The vast medium that is anime has been around for quite a while — around 100 years to be clear. Over time, anime has birthed many legendary creatives and has gained cult-like popularity not only in Japan merely also overseas.

When talking about it, one oft hears these names thrown around: Satoshi Kon, the human behind perplexing stories similar Perfect Bluish [1997] and the heartwarming Millennium Extra [2001], and Mamoru Oshii, the mind-bending director behind cyberpunk knockout Ghost in the Shell [1995] and the equally astounding Patlabor film series [1989 - 2002]. Lest nosotros forget, Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki is undeniably synonymous to anime, much like Michael Jordan is to Basketball. Only there is i who is less talked well-nigh, just no less legendary than the names mentioned above. Here, we explore the genius mind and vibrant creations of the one and only Masaaki Yuasa.

Well-known for his unorthodox fashion of directing, his colorful world is unhinged and corybantic—often shattering notions of anime being trivial and only for children. He does non let traditional limitations of the medium confine him; He just follows the vanquish of his own pulsate.

This offbeat style connects more with a niche group of anime lovers, one that loves the baroque and in some ways, the advanced. Do not be intimidated by those heavy adjectives though. Yuasa'due south movies and shows are very much catered to anybody—with his viewers fervently waiting for the next release, and the next, and the next. It'south no surprise that he is one of the near celebrated anime directors in this dizzying outlet of imagination.

Yuasa co-founded the animation studio Science SARU in 2013 with producer Eunyoung Choi. It has since gained popularity starting with Nutrient Concatenation, an episode from the widely acclaimed drawing Take chances Time. The studio has since moved to characteristic films such as the outstanding Night Is Short, Walk On Girl [2017], and the accolade-winning bop-induced Lu Over the Wall [2017].

With less of the gigantic eyes and the kawaii advent, and more than of the exaggerated movements and unusually placed humour amplified by an amazing score, he utilises blitheness in nonsensical ways, and by God, it works. This is evident in his directorial debut, Mind Game [2004].

Meanwhile, Yuasa'due south [aslope Science SARU] accommodation of Become Nagai's 1972 classic manga, Devilman, spawned a new craze and their ain version of the Naruto ninja run. Devilman Crybaby, crafted by his unconventional way of directing, launched on streaming behemothic Netflix in 2018. With that, he gained an fifty-fifty larger audition.

Yuasa'due south body of work is a testament to his constant love for blitheness, and his passion for pushing its boundaries. Recalling what he said in a Reddit AMA, "I make my blitheness for the whole world, not necessarily concentrating on the Japanese market just. I make anime that I call up is interesting to me. And I will probably not change that thought."

To get a deeper connection with Yuasa, we share with you lot some of his best works and show you how the acclaimed managing director adds even more than color to an already colorful medium.

Mind Game [2004]

For virtually directors, making an experimental film would cross their minds around the middle of their careers, when they've done almost everything. Never without his beanie, Masaaki Yuasa is a unlike case.

Unrestrained, unruly, rowdy, uncontrolled, unbridled, bonkers, unconventional, rampant, untamed, costless, chaotic—any of these words are appropriate to describe this unpredictable and hypnotizing trip of a movie. What's a directorial debut if it isn't half as wild equally that, correct?

Now considered a cult classic, this hodgepodge story most human-eating whales a la Pinocchio and finding your... oh what the hell, this isn't that. In that location'southward no real explanation to what this is. It'due south but a fun, roller coaster ride of a film almost Nishi running away from the Yakuza, debauchery, and aye, finding himself. Inside a whale. With Myon, his childhood crush. And Yan, Myon'south sister. And an former man who's been trapped inside the whale since God knows when. With amazing visuals to kick.

A thousand and one questions later, we detect Nishi and Myon alone together. Ane matter leads to some other and and so another and ultimately, to a beloved scene so strange that I need to end here considering to say more than would stop up in spoilers galore. One has to sentinel it to fully appreciate that dreamy scene. Ah yes, intimacy.

Information technology'due south no state secret that this movie is a pastiche of blitheness styles. We recall what Yuasa said during an interview in 2004, "Instead of telling it serious and directly, I went for a look that was a bit wild and patchy. I think that Japanese animation fans today don't necessarily demand something that's and then polished. You can throw dissimilar styles at them, and they can nonetheless ordinarily savor it."

Kaiba [2008]

What would you do if you tin transfer and manipulate your memories? What happens if you can remove the bad ones and replace them with pleasant ones? These are the possibilities turned into reality in the earth of Kaiba.

What'south a sci-fi story without transferable memories, a pigsty in your breast, space travel, and a honey that transcends all. Mix that all together, add an atmospherically haunting score, and you get this poignant infinite opera near a boy who lost his memories and his journey to remember.

One might remember that a testify with an animation style that is near reminiscent of Disney cartoons is just another one of those Sunday afternoon shows, but this is Masaaki Yuasa we're talking virtually. What might be an anime with a cute outside is his most serious story to date.

Kaiba is far from perfect, but what makes this such a precious show is that it has heart and an amazing OST. From the opening vocal to its pilus-raising score, every scene but gets amplified and puts viewers on the edge of their seats. Aside from its obvious sci-fi elements and tropes, its social commentary about the gap between the rich and the poor is one you won't miss; how merely the privileged can have function in the body-swapping, while the poor sell their bodies in its most literal sense is flawlessly shown in one of the show's early episodes.

While it may accept its flaws, the show takes the viewer on an emotional roller coaster ride exploring different worlds and meeting new people, all in simply 12 episodes. One affair that will surely stay with u.s.a. is this quote from the bear witness, when a autocrat takes pride in killing just well-nigh anyone: "There's null impressive about existence able to kill."

Ping Pong the Blitheness [2014]

"Dirge these words iii times in your listen! The hero appears! The hero appears! The hero appears!" You'd inappreciably e'er hear something like this in sports animes. Instead, y'all'd hear "Ganbatte!" or "You can practice information technology!" and inspirational speeches from squad captains, coaches, and teammates. Ping Pong, nevertheless, is not your typical sports anime.

Adjusted from Taiyō Matsumoto'due south [Tekkonkinkreet, Sunny] 1996 manga of the aforementioned name, and what may exist Yuasa'due south well-nigh celebrated work next to The Tatami Galaxy [2010], Ping Pong is a story that is less about the eponymous sport and more than most growing upwardly. It's a mixture of finding yourself, personal growth, and as cheesy as information technology may sound, learning how to wing with your ain wings. In short, it's the perfect coming-of-historic period story.

The viewers are introduced to four amazing high schoolers slash ping pong players. Peco, a child-prodigy with a knack for beating players older than him. Smile, a rarely grin robot of a child, still in his cocoon, and Peco'southward best friend. Kazama, dubbed as the Dragon and Japan'due south number one. So there's Wenge Kong, who got kicked out of Cathay's national team and constitute himself playing in Japan for redemption. For them, ping-pong is a form of escapism, and they find themselves playing 1 some other through the form of the serial. It is only in those escapes and their battles with each other that they truly become free.

For the casual anime fan, this may be a departure from what one is usually used to, particularly to those who are used to standard animation. What ane should know is its fibroid animation is what adds to its amuse. Animated panel-similar layouts straight from the manga, visual cues of humility from wins and losses, and the prominent imagery of wings, organic or not, is ever and then present. It may exist an acquired taste, but 1 that actually pays off in the end.

Aside from its animation, its OST is to die for also. It amplifies any scene to a hundred and amps it some more. One track that actually pumps yous up and makes you want to go all out is Peco's Theme.

Finally, from commencement losses to putting down the paddle for good [or so they thought], what this teaches the viewers is that in failure, there is growth; It stimulates it. Some win, some lose, and some become the hero—but in the terminate, nothing really amounts to anything if you never enjoyed playing.

Night Is Brusque, Walk On Girl [2017]

Anime movies had an exemplary run during the late 2010s with Makoto Shinkai'south Kimi no na wa. [2016], KyoAni'due south Koe no Katachi [2016], Mari Okada'due south Maquia [2018], and Mamoru Hosoda's Mirai [2018], to name a few. Simply there'south one that truly stood out and what might be worthy of existence called one of the all-time anime movies of the belatedly 2010s. Hither, we talk about the hilariously phantasmagorical and highly lauded masterpiece that is Night Is Short, Walk On Girl.

Adapted from Tomohiko Morimi'south 2006 novel of the same name with original character designs from Yusuke Nakamura, and what is considered to be the spiritual sequel of the quirky The Tatami Galaxy [2010], Night Is Brusque is a romance one-act to its core with the added Yuasa flair. The moving picture is filled with everything you can imagine—drinking, chance meetings and fate, raunchy humor and guerilla plays, phallic symbols, and loose pants. What's non to love, right?

From the go-go, Nighttime Is Short is nearly a downward-on-his-luck guy known simply as Senpai, and his undying crush for the bewitching black-haired Otome. Sugarcoated stalking and calling it fate, this fever dream of an gamble to notice a book from her babyhood is told from their perspectives, and centers on one frivolous nighttime of drinking around Kyoto.

What nearly movies with an obscene amount of alcohol testify is the aftermath of the wild night, and never what happened during said wild night. This film shows both, but more on the "during" than the "afterwards." In their separate adventures, they encounter mythological gods, a human being who doesn't desire to modify his underwear until he over again meets his "fated" love, a volume fair, a spicy food eating contest, and a bunch of street plays. Everything washed with wondrous animations, and boundless, colourful visuals. Over again, what's not to dearest?

Aside from the hypnotizing visuals, the topnotch OST, and a theme song by Asian Kung-Fu Generation [who aren't foreign in the earth of anime songs], the movie is just ane hell of a trip, which to some is an understatement. Dark Is Short is so ambitious, playful, heartwarming, and whatever positive adjective yous tin think of. Information technology's then full of itself—delightfully so. It just works, complete with flamboyance done masterfully past the chief Yuasa.

Lu over the Wall [2017]

The last time the Annecy Cristal was awarded to an anime was to Isao Takahata'due south Pom Poko dorsum in 1995, a year after its release. A special laurels was bestowed on Mamoru Hosoda'south The Girl Who Leapt Through Fourth dimension in 2007. The coveted award would then be given an amazing 22 years later on in 2017, a historical accomplishment, to the bizarrely sweet movie Lu over the Wall.

A warm, fuzzy, and odd tale about songs, mermaids, and that feeling of an endless summer. It seems similar the plot of every coming-of-historic period story that's e'er been told, and information technology makes one inquire why information technology was deserving of the Cristal from the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Well, we tin can beginning with how adorably simple the overall story is. And the movie's refreshing scenery. And one hell of an OST. That award certainly deserved to go to Lu.

Fairly certain that when it comes to any movie that includes the seaside and mermaids, one tin't stop but compare it to the Disney classic, The Lilliputian Mermaid [1989], and Studio Ghibli's very ain Ponyo [2008]. Nonetheless, what sets this autonomously from its predecessors, and even more from the endless coming-of-age movies out at that place are its captivating sceneries and its last vocal syndrome-inducing OST. Aside from those, the movie'southward characters are all just then lovable. From the chief characters to the side ones, nobody outshines everyone. Nobody stands out similar a sore thumb. They just all complement each other perfectly.

The story takes place in Hinashi town, a small and quaint angling village that is home to fishermen who are afraid of merfolk, but was once domicile to both. From there, the viewers get to meet Kai, an introverted male child who produces music with his laptop and uploads it online anonymously. He gets invited to play in SEIREN, a band formed by Ebina Seafood heiress-slash-bassist Yuho and Chief Priest to exist-slash-guitarist Kunio afterward hearing his songs online. They get-go practicing at the now-defunct amusement park Merfolk Island. As soon as the melody starts playing, the shenanigans brainstorm as well.

We and so run across Lu, teal-haired mermaid with an undying love for music and dancing. With each strum of the guitar and each push button pressed from the laptop, Lu virtually instinctively starts shaking her leg Tex Avery-style, then pirouettes her way to everyone'south hearts. Her unbridled happiness when there's music playing—infectious. She's pure, and frankly a pure fun to picket.

A personal favorite from Yuasa's diverse catalogue, Lu is undoubtedly for everyone—and it's non but because music is a universal interest. This film uses music to tell a story that is crafted to perfection. Example in indicate: the climax. In that whole sequence, the song and the visuals blend together in a way that gets to yous, requite you chills, perhaps even find yourself maxim "wow" besides many times. That climax did wonders for the whole pic. From extraordinarily fun to oddly tearjerking, the last moments of Lu unleashed all kinds of emotions.

What may come as a surprise to some who's seen virtually of the director's over-the-tiptop movies is that he is as well adept at making charmingly wholesome movies, and Lu perfectly encapsulates information technology, all the while keeping that classic Yuasa touch. However, looking at his other works, one can run into that he reaches a high level of in-your-face and sometimes cluttered style—and Lu may actually exist his most subdued.

Proceed Your Hands Off Eizouken! [2020]

It'south about incommunicable for Proceed Your Easily Off Eizouken! to not exist on someone'south radar—what with getting hailed as one of the Best Idiot box Shows of 2020 by no less than The New York Times, The New Yorker, Forbes, and Hypebeast to proper name a few. So what exactly does information technology accept that lifts information technology to such high regard?

Based on the manga of the same name past Sumito Ōwara, we follow the lives of three high-school girls that are out to make an anime of their own. What lies ahead is a fun take chances, albeit most of it being in their minds, and a heartwarming story about friendship and imagination.

We get introduced to Eizouken's adorably goofy characters in the grade of spunky otaku Asakusa Midori, deadpan-and-beyond Kanamori Sayaka, and talented animator slash amateur model Mizusaki Tsubame. From extemporaneous drawing sessions and heedless of robots and space stations, the girls would often lose themselves in the procedure, while all the same having the fourth dimension of their lives. Information technology's so satisfying to run into them do their best to achieve a goal that might seem far-fetched to some.

Teeming with screencap-worthy animations and backgrounds, Eizouken is a feast for the eyes. Anyone who has watched and is watching this can attest to that. The vibrant animations, the wild imaginations, and the contrasting nuances of the girls just make this an enjoyable lookout.

Aside from the lovely animation, the soundtrack and score of the evidence are powerful. It's impossible to not experience a jolt of free energy when that imagination score kicks in. Then the brainstorming ensues—complete with vibrantly contrasting animations and never-ending mumbo jumbos.

Eizouken is drowning in coming-of-age tropes, and I'm all for information technology. From seemingly unattainable goals to just winging information technology, and eventually achieving said goal with the help of your friends or with teamwork, the show perfectly captures the highs and lows of youth.

Its slightly dissimilar take on slice-of-life is refreshing as well. Loyal fans of the medium and of Yuasa consider this Science SARU adaptation to exist a dearest letter to anime and animation, and they're right most that, simply there's more than to information technology—information technology is a warm, familiar hug from an old friend, a cozy memory from childhood, and a beautifully equanimous love letter to everyone who has dared imagine a life exterior of the mundane.

Masaaki Yuasa & Eunyoung Choi

"I don't think I had a dream every bit a child. I only wanted to alive a slow life by eating good food, and maybe ain a bookstore and read manga all day long." Echoing what Yuasa has said, the news of his retirement from Scientific discipline SARU nonetheless came as a surprise. He took to Twitter concluding year to brand his announcement—through a heartfelt thread—that he volition be stepping downwards equally president and representative managing director of the blitheness studio he co-founded. He explained that he had been working nonstop for seven years [living a slow life was nowhere to exist found] and would like to take a much needed intermission before his next piece of work. The lovely Eunyoung Choi, his frequent collaborator, has taken over the captain as CEO.

Whatever comes adjacent and whenever that may be, everyone is looking forrard to your return, Yuasa-san.

Last just non the least, Kick-Center [2013]'s success with crowdfunding is cited to exist what helped open doors for creators to practise more crowdfunded projects with no compromise in their creative freedom. It comes to no surprise that this, the first ever successfully crowdfunded anime, came from Masaaki Yuasa.

With that, we leave you lot with this foxy curt about masochistic wrestlers, love, and nuns in disguise.

Well-nigh the writer:

Josh Morente wears t-shirts ii sizes larger, worships Masaaki Yuasa and Red Velvet, dresses upwards every now so, loves places that are further than the universe, and occasionally writes through Instagram stories.

ケイシー拓実 大森