- Dylan Lopez
The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl
Nightlife Odyssey
A smattering of words-on-screen can hardly do justice to Masaaki Yuasa's 2017 hit, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl. It's a romance, it's a comedy, it's surreal. One girl's night out on the town becomes a veritable pilgrimage through Kyoto's lively nightscape, her story intersecting with a host of colorful strangers and their curious dilemmas. These chance encounters create a never-ending carousal through the whimsical and the absurd, the everyday and the spectacular--blended into a night to remember.
The Whims of Fate
The film centers on Otome, an eccentric and free-spirited college student that's just getting a feel for adult life--drinking every possible brand and style of alcohol she can get her hands on. Starring opposite is her Senpai--a senior student that's fallen madly in love with her, trying desperately to win her affection by forcing fate, creating seemingly-coincidental meetings throughout the night's adventures. Completely oblivious to Senpai's efforts, Otome marches to the beat of her own drum, leaving the night to fate.
Out in the wilds of Kyoto's buzzing nightlife, Otome encounters a host of strangers also heeding the call of the night: a mythical tengu, a dentistry student, a cranky old loan shark, and the God of Used Books appear and reappear throughout Otome's journey. Her infectious optimism leaves a mark on everyone she meets, challenging the nihilism of the more "adult" characters and grounding the world in the here-and-now magic of the everyday--all brought to life through the film's bizarre, but aesthetically brilliant visuals.
Like Walking Through A Painting
There's nothing quite like Yuasa's visual style. Simplistic, with kaleidoscopic colors and fluid animations that routinely extend the film's dimensions. Each scene seems straight out of an LSD fever-dream, but is never drawn so strange as for viewers to--seriously--question what they're looking at.
Yuasa's very imaginative, whimsical world couples nicely with one of the film's major themes: juxtaposition. Otome's bright, beaming worldview is often reflected onto her surroundings, and physically pushes back against the duller palettes of her more troubled nighttime companions. It's one of those magical storytelling tricks that seems exclusive to animation, wherein the painted background becomes a living, breathing entity--influenced by the emotions of our main characters.
Verdict
I've kept this review fairly surface-level, and there's a reason for that. The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl is a terrific film that benefits from a blind viewing. The film has a lot to say in its 90-minute runtime, much more than can be discussed in a brief review. With its eccentric style and breakneck pace, the night feels anything but short in this animated romcom romp. It's a remarkably uplifting film that effortlessly transports viewers into the weird and wonderful world of contemporary nightlife--with no hangovers.
You can find The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl on MAX.
