One of Masaaki Yuasas greatest strengths as a director is how many genres hes able to pull off. Some of his greatest work involve dark surreal sexually charged explorations of adult psyches like Devilman Crybaby but hes equally good at telling wholesome feelgood stories like Keep Your Hands of Eizouken. You wouldnt think someone with such a specific style would be so versatile in the kinds of stories that style could tell but Yuasa makes it look easy. Case in point is the subject of todays review: Lu Over the Wall which was released barely a month after The Night is Short Walk On Girl. These two films are about as far on opposite ends of the tonal spectrum as they could possibly be. The Night is Short is a return to the perverse cynically charged surreality of The Tatami Galaxy. Lu on the other hand is Yuasas first project that I could classify a family film. Its a giddily kidfocused fantasy yarn about an ordinary boy whos life is thrown into chaos by an unexpected undersea friend. And while its not perfect its bursting with enough energy and whimsy to rank among Yuasas best work. The story takes place in a sheltered seaside town one of those places thats pretty much entirely propped up by the local fishing business. Middle school student Kai is listless drifting through life. Hes got a talent for mixing music which inspires a couple of his classmates to enlist him in their band but he doesnt want to commit to it. Hed rather just be left alone by everything and everyone. But one day as the band is practicing on the secluded island just offshore none of the kids want their parents to know theyre doing this so theyre keeping it hidden Kais electronic DJing catches the attention of something... or someone. See this town has countless legends about the mermaids who supposedly live just offshore. The old folks speak of them in sinister whispers telling tales of their loved ones being dragged underwater and devoured by the savage beasts. But the bubbly mermaid girl whos attracted to Kais music shatters all those stereotypes right from the getgo. This is the titular Lu a ray of sunshine who bursts into Kais life forms a fast friendship with him and gives him the courage to stretch his wings grow into the life he was always running from. But as their relationship goes on the townsfolk slowly become aware of just how real their legends are and it isnt long before Lu and the entire town is in grave danger. On the surface that plot synopsis probably reminds you of a bunch of other movies youve seen. Certainly the whole magical fish girl setup is reminiscent of Ponyo and Lu Over the Wall is very reminiscent of that Miyazaki film. But while its nowhere near as good as Ponyo it does wonders tapping into that films very particular energy. This is a movie that runs on pure childlike glee delighting in the whimsy and wonder that Lu and her mermaid companions bring to the world. Characters are broad but lovable conflicts are sweeping and heartfelt and the whole thing is packed with moment after moment of pure magic. Theres such careful consideration paid to how the mermaids operate they can manipulate water in geometric blocks like Lapis Lazuli from Steven Universe they burst into fire if left in direct sunlight and they can transform other living things into mermaids by biting them. Following this simple ruleset the movie is constantly oneupping itself with creative whimsical ideas. Lu saves an entire shelter full of abandoned puppies by biting them and making them merdogs who can live with her in the sea. She loves music so much that listening to Kais band makes her grow legs and dance with enough passion to put the worlds best ballerina to shame. At one point Lus shark father shows up on land to help the fishmongers package and ship out the catch of the day resulting in the fish carcasses coming alive after theyre picked to the bone and dancing through the town. And it throws these moments at you on a nearregular basis theres always something new to inspire the imagination. Perhaps even more impressive than this sense of magic though is how real this world feels underneath it. The way the towns history is interwoven with the mermaids and how all the different people in the town react to the eventual discovery of the mermaids captures a genuine sense of community. Youve got greedy opportunists skeptics reverent believers vengeancedriven hunters and everyone in between. This is a closeknit somewhat backwards town off the beaten path with so many people having so many different opinions butting heads and coming together in times of crisis. And the movies biggest theme centers on the idea of community itself what it means to be a part of a community this small and intimate and the need to step outside and see the world from a broader perspective even if you intent to spend the rest of your life in the quant little town you grew up in. Kai and his friends are on the cusp of growing up and theyre trying to figure out whether they want to stay in this quiet corner of the world or stretch outside its confines to Tokyo or some other big city. Their families are all part of this towns history but their dreams have them looking far beyond its walls. Kai in particular has no idea who he wants to be or what his future could even look like. But once Lu shows up the wings of inspiration start taking him and his music to places he could never have even dreamed of. And its in that intersection of the magical mermaids and the cozy community that Lu Over the Wall becomes so damn special. Its an explosion of life and joy that sees the mundane and the fantastic cascade over each other weaving a heartfelt tale of coming of age discovering your passion and stepping outside your comfort zone in more ways than one. Its just as good at getting you invested in the smalltown politics as it is blowing you away with its creative visuals. Yuasas animation here is some of his best work yet theres an almost 1930srubberhose quality to how this world moves and feels especially whenever the mermaids are on screen. But its also capable of capturing chaotic explosive moments of awe a flaming shark racing down the street to protect his daughter the sea roiling as it rises into the sky the psychadelic flashbacks that paint out characters pasts as moving 60s album covers. There are moments of visual awe in this movie especially during the climax that rank among the most beautiful evocative imagery Ive ever seen from this medium. And youll be happy to know that in a story so enamored with music this movies music fucking slaps. Just try not to dance along whenever Lu starts bopping to the beat. All that being said this movie isnt perfect. You can feel the plot straining at the seams with too many moving parts especially in the chaotic buildup to the climax. A decent chunk of time in the middle feels rushed and underbaked with characters darkest moments coming too unexpectedly and without proper buildup. There are two characters who fill the role of the superstitious old person with a deep hatred for mermaids based on a misunderstanding where they thought mermaids drowned and/or ate their loved ones only to realize they were wrong during the climax. And only one of them is actually given any development and story presence so you couldve cut the other and streamlined things a bit without losing anything. But despite treading on the verge of falling apart Lu Over the Wall holds onto the reins long enough to bring things to a truly fantastic finish that makes the whole experience worthwhile. This movie is a joy to behold one of my top 5 Yuasa properties thus far and easily his best film yet. Check it out if you have the chance it might just sweep you away.