The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl

Directed by established animator and screenwriter Masaaki Yuasa, The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl takes place in the same universe as the award-winning 2010 anime The Tatami Galaxy.

The story follows the winding path of Otome, a young freshman seeking drinking buddies for an insanely long night of partying that sees her exploring a book fair, festival, and becoming the lead in a guerilla theatre production, along with many other adventures. Amidst the chaotic events is Senpai, her upper classman who hopes to woo her by engineering ways to “coincidentally” run into her again and again, until she believes fate brought them together.

This is the second time Yuasa has adapted Morimi’s novels and he is no less bold in his directorial style. Each frame bristles with colour, and scenes flow from one to another in environemntal tornados of artistic expression, fusing Japanese style with French animation techniques reminiscent of Sylvain Chomet’s The Triplets of Belleville.

While the plot is centred around Otome and Senpai, it is the rest of the ensemble cast that charm their way on screen. There’s Rihaku, an ancient money lender who uses his wealth to make others suffer; Don Underwear, a college student who refuses to change his underwear until he finds the woman he fell in love with in a brief encounter; and Mr Todo, a carp farmer trying to pay off his debts by selling antique erotic pictures. And, lest we forget, “The God of Old Books” who appears to have taken the form of a young boy.

The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, may jump between narratives and lack character development, but it does in a somewhat odd manner explore the nature of life, love and youth in a bizarrely entertaining way. If viewers ignore some of the creepier subtext of the stalker-like Senpai, it’s quite a charming addition to the universe Yuasa has fashioned.

Alexander Corona

The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is released in selected cinemas on 4^th October 2017.

Watch the trailer for The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl here: