A Enjoyable and Quirky Anime Musical

Prior to a screening of “The Obsessed,” director Takahashi Wataru highlighted what he noticed as a misplaced sense of selflessness and sincerity in being loving to others. That notion colours undergirds the story of his quirky new movie, an anime quasi-musical a couple of man named Giuseppe who throws himself into each “obsession” with myopic, all-consuming abandon. 

For instance: The character’s curiosity in grasshoppers leads him to observe hopping, which then sees him grow to be knowledgeable triple-jumper. Each of those new hobbies, life, and professions are deserted for the subsequent the second that inspiration strikes, as we see when Giuseppe leaves behind a burgeoning athletic profession as a result of he all of a sudden appears like being a non-public detective. And then a sculptor. And then a welder. And so on. Since his first ardour is for singing, “The Obsessed” takes on the traits of a musical, as our hero expresses his mercurial emotions by way of track (a lot to the annoyance of his boss on the restaurant the place he works). 

When Giuseppe turns his fleeting consideration to a balloon vendor named Pechka, his romantic obsession takes extra of a philanthropic flip than the rest: He merely dedicates himself to creating her life higher in each approach potential. Wataru and his staff of artists depict this as an odyssey, one which takes Giuseppe to more and more outrageous extremes as he does every little thing to please his crush wanting really spending time together with her. 

The intentionally wonky, angular line-work of Arakawa Masatsugu’s character designs contrasts sharply with the movie’s painterly backgrounds, which smudge collectively generic European geography with particular British structure in order that the Alps appear to exist simply north of a city that visibly resembles London. The movie’s stylized, childlike drawings not solely replicate Giuseppe’s extremely mutable nature, but in addition his innocence and naiveté as nicely. He will be an extremely irritating character to observe, even when generally by design; his excitability over new issues could make him appear a bit tactless, and audiences can’t assist however worry that his obsession with Pechka would possibly disappear as quick because it materialized. Intentional or not, Sano Masaya’s voice efficiency within the lead position is usually a bit too breathless and eccentric for the fabric at hand.

Giuseppe understands how issues work (and even how you can talk with mice, as his rodent pal Cielo generally sometimes narrates the movie and rides round in Giuseppe’s hair a la “Ratatouille”), however he’s  essentially disconnected from the world round him. That disconnect will be traced throughout the character’s interactions Pechka. Algebraic symbols seem when she speaks, however her speedy and materials wants are simple puzzles for Giuseppe to resolve, whether or not that’s caring for her hospitalized mom or digging out of debt from the (ridiculous) gangster Mr. Twist, named for the way a lot he likes that fashion of dance. 

Wataru’s has contributed to a dozen “Crayon Shinchan” characteristic movies throughout almost three a long time at Shin-Ei Animation, and his expertise with absurdist mayhem reveals itself in pleasant methods all through “The Obsessed.” His expertise for such issues is most clearly expressed by way of wild digressions, such because the inexplicably action-packed and technically spectacular automobile chase sequence through which the aforementioned Mr Twist flooring it throughout city in his fancy coupé. Sometimes, Wataru’s abilities are displayed through small and foolish little touches, like a hospital conflict the place everyone seems to be coughing on the identical time. 

In any case, the movie feels as excitingly changeable as its artwork fashion, one thing which pushes into extra emotionally fraught territory throughout its final half hour. Giuseppe begins to take his makes an attempt to repair every little thing too far as he tries to heal the previous wound of a misplaced love, an effort that’s each selfless and self-centered in equal measure. It’s fascinating that the peril of the movie’s closing stretch is nearly totally self-inflicted, which makes the occasional shrug round Giuseppe’s obsessions really feel a little bit out of step with the remainder of what would in any other case be a reasonably emotionally mature arc. Even so, the challenge’s visible craft retains its surprisingly religious finale afloat. The background artwork, which is in flux all through “The Obsessed”, strikes additional into abstraction because the as soon as vaguely pure tones of buildings and landscapes are deconstructed into white traces on purple-tinged work. 

If solely the music had been capable of preserve tempo with the dynamism of the movie’s visible design. Unfortunately, the songs tend to float in direction of a really related sound, which stands out within the context of a challenge the place every little thing else is so imaginative. Still, there are vibrant spots in that rating: Pechka’s closing track brings issues residence, and leaves Wataru’s movie on a excessive observe. And, as with among the conflicting writing round Giuseppe, it’s very simple to forgive any minor trespasses in “The Obsessed,” a movie which flaunts its immense visible creativity at each flip, and finds one thing new to obsess over wherever Giuseppe occurs to look.

Grade: B

“The Obsessed” screened on the 2025 Tokyo International Film Festival. It is presently looking for U.S. distribution.

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