The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl

The director is known for his weird style of directing of characters and animation and it definitely works making one of the most uniquely told movies of the year and I loved it. Some beats in the middle can drag and characters make some weird decisions but for the most part, this is a well done animated movie and one of the best films of the year.

'The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl,' based on the novel by Tomihiko Morimi and directed by Masaaki Yuasa, is a film that I have been yearning to watch for quite some time. After waiting for the right time to watch it, it finally came to be that the day I watched it was today. It seemed like the right time for two reasons: One, I had just finished watching 'The Tatami Galaxy' (which I had viewed in preparation for this movie and enjoyed very much) this afternoon, and two, I was feeling a little bit down from all the news and viewpoints of our current social situation being thrown around and was in dire need of something that would liven me up again. 'The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl' did just that!

In the city of Kyoto, a young raven-haired university student sets off on a night of fun, adventure, and plenty of colorful alcoholic beverages to spare. During this time, she encounters an idiosyncratic group of Kyoto residents and dances her way through one incredible situation after another, charming everyone along the way with her optimistic personality and her high tolerance for liquor. Elsewhere, another university student pathetically strives to meet up with her and win her heart, constantly getting bogged down by a series of inconvenient obstacles.

Running at just an hour-and-a-half, 'The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl' feels like an adrenaline rush of unlikely circumstances and fantastical occurrences. Multiple events occur within the span of the night in which this movie is set. To name a few without spoiling the movie, there's a drinking contest with a supernatural being, a search for a long-lost children's book, and a guerilla theatre production featuring fabulous musical numbers, all pulled from the pages of Morimi's novel and brought to life with some of the most whimsical and hallucinatory works of animation ever seen in a film.

By the end of the film, I felt as though the night I had experienced with the raven-haired hero had lasted an eternity, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. It's a gorgeous, candy-colored dreamlike experience with an all-out sense of wacky sweetness, and I doubt I'll be seeing anything like this for a while.

For anyone with even a slight interest in animation, this is an essential watch. For those willing to go the extra mile, I highly recommend viewing 'The Tatami Galaxy' in advance.

It's kind of a boy meets girl story, but so much more too. There is a series of fantastical scenes as characters journey thru the cities night spots. Often bizarre, but somehow very recognizable and... funny. For me, this film really captured the spirit of life in college. I kept remembering thoughts and feelings from those days and nights. It definitely has a Japanese feel to it too, which I really like but.. I understand that it may not be for everyone.

The highest rated anime on Letterboxd for the year 2018 is too many things at once: crazy, trippy, lively, jovial, carefree, heartfelt, hilarious, bizarre, breezy & intoxicating. High on spirits, full of energy & overflowing with imagination, Night Is Short, Walk on Girl is a wild, rambunctious & rollicking ride that unfolds only in fast-forward mode.

Night Is Short, Walk on Girl covers a long night of partying, drinking & unexpected adventures in the life of a young girl who livens up the whole town with her vibrant demeanour. The plot also follows her college senior who goes on (mis)adventures of his own during the same night while trying to confess his romantic feelings to her.

Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, his latest is an unabashedly freewheeling feature that unravels at such breakneck speed that it's difficult to keep up and grasp everything it keeps hurling at the screen. The rapid-fire interactions, fast-moving plot, quickly changing set pieces & swift tonal shifts are overwhelming at times and isn't going to please all.

It is only when you stop trying to make sense of it all and decide to sit back, relax & allow yourself to be swept away by its magical tide that you start seeing through its intricate & confusing outer shell and get a feel of the beauty & heart that lies within. At its core, it's a simple rom-com about a girl who prefers going with the flow and an incel who desires her.

On an overall scale, Night Is Short, Walk on Girl is a story about love, hesitation, anxiety, uncertainty, fate, chance encounters & human connection that's crafted with vigour, executed with flair & is exaggerated beyond reason. In short, this booze-fuelled trip through pubs, parties, drinking game, book fair, guerrilla theatre & musical numbers is one madcap remedy that promises to melt all your worries away. Give it a shot.

This film can best be described as a collection of very funny, very strange, and very creative images and ideas packed into the narrative of two primary leads. Its unpredictability makes it a ton of fun to watch.