Summary
Few directors in the history of anime have had as much of an impact as Masaaki Yuasa, or as much of an indescribable yet recognizable visual sensibility.Acclaimed for the signaturesurrealism that exists across the wide genres and art styles explored throughout his filmography, independent animation distributor GKIDS is now honoring the visionary director in a new collector’s edition physical release of his five most iconic works.
TitledMasaaki Yuasa: Five Films Collector’s Edition, the premium physical release includes five of the director’s feature films along with his more experimental shorts and other featurettes highlighting the director’s unique approach to creating anime.
Five Films from One of Anime’s Biggest Visionaries
The first film in the collection, 2004’sMind Game, is a young Tokyo man’s surrealist odyssey, a rewriting of the rules of time and space which culminates in an epic attempt to escape the belly of a whale. (If that sounds odd, be assured that it’s among theleastbizarre ways you could describe the film.) After more than a decade of work in television, Yuasa returned to feature animation in 2017 withThe Night is Short, Walk On Girl, a romcom companion piece to his acclaimed anime seriesThe Tatami Galaxy, using distinct stylistic choices to shine an endearingly oddball look on Japanese college nightlife. Also in 2017 was his third film in the set,Lu Over the Wall, a vibrant, Flash-animated musical family film about a junior-high rock band who breathe new life into their seaside Japanese town by bringing on a mermaid singer as their main attraction. 2019’sRide Your Wavecombines the romantic comedy ofNight is Short, Walk on Girlwith the nautical vibes ofLu Over the Wall, telling a sad, funny, and ultimately life-affirming fantasy of a young couple who bond over surfing and the water. Finally,2021’sInu-Ohlooks back towards feudal Japan, telling a sort of traditional Japanese rock opera about a duo of misfit musicians who challenge the rigid establishment and change the face of Japanese music forever.
Original Artwork from the Director and More
A fierce originality is the throughline of Masaaki Yuasa’s works, so it’s only fitting that the director would embellish the box set with original artwork. In addition to the artwork, the box set also includes an extensive art book, Yuasa’s 2013 short film “Kick-Heart” (a fully-crowdfunded, 12-minute anime short about a professional wrestler teaming up with a nun to raise funds for an orphanage), and an in-depth interview offeringa look into the director’s creative processin a Los Angeles lounge.
Capturing the essence of the director’s elastic style in a way that’s reminiscent of elaborate Japanese stationery and decorative art, the original art from Yuasa is certainly a highlight of the box set and a treat for fans of physical media. Both a collector’s piece for fans of auteur anime and a great introduction for interested newcomers, this new piece is proving one of the biggest physical anime releases of the season.
