Yoru wa Mijikashi Arukeyo Otome

!!!!<This Review talks quite a few about the characters and other aspects so you might be spoiled>!!!! Overall: 9/10 Life is just another optimistic girl traveling the streets of Kyoto, along with a fun ensemble of strangers, as she faces a drink-off contest with a mythological drinking god. A recipient of the Best Animation in the 41st Japan Academy Award, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl is a story about Otome, a raven-haired girl, and her long night of partying filled with alcohol, book fairs, and school festivals. It is also a story about her “Senpai” and his journey in winning Otome’s heart. Directed by visionary director Masaaki Yuasa, this film surely packs a lot of visual flairs. The “out of the box” animation and use of colors perfectly suit the surreal atmosphere that the film imposes, which the director trademarked as his style. Adding to that, it makes it more entertaining by feeding your imagination literal renditions of a figurative speech. The director implied that some parts of the movie were only according to his imagination when he read the novel and realized that he misinterpreted the setting. But in the end, it worked out as it added a little bit of liveliness to a dull place, like what a quiet regular bar would be. The soundtrack of the film complements the events that happen, including a surprising musical number from a play that resembles the melody of Bohemian Rhapsody. With this, every scene in the movie seems like it is brimming with life. A compelling set of characters is always needed to create a fun film, and this film is no exception. We have a lead female protagonist who influences others to enjoy lives to its heights and a relatable “senpai” that shows how hard it is to socialize. Everyone in here is a unique character, and with the quirky animation, they push the movie to comedic glory. The rushing set of events will keep you intrigued in the whole story as it gets weirder and more bizarre. The writing reminds me of a few Haruki Murakami works as a lot of strange things start happening, and everything will kind of make sense in the end. Compared to the Tatami Galaxy, this film requires you to take in more, in over an hour versus the 11-episode series. Juxtaposition is a recurring theme in the film as we see Otome, who is full of life with other people who usually view existence with nihilism and views oneself as lonely. In contrast to loneliness, the film’s central theme is the connection of everyone. Everything and everyone is connected, be it through your actions, to the objects, and to the relationship you bear with your friends or family. Also, time is a fundamental element in the film because the movement of time varies between characters and can be noted as a metaphor for youth. The last act of the film beautifully culminates the past events and brings you to a psychological and philosophical journey that whispers to you, “You’re not alone. Someone cares for you. Live your life to the fullest.” My brain recalls these from the film during the middle of the night, the time I watched the movie. I engulfed myself in the story and thought that the film was for me. It felt that the title perfectly resembled what I did. “The Night is Short, Watch on Boy” (a reference to myself watching during midnight) is the perfect title as I laugh and catch a cold with the characters in the film. A surreal and dreamlike animated feature that doesn’t limit itself with the medium and delivers a lasting performance, thanks to the cast and fast-paced story. Yuasa and his team manage to send a heartwarming message in a visually pleasing way. A solid nine out of ten. As I quote Otome, this film is like the taste of fake Denki bran, filled with warmth from top to bottom. Luxurious and abundant.

Night Is Short, Walk on Girl is an anime film directed by Masaaki Yuasa and it is very good. The story may be confusing to some but it does portray the fun and freeness of youth through the imagery of the relativity of time. It has some humour in it to make this anime enjoyable. Yuasa is a fantastic director and he has once again shown his talent in this film. The animation is something that is kind of Yuasa's trademark. A lot of anime nowadays is starting to look the same and doesn't have much that is unique about their animation. Yuasa's films have a unique animation style to them from the character designs to the animation sets/backgrounds and I like the style and its uniqueness. Kana Hanazawa is a great seiyuu and voices the protagonist wonderfully. She is one of the best, if not the best, seiyuus voicing anime characters. The soundtrack is also great and sets the tone of scenes in this anime film. The characters are quite relatable in this film and the story plays around and explores the characters' emotions in a stylistic way through the imagery and metaphors of human emotion. This film can get quite silly at times but the silly tone does fit in with the flow of the story. This is an enjoyable anime and another well-made anime that Yuasa has put under his belt.

(Review originally posted to Letterboxd) Sometimes there's movies you just know you'll absolutely adore, but you put off watching them for a really long time for one reason or another, or maybe no reason at all; you can probably name a couple off the top of your head right now. Sometimes, you get tired of waiting for a movie's U.S. theatrical release and you go ahead and watch the Australian version because you really just don't want to wait any longer. Night is Short, Walk on Girl is pretty fantastic, and while I'm sad that I didn't get to see this for the first time in its possibly-nonexistent theatrical run in America, I don't regret watching it at all. This absolutely madcap series of shenanigans blows through entire courses on Japanese mythology, pop culture in general, school life, and social isolation like it's the manual to an NES video game some bored intern was forced to write; it makes no sense in almost any context, but suddenly it all just works. Everything has an internal logic to it, while constantly surprising and never even considering stopping to let us take a breather. It may be useless to provide a review for this kind of movie because it was obviously created with me as its sole intended audience. Like Brigsby Bear before it, I don't think I am physically capable of declaring this movie's faults because I'm so overwhelmed by how much I enjoy it. The animation alone.... the backgrounds.... It's such a lovely thing. Okay, I can find one fault. The ending really didn't get me. If the movie were about three minutes shorter, I think I might have called it perfect. But instead, it's only really incredible.

Keeping the original spirit alive, relatability to the concepts and making things relaxed adding to the overall entertainment. This movie is the sequel to Yuasa Masaki’s masterpiece, Tatami Galaxy. And boy have they kept the original spirit alive with the absolute randomness and ridiculousness or Yuasa Masaki. Just brilliant. Story and theme: The movie revolves around our 2 protagonists and the night they spend in the streets of Kyoto. If you wonder just what all can they show in a single night and what all is even possible. This movie will give you quite a pleasant surprise and trust me no matter how hypothetical or unrealistic it feels, once you let go of your pre-set perspective, you will be amazed at the sheer absurd and sublime adventures of the night. So our main protagonist is a raven haired maiden (tatami galaxy reference) who believes in letting things be decided by destiny and follow the thread of fate. From going out to drinking at a bar, to challenging the literal yakuza boss of the area to a drink off and actually winning! In contrast to her beliefs, we have our male protagonist, her senpai who believes in creating opportunities and destiny. He tries to get involved directly or indirectly with her, meeting her at random places and just shrugging it off as a mere coincidence. Hoping to create the thread of fate. So throughout the night, we see the girl just going wild, doing whatever the opportunity in front of her presents, so from drinking and beating a yakuza at it, to being a part of a guerilla theatre performance taking place across the city to searching for her favourite childhood book-in a temporary book mart. And her senpai tries to go through all lengths to meet her in all those different places and has to go through lots of troubles and challenges, but ultimately fails in meeting her and conveying his feelings. The main theme of this movie, correlates to the main theme of the tatami galaxy, that there is nothing like rose-coloured college life. Voluntarily bringing about a change in destiny or maybe trying to create that perfect thread of fate, might not actually bring out the most desired result. What matters is living in the “now” rather than wondering about “what can be”. Art and animation: Well like I said, this is a Masaki movie, so the animation is not exactly the classic raw, wavy, and freehand drawing Masaki provides us with every time. This one visually seemed more realistic and believable. Only in context to the background and world design. We got a very similar type of character designs as we did in the tatami galaxy, but what I want to put emphasis on here is that unlike the tatami galaxy, in which there was focus on the 4.5 mat tatami room. Here the nightlife of Kyoto is depicted in a really beautiful manner. Every crevice of the city is brimming with life and abstract design to match the surreal events of the story, we follow characters into flashy colourful lights on the streets, pubs filled alleyways, bustling market places, and a futuristic and highly technological control centre with hundreds of screens, adds to the overall surreal factor of the anime, making it seem like a dreamland. Characters: We get to see some of the same characters from the tatami galaxy, like Higuchi, Hanuki, Jougasaki, Kaori (more or less), Johnny. And we got characters inspired from the tatami galaxy like here we had a god of old used books, who was basically a younger version of Ozu. All of them were just like they were in the tatami galaxy, but we also got the introduction of many new characters too. The upbeat enthusiasm of our raven-haired maiden is bound to cheer you up, and the ways she carries on the message that the tatami galaxy had to deliver was very well showcased. She moved on, never being bothered about the result of the outcome and carried along as her destiny guided her. Our male protagonist might not be the best MC right off the bat, but as we get to see more of him, you actually start understanding what he is planning on, and might actually be able to relate to him. The side characters were a treat to watch too, all had a specific personality and stayed true to it throughout the series with quite some actual development and closure to their stories. Sound: This was a pretty major factor in the movie. Starting off from the general OST, whenever the girl went out to drink, crashing at different pubs and parties, we had this particular party, hype music with traditional instruments, and man that was a really good add on especially with those dance moves. Music changed with different scenarios, and the themes fit perfectly with the art. Okay, now the main focus on the OST. This was perhaps one of the most unique anime movies I have seen in which we had guerilla theatres, showcasing a musical drama, which symbolises the meaning behind the anime while supplementing and adding on to the character development and progression of the main theme itself. So the drama had musical dialogues, and the music changed, from instruments to themes and emotions and the way they progressed and went about those dialogues and romantic developments taking place via a musical was so wholesomely bewildering, I literally clapped at one point. Conclusion: The best way to actually enjoy this movie would be by neglecting all common sense, and actually just appreciating the randomness and moments, and let it entertain you as the director wanted it to. Needless to say, you should watch the tatami galaxy before coming to this one. Even though both of them aren't related in any other way besides having some similar characters and the same theme. But if you are planning on watching this, try to focus on what the movie wants to show instead of trying to make sense out of every little thing. The movie has a bigger message to provide, which would be left unnoticed if one is bothered about the realism of the movie. If you like Yuasa’s work, it would be a mistake to miss this one. If you don't watch sequel movies, it's understandable, but missing out on this one would be a big mistake. So go check this out.

Yoru Wa Mijikashi Arukeyo Otome takes place in the same universe as Tatami Galaxy and the sudden fall of an absurd animation to something in the Tatami universe is notorious, since Yoru Wa is not from Madhouse, but from Science Saru, but Yoru's animation Wa is not bad, she is very nice. I just missed the whole absurd experiment that Tatami Galaxy proposes to the viewer, but at least the final climax of this film gives you that, so everything is perfect. Yoru Wa has a lot to talk about, guys, so I don't even know where to start this review, but as I've already touched on the animation aspect, I think it's really cool to talk about the soundtrack because it's not just any soundtrack. In addition to this film being a romantic comedy with some messages played here and there for the viewer to catch, he is also a musical; a romantic, funny and fun musical that explodes in different ways during the entire middle of the anime. The first song at the time of the first play of the School Festival that was made in public square, reminded me a little of Bohemian Rhapsody. Even in the middle of the musical 2 other characters sing something that also seems to have the melody of Bohemian Rhapsody in a different tone... What further increases my theory of this, is that there is a scene between two men, where the anime deals more still about love, saying that every form of love is valid, no matter how. Freddie Mercury was gay, so maybe they even took Bohemian Rhapsody to use as a melodic basis. The soundtrack is really good and very striking; it's one of the only times I really like a musical. But talking about the film's narrative, it also leaves nothing to be desired. We already start with scenes in which our protagonist is literally running away from the standards of a good girl in the eyes of society, and she spends half of her night filling her face. She drinks everything she finds and still participates in drinks challenges with some guys and even an old man, and she doesn't have a weak sex or a prototype. The film is basically trying to say with these scenes that women can do whatever they want, the prototype of society is stupid and anti-liberal. There is also a scene where she stops to drink with a guy and she is simply drinking because she likes it, the film has already shown you this, so the man tries to take advantage of her and she defends herself in the way that her mother taught; that is, she does not depend on men to live life as she wants. The film also conveys the message at that moment, that women are not objects just because they do what is not dictated to them by society. Although it seems something totally obvious, unfortunately it is not and is still treated as taboo that a woman can be independent on her own or that she can drink at will... Society is sexist. I like how this movie portrays the exaltation of the importance of alcoholic beverages to humans, in the fact that getting together to drink can result in many different things. Getting together to drink can be to try to forget problems, as well as to discuss philosophical or important issues, such as what life is all about and this is discussed in the film in small sections where our protagonist goes. Even a simple conversation in the bar with the elderly is extremely interesting, because everyone starts to look at the clock and wonder how time passes for the girl, but for them it is in a totally different way. It passes in seconds, it passes in years. Time passes faster as you get older, and the film makes a point of making that clear so that you understand his final message. But before reaching the main message, we have the message that is almost joined to the main message, about the protagonist believing in destiny. She believes in destiny and she is following her life simply with what lies ahead, unlike the protagonist of Tatami Galaxy who postponed 2 years of her life thinking too much about what she should do. It is as if it were the opposite total, and obviously the correct side of the equation. But about love, I think it's really beautiful how the film says that people make absurd promises when it comes to that. The film makes a point of always detailing that there are no barriers to love, as is the case with Major Cueca, who will have to keep wearing the same underwear until he is reunited with the love of his life, a funny comic scene and at the same time. Extremely profound time on loving determination. The film also shows that to feel love it is enough to be happy and in absurd contact with the other person... Love is something complex, but not impossible to happen in any way, and this is shown also through Major Cueca who falls in love with a woman who laughed with him when apples fell on their heads. Someone really in love, does any crazy thing for love. It is interesting that in addition to all these different things happening and seeming to have no direction, there is a dialogue that leads to all of this entirely and only, when the God of all books who looks very much like Ozu, talks to the protagonist and says that everything is connected, including people. Don't try to escape from reality, don't try to escape from social life, live it, live it intensely and love it intensely. Life is too short not to fall in love, and that's the main and explosive point of this film. The protagonist and the protagonist whose names do not exist as well as the protagonist of Tatami Galaxy, are intertwined in a story of uncertainty, destiny and moving forward without caring about what lies ahead. At the same time that we have a determined girl who moves forward on the line of fate, we also have a man trying to shape fate because he doesn't totally believe him, and even though he manages to shape that fate, he still has his damn fear of not doing things as they should be done. I love the explosion of all the protagonist's thoughts wondering if he really loves her or not, and it really matters in the situation where at any moment you can leave the world instead of kicking and opening yourself to love. The worst thing is to leave this life without doing everything you've always wanted. The whole scene of the final climax is extravagant and symbolic about the protagonist being overcoming his own fears and breaking barriers to go after what he wants. It's just fantastic, both visually and narratively; I really loved this conclusion, which also collaborates with another message that the author tried to convey during the film, about destiny being something real. I just think there was a little kiss there, which I was already dying for to happen since the end of Tatami Galaxy with the protagonists there, but doing what, life that follows, an anime without a kiss does not kill anyone. Concluding then my whole line of reasoning, Yoru Wa is a much crazier trip than Tatami Galaxy, wanting to talk about several things not only to make his viewers thinking a lot about the messages for life, but also to put it all together and say that the destiny really exists, and part of it is shaped by you, you just have to take the initiative. This author is very fond of talking about you taking the initiative to do things in your life and I really thought it worked like hell in Yoru Wa. Although my score for this film is 10, and although he is crazier than Tatami Galaxy in terms of playing various things and putting everything together in 2 lines of reasoning, I still prefer Tatami Galaxy. I compare the two works because they are part of the same universe, but I love them both equally, I just have a more special affection and appreciation for Tatami Galaxy.

If i was drunk and asked to come up with a anime that was random and out there then this would be it. I really wanted to enjoy this but i just couldn't. It came across as trying way to hard to be random and i got completely lost. I'd want to try this again in future as i think the potential is there but perhaps i wasn't in the right mood to get sucked into this film. It starts off well but slowly lost me along the way. I love the idea of the film and the wacky random one night out that feels like a lot longer but it just didn't land for me. I wouldn't say no to another viewing though. Also wasn't keen on the animation style at first but that ended up being my favorite thing of the whole film

(english) This movie is a stylish trip that feels chaotic at first, but actually hits you with some surprisingly deep messages. It’s not The Tatami Galaxy, but it definitely feels like its spiritual sibling. It portrays youth the way it really is: messy, impulsive, full of random moments — yet strangely charming. The main girl simply lives life to the fullest, while Senpai stays stuck waiting for fate to do the work for him. The contrast between them shows how we sometimes sabotage ourselves by expecting life to resolve on its own while everything just passes right in front of us. There’s a scene involving clocks that hits hard — her clock moves slowly, while the clocks of the elderly move fast. An obvious metaphor: the older you get, the faster time flies. The movie is basically shouting, “enjoy your youth while you still can.” In the end, it’s a beautiful, weird, and light film with an amazing soundtrack and a lot of soul. You’re not supposed to understand everything — you’re supposed to feel it, laugh a little, and maybe reflect on life as if you were slightly drunk at 3 a.m. (portugues) Este filme é uma viagem estilosa que parece caótica, mas na verdade te acerta com algumas mensagens profundas. Não é *Tatami Galaxy*, mas definitivamente é seu irmão espiritual. Ele mostra a juventude como ela realmente é: bagunçada, impulsiva, cheia de momentos aleatórios — mas com um charme estranho. A garota principal simplesmente vive a vida no máximo, enquanto o Senpai fica preso esperando o destino fazer o trabalho por ele. O contraste entre os dois mostra como às vezes sabotamos a nós mesmos, esperando que a vida se resolva sozinha, enquanto tudo simplesmente passa diante de nós. Tem uma cena com relógios que bate forte — o relógio dela anda devagar, enquanto os relógios dos idosos andam rápido. Metáfora óbvia: quanto mais velho você fica, mais rápido o tempo voa. Então o filme basicamente está gritando: “aproveite a sua juventude enquanto ainda pode.” No fim das contas, é um filme bonito, estranho e leve, com uma trilha sonora incrível e muita alma. Você não deveria entender tudo — você só deveria sentir, dar algumas risadas e talvez refletir sobre a vida como se estivesse levemente bêbado às 3 da manhã.

Now THAT is how you fit so many morales and life lessons in a 90 minutes movie! This might've been one of the weirdest movies I've watched, but it was such a lively movie that can drift me apart from exchausting problems I faced in real life. They didn't want to complicate anything too much, just telling us to live our lifes however we want it to! Nothing's too late because everyone starts somewhere, and suffers during it while gaining it too. I love how a lot of details which was seemingly supposed to be funny also hides a very important lesson, example: The time ticks fast for older people who felt like they don't have much time left, as for the young girl, her time was ticking slow, cuz she is spending her time enjoying her life, she spends every minute of her life as she never had an expectation for anything cuz life is limitless and unpredictable! Love this weird and colourful movie in every aspect <3

I've just finished this anime, and as you can see, I recommend it, because it's definitely not the kind of movie you see on a daily basis. "After building a train engine, Matthew Tiny leaves town when the factory owner claims it, but the engine has a mind of its own and decides to go its own way." That's a summary of Ra Ta Ta Tam, a book by Peter Nickl, a spiritual guide to the movie. The protagonist here is our very own Matthew Tiny. Spending a long night discovering different tastes, flavors, people and places, enjoying life in the best way: that's the way to go. Many misadventures occur, the protagonists here are not placed opposite each other by coincidence, they fight for it, even at the risk of catching a cold or being caught by the college patrol. Everyone has their own time, their own priorities, but it's important to note that it's not just about yourself, it's about everyone being connected. The good that you do for someone can at some point help you find your love, even if you weren't looking for it at all. It's important to note that while Tatami Galaxy and Yoru wa, both works by Morimi, are stories that go from the beginning of a love, where unilaterally only one person acts, to the point where the second person realizes that they also have the same feeling, they "catch the cold". Go live your life, get out of the house, maybe an apple will fall on your head. That's what the movie shouts at the viewer.

Okay, so, unlike most people who watched this, I had not seen the Tatami Galaxy or anything at all by this director, so my opinion is only based on this particular movie and not the references I'd missed. The first thing that grasped my whole attention is the characters. I don't know if any of them were featured anywhere previously, and I don't think it matters, because you can literally feel them just by looking at them once. I personally really liked the supporting characters and the kind of particular roles they were given in the story. Their image overall isn't that special, and the movie itself is partially focused on a cheesy romantic storyline, but the way this storyline is directed and realistically complicated on purpose is like a juicy red cherry on a pie - same goes for simple, tiny complications in each character. The art is also quite peculiar. Barely any shade, but the shapes stay so clean and the details are so in place that you don't really feel like something's missing. The filmography is amazing. The camera angles are amazing. Strongly recommend this one for artsy people, esp. photographers, it would really help you with inspiration even if this type of plot isn't really your thing. I assume you can get somewhat lost in the context of stories and dialogues, but for me it did not ruin the enjoyment at all. Although I would recommend watching this with someone who knows a thing or another about Japan to get the cultural references at least. And actually, you might get overwhelmed by the amount of references, and the same goes for the amount of the culmination points, which does make it a bit hard to perceive the timeline of the movie, but apart from that - it's clearly outstanding.

*minor spoilers (I wrote this back in 2018) Masaaki Yuasa is an up and coming animation auteur who has a complete hold of his craft, whether it be sound design, tight scripts, and an unfathomably imaginative direction in all of his works. In both TV animation and his 5 credits as a film director, he’s created a style that is undeniably his own. After working on several short projects, he had his first breakthrough with Mind Game (an adaptation) in 2004, and Kaiba (an original project) in 2008. He then went on to make The Tatami Galaxy and the crowd funded Kick-Heart. In 2013, he co-founded Science SARU, and since has directed 2 shows and 2 films (another film set to release this year). Yuasa’s style often shifts depending on the project, but there are some universal traits of his works. It’s not so much that he doesn’t have a style, but that he runs with the most interesting method of portraying a given work. There’s this abstractness and unpredictability in his shots that’s hard to put your finger on. One of the first things that stands out his the character designs. Although they often vary in artstyle, they are always simplistic to lend themselves well to exaggerated movement, which is a stable of his. Aside from Devilman Crybaby, all his works have extremely loud color palettes. Devilman even has some stand out scenes with purples, reds, and oranges, but the color palette is mostly made of greys. The colors dictate how the audience should feel, while also directing the eyes to key images in the frame and being as pleasing as possible. The ways the imaginary camera pans and what is being transitioned to always comes off as clever and having lots of thought put into it and the lighting is both believable and rambunctious. It’s as if the most mundane of objects are set pieces in their own way, and the shots thoroughly express this. Yuasa’s most recent film Night is Short, Walk on Girl, encapsulates everything he’s done right thus far in his career, and what he continues to do so. The film is a spin off of The Tatami Galaxy, while differentiating itself with an obsession of the nightlife and the romanticisms of young adulthood. Of his recent endeavors, it’s easily his most over the top. Visually, the film succeeds in every way. The backgrounds meshing of textures is different while not looking out of place with the character designs. The immense color palette -- if there even is one, basically every bright color is at play here -- is aided by the exaggerated framing of the characters. The visual style changes constantly yet still feels fluid and never uninspired. There’s a shot in the beginning of the film where Kurokami is at a wedding party, looking out upon the Kyoto landscape. The lighting from within the room is flat, while the outside is illuminated with dozens of neon colored shapes and flares, creating a longing within the audience to see what’s in store. Kyoto nightlife is presented as bombastically splendid. It’s charming and memorable, offering nothing but good memories for those who search for them. Kurokami’s bright red dress juxtaposes Senpai’s plain looking outfit, displaying Kurokami’s ferocious nature of searching for a fleeting moment of bliss through exuberant ecstasy and Senpai’s straight forward personality. Gakuensai is dressed in all purple, displaying his superiority as a royalty-esque figure, as the student council president. The characters in the street play all wore red, symbolizing their similarity to Kurokami’s playful nature. This is furthered by Pantsu’s romantic interest in the ambiguous character who dropped the bright red apples. Alcohol is the single biggest prop in the film. It’s an indulgence of the young adults whom have a fascination with life itself, while continuing to ride along on the wave they have found themselves. It’s a metaphor for how the characters want to take ahold of life. While many of the other characters find themselves to be light weights, Kurokami continues pushing forward, as she has an insatiable need of pushing further into the night. Toward the end of the film, there’s a storm that causes a desaturation of the colors. The once vibrant Kyoto streets become taken over by greys reminiscent of Devilman Crybaby, while the only constant is Kurokami’s red dress as she treks back and forth to the familiar faces we’ve come to know. The insert song with violin came off as melancholic, taking the audience back to better days. To live the best life, a life of fun and wonder. To love, to adventure, and to walk on.

From the visionary mind of director Masaaki Yuasa comes The Night is Short, Walk On Girl, a comedy about one epic night in Kyoto. As a group of teens go out for a night on the town"The Night is Short, Walk On, Young Maiden is a film by director Masaaki Yuasa based on the similarly titled novel by author Tomihiko Morimi Fate. We have all at least once in our lives have thought about fate. Whether it being during good times or bad times we often relate it to being destiny. What we think of as destiny connects us all, most famously known as the red string of fate in Japanese culture. This movie shows us the main character, the type who always looks ahead never turning back and being accepting everything to being fates plan while we have our male character trying to include himself in her life by simply making himself seen more around her. This movie truly delves deep into the emotions of wanting a rose coloured life, the feelings of loneliness, how experiences change one's concept of the world, time and also the topic of Fate. Throughout the movie, it shows us these subtle meanings and advice through the dialogue, animation and music played at the appropriate moments. This is truly a classic work of Masaaki Yuasa as experienced with more of his other works. It shows us that everything and everyone is connected. Throughout my journey watching this. Each frame of animation definitely had something to offer. I recommend watching this movie, If ur not able to grasp anything rewatch again for works such as these rewatching it again and again sometimes unravels/conveys the story better and in a way different from what hung previously. The animation was of course without a doubt one of the most fascinating art styles I have encountered and is best. The story was definitely interesting. All in all, this is such a wonderful and wholesome movie a solid 9/10and I recommend all of u to watch it.

Night is Short is, in short, a treat to watch. It is very fun, and it is very fast. It can be difficult to expect what is next. This movie is presented as a parallel-universe follow up to one of director Masaaki Yuasa's previous work, The Tatami Galaxy. That series rendered me helper - it seemed that the inner contents of my entire being were spilled on screen in a Watashi-shaped puddle, as my pitiful and embarassing lifestyle was mercilessly portrayed on film for the entire world to see. Given that, when Night is Short had a small American screening (thanks GKIDS) I jumped at the chance. And I certainly don't regret it. Compared to its predecessor, Night is Short is like yarn to string. Looser, wackier, and not worse off for it. I will say that there are certainly something that bothered me about the film and some scenes that failed to land properly, but more often than not, I was grinning ear to ear. [++] The absurd content and visuals lead to some truly great comedic moments! [+] Masaaki Yuasa does some cool and expressive visuals, as usual. [+] The story is super all over the place but thats a-ok with me. Each individual arc has strong, defined high points. [+] Sound design is generally on-pont. And the singing... the singing! [+] Like its predecessor, the character archetypes are very distinct and unique in the world of anime, and art in general. [=] A couple moments fail to stick, but this might be intentional. I sort of attribute this to the necessity for downtime and low-interest moments in film, but I still think it could have been handled more gracefully. [-] I will say that I could see this film being a little harder to digest if not familiar with Tatami Galaxy [-] Something about the ending and how Otome and Senpai settle out is just very sour to me. [On the Ending] (Spoilers) I do have a serious complaint about the ending. To me the fact that Otome and Senpai end up on a date is just... a little disgusting. Maybe I don't know enough about Otome's character archetype - that which will take on and accept whatever is in front of her - but it feels like using her character traits as an excuse to hitch her with Senpai is just misplaced. Throughout the movie, Senpai was just creepy. I would think even girls like Otome would recognize this. Having the relationship resolve in this way just feels like fan-service to for the male demographic. I, as someone who slots in perfectly with Senpai's obsessive, observational habits, wanted to bleed at the hands of this film. Shatter my shitty habits, don't inspire hope in them. Story: 7 Art: 8 Sound: 8 Character: 7 Enjoyment/Overall: 8

'The Night is Short, Walk on Girl' comes with simple episodic plots delivered with bold exaggerations, mostly in hallucinatory fantasies that tackles many random, but important social issues like social relations and social isolation, with romance as a major element, but not its focus. I was all smiles as I watched this film from start to end. It melts my heart and weakens my knees out of sheer delight, not just because it is an enjoyable watch, but also because I could relate, in an incredibly personal level, with the characters' sentiments about their relationship with the people around them, their dreams and passion, their confidence and self-doubt in achieving them, and many more randomness that I couldn't possibly recall all at once. And the more random it gets, the more relatable it becomes. It gives an incredibly familiar air that makes me wish, so bad, to jump right in and be a part of everything. 'The Night is Short, Walk on Girl' offers an unconventional experience with its prolific adventures detailed with the randomness of normal life occurrences mixed with traditional and modern Japanese cultures, that can sometimes be overwhelming as it comes in magnitude, but is overall charming, warm, and fresh. * On a less significant but useful note: the film took references, with recurring characters, from Tatami Galaxy, the animated series, delivered in the same style (with themes concentrated more on individual adversaries) by the same director, Yuasa Masaaki. While it can be watched and understood all on its own, watching the series will definitely maximize the fun and excitement in experiencing the film.

One of the most beautiful Japanese animated films, visually and aesthetically. A story written in a stream-of-consciousness style with lots of twists and turns and mischief, while still having a fairly literary soul. There are some very beautiful moments here and there, such as the sophists' dance, the second-hand book fair, and the traveling musical. However, I find that this also causes a slight lack of consistency; the accumulation of twists and turns is a tad indigestible and prioritizes surprise at the expense of thematic strength, even though there is a fairly clear common thread running through the film (we are all connected to one another). The choice to focus on the male lead's point of view is also not very interesting, even if it is well executed overall. There would have been much to gain from focusing primarily on the girl, as the agent of her own destiny rather than yet another object of male desire. Sexual assault is also depicted in a very light-hearted manner (even if it is condemned by the film, one might say); there is also latent homophobia towards a non-heterosexual character, which is a shame, even if it is one of the least worst examples of what the world of anime has to offer. Very good cast and good music, unfortunately never released as an album. I think I will watch this film again, as it is quite rich in content and rather memorable, as well as superbly animated.

The constant connections and bonds formed through totally aimless wandering and happenstance within such a short amount of time make for a movie really rich in an atmosphere that simultaneously feels so comfortable and surreal. Masaaki Yuasa has shown time and time again that he's got a real knack for adding a sense of exaggerated wonder to the most mundane of things and revealing the magic beneath it in a very unique and engaging way, but I think that this is his best work in that regard. The pacing and the way the writing felt like ADHD incarnate also helped a lot of this atmosphere I feel, with absolutely constant shifts between subplots happening every 10 - 15 minutes in ways both seamless and jarring, as if the film was similarly following the path of girl where it was gleefully moving along entirely based on its own random whims. Seeing this often stream of consciousness approach to ideas and locations having such a powerful sense of wonder being injected into them as well just further reinforces what I love about this, the biggest instance being everything about the book market. The animation also rules, embracing both a somewhat strange artstyle that distorts things to really strong degrees, while also maintaining this insanely high level of animation where everything feels so fluid and expressive. Basically one of the best movies ever.

Comparisons to The Tatami Galaxy are obvious with similar characters, plot, artstyle, and general fast pace and joie de vivre. Night Is Short, Walk on Girl, differs to me is that it feels like it takes everything from the show and relaxes it just a bit. I know the dialogue is fast-paced and crazy and the style can be hard to wrap your head around at first, but The Tatami Galaxy felt like it had a more abstract style with quick cuts and less of a plot than here. This focuses more on the girl in this relationship who has a bottomless stomach and wants to try to alcohol, and gets wrapped up in the adventures of a pub crawl and a campus festival over the course of one extended night, while senpai is the nervous guy who doesn't have the courage to directly ask her out but still goes to great lengths to win her over. Yuasa's imagination with the material from the author and great ability for his noodley, always-moving animation style looks great and gives a great life to the night-life of Kyoto and a general warm feeling to the frames. And what a story to tell as it feels like a long TV episode (which is cool but kinda the one negative I have with the movie) as there are some main scenes and setpieces and a million little moments and details that keep surprising me. Probably my favorites were the erudite "Ozu" who describes all the little details that connect books together (and it doesn't sound like they made anything up from his monologue) and the mobile theatre with an updating script and gets rebuilt to get the word out for the main actor to find his just-missed love (with a meta story of the play that reflects this). I could go on but its just a lot of fun and so uplifting.

If you want to enjoy this fully, please watch The Tatami Galaxy first, otherwise, you'll miss some fun little details, and a portion of the symbolism won't make any sense. Though technically a movie, I'd separate its contents into 3 episodes following our two characters (the female lead under the moniker Kohai, and the male lead as Senpai); the first 2 episodes following Kohai's tenacious approach to life in a night that refuses to end, and the last being a powerful symbolic take on getting through to someone you love. Following The Tatami Galaxy, The Night is Short, Walk On Girl's star Kohai, is the embodiment of its message, to take life by the horns. With her ceaseless optimism, Kohai doesn't let a single opportunity to live life pass her by without giving it a chance, her character alone is deeply inspirational. With visuals even more brilliantly thought out backed by the most emotionally placed soundtrack, we're transported to that long vibrant night, in Pontocho. If the first 2 episodes and final act were presented as separate pieces they both would've been improved massively, instead, they connect the two using a glue stick they found on the side of the road, and the movie suffers for it. *complaint about the final act contains spoilers* . . . The problem with the final episode: The only union between this and the other two episodes, and where I wish the movie would've taken it, is the lesson Kohai learns from The Director; always pressing forward without taking the time to look back is also going to leave you blind to other opportunities. Luckily (and I cannot stress luckily enough) for Senpai she just happens to randomly decide from this lesson that she's in love with him. There is no reason for Kohai to love the cowardly stalker, that is Senpai, the embodiment of the flaws that The Tatami Galaxy shines on, a man she hasn't shared more than brief greetings with, even so, this is the path the movie takes. In its own right, this conclusion would be fantastic given its ocean of gorgeously animated, carefully crafted symbolism showing how, despite his own lack of awareness, Senpai desperately pushes away the love which he so hopelessly desires. Only to be saved from his own self-imposed prison by Kohai. If their past was more obscure, as it would be if this piece was alone then it would have worked. Within the context of the movie though, they should've made it either about friendship or fleshed out a deeper connection between them that was previously unnoticed by Kohai. Despite my ranting, I do it out of love for the movie and the sting of its so transparently lost potential. Just under a 9/10.

This show was really chaotic, and I feel like there is a lot I missed watching. The dream-like quality of the world and the absurdity and surrealism were oddly satisfying. Watching it left me very emotional but in an incomprehensible way. I teared up at the end of the movie, but I'm not quite sure why. Was it the romance? Was it how elusory youthful memories are and how they are stretched? Was how fully alive these characters felt, and how little my life resembles that? Or was it all of the above? Watching this wasn't like watching any other anime. The story/plot takes a sideline, and instead, we are carried along by broad strokes of mood and moments, of genre and feeling. This show was absurd, beautiful, nonsensical, meaningful, but most importantly, really enjoyable to watch. I was pulled from scene to scene, caught up in the whimsy of this world that was somehow still grounded in emotional realism. Each moment felt absurd in its own right, but together, painted a kind of emotional canvas that really moved me. I'm no critic, and I'm sure there are better ways to describe this movie, so I'll just say this: I enjoyed watching it, and it really moved my heart.

This is definitely my favourite anime of all time. It is extremely funny and random and has just the right amount of romance to be interesting. As you can see from my profile, I love all works by masaaki yuasa, but this was the first one I had seen, so it doesn’t bias my review at all. If you want to see more of these characters after you have finished, then watch tatami galaxy. It isn’t as funny, but the ending compensates for that. It has the same characters, but you don’t need to have watched it to understand this.