The films that I have seen of anime director Masaaki Yuasa have had a lot of energy in them with an animation style that feels really loose, incomplete, almost childlike and yet very pleasing.
In the past I have seen 'Lu Over The Wall' and 'Ride Your Wave'. Both enjoyably wacky stories that commit to its ideas and work really well.
Now we have something that is more music centred and has some historical importance to it.
I wasn't sure what to expect at first. You get introduced with some Japanese folklore with a musical presentation. Then you get a story with a bit more of a conventional structure. But gradually, you do see all of these styles meshed together for something quite interesting.
I liked the variety of the animation. From your typical anime style, to something we expect more from Yuasa. It's soft, fluid and never clear. But the visuals remained very pleasing on the whole.
The story was really interesting and giving it a modern edge reminded of when I saw 'Elvis' earlier this year. The way it modernises revolutionary moments to make them relatable rather than showing it in a literal sense that would make it look rather tame for today's audience. The way it also brings in fantasy and fairy tale qualities to it keeps Yuasa's imagination cooking up new ideas.
The music plays a heavy role. For a large part it was very effective, and it was like watching a rock concert at times. It did however overstay its welcome I felt. There were moments in those sequences that dragged sadly. It almost felt like it was giving us too much of a good thing.
On the whole, I liked it. The imagery is its strongest aspect, the two leads are likable and have solid development and the way reimagines a certain part of Japanese culture and history instantly made want to know more about it.
The lack of depth for me doesn't make it Yuasa's best work. But the topic chosen could make this his most important creation to date.
Rating: 7/10
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