If something makes you want to go back and re-watch it once it’s over, it’s a great work. If you’ve gone home from a theater and you’re still thinking about it, it’s a special film. Lu Over The Wall is up there as a special film — from the characters to the vibrant visuals to the bonkers music that’s just about perfect, I’m going to be thinking about this one for a while, and truth be told, I just want to go back and see it again. The problem is it’s already sold out elsewhere, so it’s just gonna be a long wait until it’s announced for a theater run.
Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, animated by Science Saru, and helped by other talented creators (Reiko Yoshida, Takatsugu Muramatsu), Lu Over the Wall is an all-ages film that aired in Japan in May 2017. It slowly began trickling its way elsewhere (like the UK and France), but GKids licensed it for North America early this year. It basically was only a matter of time before it would come here. Well, having it debut at the New York International Children’s Film Festival is a good way to start.
The story of Lu Over The Wall is fairly simple. Kai’s a young man living in a quiet seaside town where the only thing he’s into is creating amazing beats. Those beats, which he shared anonymously online, got him found by a few of his classmates, who then convince him to join their band. What they thought was going to be them becoming super stars as they secretly practice on Merfork Island — they’re not supposed to be there since that’s where the Merfolk used to live — turns out to be Kai finding a way to meet a Merfolk who calls herself Lu, who can sing so well she can make three kids dance like professionals.
After finding a way to befriend Lu, Kai and his classmates try to keep her a secret from the rest of the town. This doesn’t happen, and now it’s a battle between helping the town grow or realizing this is foolishness. Caught in that crossfire is Lu, Kai, and a number of characters, and the only way to help get them out of it is the power of music. And maybe going solo.
There were probably two things I did not like with Lu Over the Wall. The first is the beginning, about 5-7 minutes in. Of course, it’s introducing us to Yuuho and Kunio as they grill Kai over him being the anonymous music star. The second is the climax, which felt a bit rushed. It was almost like everyone working on it remembered the ride had to end sometime, and it did. The problem it felt like some things sped by, and some characters had their arcs closed too abruptly.
That’s about it. And none of that hurts the film in any way because everything else is spectacular.
After all, how cool is it that Lu is a character that exists? She’s now one of my favorite characters of all time, and the only thing she does is do crazy stuff with water and her teeth. Ok, also her singing, which manages to make everyone feel like they’re young and on cloud nine. But any time she shows up, her personality, powers, and how she interacts with Kai and the crew take over the film. She seems thoughtfully created and is fantastic with just about anything she does.
She’s also one of the reasons Lu Over the Wall stands out visually. It’s not just straight Japanese animation, it’s a mix of animation styles. At one point, for example, it even goes to flash animation. It does this while doing everything possible to encourage a smile. After all how can you not smile when Lu finds a way to misunderstand what love means and decides to shout that out loud with her booming voice, ruining the night for a young couple just straight French kissing? There are also plenty of other hilarious moments involving Lu that manage to involve lost dogs, books, and her massive dad.
There’s also the vibe of the town in general, which manages to do what it can to celebrate the dead, but then later the film also shows grown adults take part in a marathon in their office chairs. Should I point out I thought that part was something the film made up? But in all seriousness, the town itself and the Merfolk is explored, which is a nice touch that sets up the craziness that happens later on.
The other touch is the notion of dreams, which Kai doesn’t have. He doesn’t know what to do. And throughout the film we basically learn about those who wanted to make it big but managed to fail. How the characters dealt with that failure — Isaki, for example, is one character who really stood out compared to everyone else — showcases one of the themes of the film, which was well done.
Also very clear is the presence of music, which is the other major theme that will grab your attention. Well, mainly because it has to! The main character’s into music, the classmates are into music, Lu is into music…it’s big. And it’s very grandiose whenever any music is being played. Whether that’s making Kai, Kunio or Yuuho make some goofy looking faces while they dance like they’ve been put in A Pup Named Scooby Doo, it all works out.
That’s about what Lu Over the Wall does. There’s much more to say about this film, but the only other thing I’ll say is the dub is ok. Not sure I cared for Kai, but Lu was good. Kai’s grandpa didn’t really seem good. Isaki’s character didn’t sound great at first, but one thing happened towards the end that made me rethink her performance. Whoever was doing the dub for Kai’s father did well. In all, the dub is certainly passable.
If you happen to discover Lu Over the Wall airing in your area, you should go give it a watch. Between it’s visuals and the energy from the cast, it’s terrific to watch from start to finish. Definitely one of the best anime you’ll see this year.