"The Night is Short, Walk on Girl" Review
Girl goes out and does crazy shit. Boy is in love with girl. He tries to win her heart. Girl falls for the guy. Although the story is simple, the way director Masaaki Yuasa, studio Science SARU, and author Tomihiko Morimi tells it is infinitely fascinating as it is convoluted.
One look at this and fans of Science SARU and Yuasa may notice that this features several of the same characters that were prominently featured in "The Tatami Galaxy" (also written by Morimi) though they embody different personas. It's set in the same universe but the connections are loose. This means that you don't have to watch "The Tatami Galaxy" in order to enjoy "The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl". But those who have seen it will appreciate it more.
Yuasa's style is extremely vibrant and exciting to look at. When a character says something important, the movie will often cut to an extremely exaggerated representation that keeps Morimi's stream-of-consciousness approach to storytelling within grasp of the viewer's understanding (the eyegasms I had while viewing these moments are a plus!). The symbolism and motifs that the story employs are all thematically potent and emotionally effective to its unique cast.
What really makes it hard for me to connect with is the main love story itself. The vignettes and side missions that revolve around our love story are, I think, more fun to watch unfold. These vignettes move quickly and effortlessly through its runtime and I wished that I had more time to spend with the characters during that magical yet chaotic night (this movie takes place mostly during the course of a single night). The main revelation of the girl coming into realization of her feelings for the boy ultimately felt cheap, sudden, and inauthentic which, in turn, ruined the dramatic tension of its final moments.
I had a blast watching this movie. It's extremely beautiful and provides great escapism. This is a case of the journey being far more memorable than its destination.