feel more realistic. The ED theme for this movie is quite a good song too. Overall, no complaints here.
In conclusion, Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta is quite a fun movie to watch. Sure not everyone would like it because of the art and animation choice, but if you are a Masaaki Yuasa fan or one who likes this kind of fantasy story with heartwarming themes about mermaids and humans, feel free to watch this, you will not be disappointed. I also recommend this to those who want a good friendship and music themed movie.
Thanks for reading.
Drakestalker
Lu Over the Wall was studio Science SARU’s first original, theatrical production. What’s it about? The movie has several themes, but the basic idea of the plot is that our protagonist trio Kai, Yuuho, and Kunio have an interest in music and singing. While Kai needs some persuading, they decide to team up and form a band early on in the film. Meanwhile, a mermaid named Lu is attracted by their singing and shyly engages with them. You’re initially led to believe that music is an important theme in the movie, but it’s really just a plot device to inject the mermaids into the movie. OnceLu gets introduced as a proper character, the whole singing sphiel gets put on the backburner. Then it comes back again? Then becomes irrelevant again? Then we sing to save the world at the end? Sort of? I recommend not delving to deeply into the internal logic of the plot. It’s… ehhh.
Point is, how will our protagonists react to a mythical creature presenting itself to them? How will the rest of society? Watch to find out!
Should you watch it, though? I mean, it’s a Masaaki Yuasa movie, so it’s got that weird, overly liquid, trippy visual signature style of his. If that’s not something you’re into, then skip this movie. If you can deal with it, then there will be some moments of animation that are quite cool, but since I’m not a fan, most of the film just looked weird to me, though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it off-putting.
In terms of the narrative, I had a hard time staying engaged for the first hour. It’s a 2 hour movie, and by the time I got to the 45 minute mark, I started to lose interest. The “plot”, such as it was, did not seem like it was going anywhere. Then, out of nowhere, the movie takes a complete left turn and becomes an action thriller romp. It makes no sense, but it’s fun – dumb, but fun dumb!
That said, this is my perspective as an adult. I suspect the movie might look very different indeed through a child’s eyes.
In any case, if a nonsensical Ponyo rip-off with Masaaki Yuasa visuals seems like something you’d be into, by all means.
lethargilistic
"What if Ponyo, but she's a vampire, and it's a musical?" I dug it. I ended up watching the dub because it was the path of least resistance, and I probably wouldn't have if I had realized just how integral the musical performances would be later on. I wish English dubs would/could put more production work into the songs. Ah well. The visuals were very cool and emotive all throughout. It felt nice on my eyes. Like a breath of fresh air. But on my face. The cuts of dancing were a bit repetitive, but the content of those cuts was so purely joyous.
VictoriaLoves
I did Not expect this movie to reduce me down to a puddly mess, but it 100% did. In the absolute best way, of course. The story, while sometimes on the goofy side, is very effecting. It draws you in to it's world and makes you feel like you're home. The highlight of the film is Lu, obviously. She's open, she's friendly, she's vivacious, she's full of an infectious spirit. Of course, our fellow band members are all lovely characters in their own right, and I liked all of them equally. Kai is particularly relatable. The only thing about the movie that was somewhat jarring/mildly ineffective for mewas the different animation styles all mixed in together. I wouldn't consider this a flaw. It just took me some time to get used to, and there were some parts of the animation I liked better than others.
Overall, I'm glad I randomly purchased this on DVD at Wal Mart without having ever seen it. I do not regret the purchase.
Lemmy7003
Ever since The Tatami Galaxy single-handedly re-kickstarted my interest in anime proper, I’ve been a massive fan of Masaaki Yuasa. Devilman Crybaby was my 2nd favourite series of 2018, and Ping Pong The Animation stands as one of the medium’s greatest triumphs. So, it was great with elation I finally sat down to watch Lu Over The Wall, a film that is a bit more family oriented then his usual fair, and clearly not as deep or meaningful, but lacks none of the heart and visual splendour that has become usual Yuasa fair. When I watch a Yuasa property, I feel they can be divided intotwo categories – more clear cut and straightforward series, like The Tatami Galaxy or Kaiba, where the point of the series is much clearer, and then there are the weirder, more experimental or cerebral affairs, such as Devilman Crybaby or Ping Pong. As much as I wanted it to be, Lu Over The Wall felt like the former – it doesn’t hold a candle to Yuasa’s best, but that doesn’t mean much when comparing to masterpieces – Lu Over The Wall delights in what it attempts to do.
I’m going to start with my biggest takeaway of the film – the art, animation, and general visual direction of this film is simply astounding. For the entire one hour and fifty-three-minute runtime of the film, I was practically glued to the screen. The amount of creativity and varied forms of animation showcased in this film floored me – where one scene everyone was moving in relatively normal anime fashion, mere moments later there were hundreds of characters moving as if they were utterly cast from rubber. It’s bright and colourful, but not in a sense that feels utterly childish or hard to look at. As a side note, I feel that film might have the best animation style for water I’ve ever seen in any medium.
The film’s audio accurately conveys the feeling on living on a basically dying town on the coast, punctuated by the youth of the town’s attempts to break away from tradition. The set-up for the musical themes of the film being the three main character’s creating a band was a lot of fun, and I had a great time watching all the music-focused scenes of the film; they’re easily the highlight of the film, audibly at least. I do wish there were a few more vocal tracks, rather then the focus on the main theme for the film, but they do enough variations on the theme that it never really gets that old.
Unfortunately, my absolute acclaim for the visuals of this film don’t extend to the story and characters – whilst never reaching the territory of being ‘bad’, they never really claw out of being mediocre. This is pretty family-oriented fare, with a very clear-cut story about a friendship between a lonely middle school student and a mermaid and its effect on the town as a whole. There’s a bit more to it then that, but outside of a few key moments of the film, the story never really grabbed me.
The characters also, for the most part, fail to impress really. They’re fun to watch, but none of them, sans some moments at the very end of the film really captured my imagination. Main character Kei seems to jump around in regard to his characterisation without warning, constantly acting in odd ways that are never really explained – honestly, he was probably my least favourite part of the film – whilst the supporting cast are generally alright, scenes solely focussing on Kei felt like a slog to get through. On a character design level, though, I feel the film was pretty inventive and gave every major and minor character a pretty unique look, making it easy to identify characters without even knowing their names. There’s one… rather large character that I feel may be one of my favourites designs I’ve seen in recent years, but I’ll let you, dear reader, see that surprise for yourself.
So, you’re probably thinking, “Lemmy, how can you rate this film so highly if you’re so middling on so much of it?”. Well, dear reader, I have to say, the sound and visuals for the film are that good. Even when the story was middling, and my interest waned even a little, the film threw up a scene that had me grinning from ear to ear – the beach dance scene, in particular, stands out as an absolute masterclass in animation, giving me vibes that reminded me a lot of the old 30’s era western animation. Whilst the vocal tracks are few, overall, I liked all of them immensely, and it wasn’t too long before they were on my own phone, with myself jamming along to them almost constantly. Basically, I can recommend this film on visuals and audio alone. It’s that good.
Narratively, Lu Over the Wall doesn’t really stand up to Yuasa’s greats, but on a visual level, I think this may outstrip them all. Just on visuals alone, this film is utter joy incarnate, and for you parents out there, this is the perfect film to watch with younger children. It’s silly, it’s fun, and it’s a great family friendly entry in Masaaki Yuasa’s rapidly growing filmography that seems destined to go down as one of the greatest directors in recent animation history.
Purinzu05
An adventurous coming of age story of 3 friends on their way to find out what do they really want to do with their future lives, is it Tokyo where they'll ultimately go or will they find something more magical on their not so sleepy fishing town island? Visuals are fun and endearing might I say. I'm a sucker for movies about music, while I won't claim to be able to explain the intricacies of its music, All I can say is from the ears to the brain and the heart, it sounds good and it makes me feel good. A very enjoyable film to watch if youhave 2 hours to kill.
foozhochii
On a whim I decided to give this film a try, and I am so glad I did. All I knew going into it was that Masaaki Yuasa had some role in the production of the film. Being aware of his exceptional work on other films and most notably his work of Devil Man Crybaby for me, I was excited to see just how much of a spectacle this movie would be. Lu Over the Wall is (argubally) a typical "fish out of water" (pun sort of intended!) film about an alien-like being coming into contact with a contemporary form of human society, and how saidhumans deal with it. This story setup isn't for everyone, some may even roll their eyes at the concept. In my humble opinion, the amount of heart and soul poured into this animated piece thwarts many critiques that could be drawn to its story. Every still, every shot, every huge choreographed scene, every small piece of animated fluidity or creative use of the medium can belong in a museum of its own caliber. Lu Over the Wall is not short of well-animated movement, that pushes the boundary of human expression and emotion. If I could have, I would have loved to list every possible key animator or every animator that contributed to this film. It amazes me as a artistically articulate and OCD-ish person how a film with barley any ***shading*** can look more strikingly poignant than most modern anime, or most modern pieces of animation in general, out there. All the characters are drawn with a purely simple fisique, yet the animation is really what brings these characters to life.
Sound direction is something that should not be understated, either. This movie perfectly captures the essence of the ocean side, as well as setting out to build the atmosphere it set out to; that is, creating something both alien and familiar all the same. The "merfolk" that are shown throughout the movie constantly sputter out mumbled human dialogue, grunts, or gargles, and all have a subtle distortion effect to give off the feeling that these creatures' vocal cords evolved along with the limitations of sound traveling through water. The music especially captures that super "nostalgic" feel. Use of acoustic guitars and tonally down-to-earth singing really lets you relax and take in the gorgeous scenery. Even if you're not going to watch the movie, or if my review may come off as a bit snubby or pretentious, please at least check out the cover for "Utautai No Ballad" created for this movie. That song, in a language even foreign to myself, does more justice for what I'm trying to articulate than my own words can.
This movie is not for everyone. Many may be turned off by it's overly humble messages, or cliched story, but I believe that if you can go into this viewing it more than just another piece of media to consume, and moreso a piece of art, with real people who contributed to it, you may just have your eyes open to the beauty of animation as a medium, and just how incredible humanity is to come together and create a singular vision that can be interpreted and appreciated in a multitude of ways. Lu Over the Wall is a masterclass in animation, as well as heart. I hope that all enthusiasts of anime and animation alike are at least able to experience and take away something from this film.
Rondepart
This movie is like one of those movies you watch when you we're a child, very straightforward and enjoyable, here's why... Story... The plot of the story is not nerve-wracking or something to fuss about, and is pretty much predictable. However, the consistency of how events escalated along with the story being pure made up for it. The story doesn't contain any complex elements, it really is straightforward which is a strong point of the movie as it executed both plot and subplot really brilliantly. Art... The art style is free of detail, it's clean to look at. This may not be the best looking art style but itsomehow compensates on how pure the movie is.
Sound...
The soundtracks are great, the opening will give you an idea on what the whole movie is about while the ending (my favorite soundtrack from the movie) is sang in a perfectly bittersweet tone.
The voice actors also did well. I also appreciate how the film producers didn't hire someone when Kai started singing, they made the voice actor sing even though it sound pretty rough which added to the naturalness of the scene.
Character...
There's really nothing much to say here, the characters are like your generic children movie characters, most of them are lovable, others might be annoying but they can be tolerable.
Overall...
The movie is wholesomely soft-hearted, it gives a disney movie vibes. Highly recommended if you want to watch something but can't find anything unless you're finding for a specific genre or if you just want to remind yourself of what it feels to watch wholesome movies as a child.
Mxyiee
NOTE: This is an in-depth review which contains a bunch of spoilers! When one has the intention to do good, one shall put some effort to be loved by everyone. But humans are complicated. That good intention could bring them shame, anger, envy, hopelessness, or even take it as an advantage to fulfill their desires. The truth is always their bringing peace to everyone, but misconception is faster to spread than what really lies within. In what means could we stop the hatred around us? I think it's impossible. If only there's a magic that could bind us from doing selfish things. If only there'sa creature that could help us realize how horrific our race are. The root of all conflict caused by humanity is possession. This starts when one has the ability to have something "good" while the other can have "great". I don't know if I've explained it well, but there are a lot of films out there that share the same message. This anime film is no exception. But the gap lies in how they're going to portray it.
In Masaaki Yuasa's case, it's a colorful mermaid tale that even kids can appreciate how visually appealing the film is. The cartoonish art style, neat and smooth animation, delightful presentation of colors, and a unique way of writing sequences are somewhat a "trademark" of Masaaki's works. I haven't watched all of his films, but from what I've seen so far, he's a respectable artist who inspires aspiring creators like myself. Not just him, but props to all the people he collaborated with to make an artistic film possible.
I instantly got hooked by how the film started. It's one of the best teaser sequence I've ever seen. You can immediately get the idea on what the MC (Kai) does, what is it like around him, and what's his attitude towards his environment. His pessimistic character is perfectly portrayed with the film's playful use of light, shadow, and colors. Kai's character gradually changed when he met the playful, music-loving mermaid, named Lu. When the title sequence was finally shown on screen, all I can say is "Wow, this film is going to be great", and man, my expectations did not betray me.
I perceived Lu as an "absolute truth" that could bring change. As a mermaid, she was recognized as a monster. It's not new for us humans to assume that any other creatures aside from our race is monstrous in its nature, and it's something that we perceived as "believable". As a music-loving creature, she has shown an exceptional talent that everyone loves, but it also brought grudge and jealousy to the people who felt belittled in singing. As part of the town's legend, officials have gained interest towards Lu and they've wanted to use her as a face of their tourism. As a friend, Lu has nothing but good intentions. She wanted to be the bridge between the two races and bring harmony through music. Lu does not possess any negative feelings like humans have. In that sense, it is easy for the people to bend that "absolute truth" into a "misconception" for their own personal desires. Humanity has brought misconception and danger for themselves, and this is why we're way more monstrous than what we think.
Kai knew this more than anybody else, but he refuses to look at that glaring reality and make an action. Half of him wants to protect Lu from everybody's desire, and half of him wants to have Lu's full attention and not somebody else. It's pretty ironic when he said that his bandmate, Yuuho Ebina, was just being selfish. Because of Lu, Kai was brought to a different and positive perspective where he was able to express himself through music. But this was instantly changed when a lot of people have gained interest on her. In the final scenes, Kai was driven back to make a move not only because of Lu being in danger, but also because he realized how Lu cherished their friendship. In the end, it's not Lu who betrayed him, but his own personal desire.
The film ended with not just Kai's, but everyone's biggest leap of action. And this time, it's not for their own sake. I keep on describing humanity as something "monstrous", and I do still think that we are. Possessions could create conflict, but each one of us could also use this as a resolve. We possessed the capability to do something great. We are also capable to understand not just the surface, but also the depths of the circumstances. To know the truth means interpreting the information without any unnecessary assumption. The best example of "information dissemination" which is shown in the film is the town announcements. You have to speak slowly in order to have a clear message, and it takes one clear message to change everything.
This is truly a wonderful film with an important message to ponder. I enjoyed watching its stunning visuals and comical side of the story. In my case, it's worth the time watching this film with almost 2 hours in length. It's definitely one of my recommended shows to watch when you're in for a dive of new perspectives. Ja Matane!
