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Lu Over the Wall
夜明け告げるルーのうた
2017 112 min Japan PG 6+
★7.0
Animation, Adventure, Music, Fantasy, Family
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Trailers
EN
EN
Teaser
Teaser
Description
In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.
US Gross:
$109,857
Starring
Kanon Tani
Actor
Shôta Shimoda
Actor
Minako Kotobuki
Actor
Awards
1 win & 2 nominations total
Key opinion
Lu Over the Wall is a charming, family-friendly animation that showcases Yuasa's signature style while remaining a relatively straightforward narrative. While it lacks the complexity of a masterpiece, it succeeds as an entertaining and visually engaging work suitable for younger audiences.
| Accessibility | The film succeeds as a wholesome, family-oriented entertainment piece that avoids unnecessary violence or mature content. | |
| Acting | The character of Lu is presented as a genuinely sweet and sincere presence that grounds the fantasy elements. | |
| Direction | The umbrella dance sequence serves as the film's undeniable emotional and aesthetic highlight. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is hindered by a linear, clichéd structure that struggles to reach the heights of Yuasa's more ambitious works. | |
| Theme | Critics are divided on the film's narrative weight; some view the story as a steady, lively adventure, while others find its thematic messaging to be somewhat predictable and unoriginal. |