Masaaki Yuasa Archives | Otaku No Culture

The Deets on GKIDS/Shout! Studio’s Box Set Release Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films!

Fans wondering if they should upgrade from what they have presently to to Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films will find a few new things to like about the set.

Now Available on Amazon USA

Masaaki Yuasa is the genius who founded Science SURU with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013, and ever since then, they have been producing wave after wave of spectacular hits. Some are visually marvelous to behold, and others have a well meaning tale in the action. I’ve been a fan since Ride the Wave and have often wondered how can I get my hands on his shorts.

But there are works of his that aren’t available until now. After a few technical difficulties on this unboxing video made, I present a look into the booklet that comes with. Other reactions are included in the footage below.

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The Deets Are In Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films. Celebrating the Magic!

If you haven’t seen this visionary’s films, then this package coming at the end of the year is for you! Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films is coming soon!

Release Date:
Dec 19, 2023

Best known for his trademark blends of inventive visual artistry and emotion-packed, sharp narrative, the visionary animator and director Masaaki Yuasa boasts a captivating library of films that is beloved and acclaimed all over the world. Now from the ingenious filmmaker comes the exquisite collection Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films, by GKIDS with distribution from Shout! Studios.

Widely regarded as one of the most imaginative and influential filmmakers working in animation, Masaaki Yuasa’s energetic style has been compared to Tex Avery and Max Fleischer. He is one of contemporary anime’s most prolific auteurs and has lent his humour and dynamism to genres as diverse as psychedelic thrillers, transcendent rock-operas and sweetly subversive teen romances.

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Dancing with Inu-Oh on Home Video!

Inu-oh can be religiously enjoyed for the experience that it is not only in cinemas but also at home with this release.

The home video release of Inu-Oh is here! Not only can I finally learn about Masaaki Yuasa‘s thought process, but also learn more about the elements I didn’t notice in my early viewing. Instead of reviewing the entire film again (it can be read here) with this additional knowledge, what I’ll explore is the bonus material. This filmmaker has been on my radar since discovering Lu Over the Wall; on television, he directed Devilman Crybaby.

After he named one of my favourite bands, Queen, as a key influence, I knew I was dead on with one musical montage in this film. He also explained why American and the history of music’s greatest moments are important to the crafting of this film. From The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix to Michael Jackson, a signature moment was actually snuck into the work, and that alone is enough reason to watch Inu-Oh multiple times. Not only can fans seek these frames out, but also they can listen for it too. Although Hendrix’s moment is with an action and we are told where it is, I have to search for the other easter eggs.

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Science Suru’s Ride Your Wave Splashes Onto Shore Aug 4th!

To make Ride Your Wave stand out needs more mysticism to help this film’s heroine find her way.

Ride Your Wave Home Video — Available on Amazon USA

Home Video Release Date:
August 4, 2020

GKIDS & Shout! Factory

Hinako (Rina Kawaei) is a charming young lady in Ride Your Wave. After moving to a small beach-side town to attend a local college, she thinks life will be easy. However, to go surfin’ every day and be carefree will not cut it in this modern age. The Beach Boys song may have been an influence in the design of this anime, because she meets a charming and soft-spoken firefighter, Minato (Ryota Katayose), to whom she falls in love with.

However, to date individuals in a hazardous line of work is not without caveats. Every time he’s out on the job, it’s possible he may not come home. In the most cliche ridden moment, he dies rescuing a jet skier in a dark and stormy night.

This anime is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Its colour palette is important to note, and the art style is very Impressionistic. It’s a cute Shōjo tale for much of the first act. To see her experience joy is sweet; to see her heartbreak is painful. But to see the spirit of her beau in random bodies of water, she soon questions why he’s not ready to move on.

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Getting Funky with Lu Over the Wall, A DVD Review

Many comparisons have already been made of Lu Over the Wall to Ponyo and director was not averse to paying tribute to this particular Studio Ghibli work.

Lu Over the Wall Blu-ray + DVD Case — Blu-ray available to pre-order

Shout! Factory & GKIDS
Release Date: Feb 5, 2019

The home video release of Lu Over the Wall is right around the corner and one of the two bonus features includes an interview with director Masaaki Yuasa and producer Eunyoung Choi. Fans can hear about how he felt when this anime won the top prize at the 2017 Annecy International Film Festival. The audio commentary is even better as it discusses the creative process behind this movie. At first, they thought of introducing a vampire and thankfully changed their minds. They also discussed how integral the music had to be. In between wanting to craft a supernatural tale, the emphasis on Kai (Kanon Tani) had to be important.

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Details Revealed for Lu Over the Wall Home Video Release

The fun new musical feature Lu Over the Wall from anime auteur Masaaki Yuasa (Mind Game, The Night is Short, Walk On Girl) will be released on Blu-ray™ + DVD combo pack, DVD and digital download on February 5, 2019 from GKIDS and Shout! Factory. An official selection of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and winner of the Cristal, the highest prize of the 2017 Annecy International Animation Festival, this film makes its home video debut following a limited theatrical release this year.

This release is presented in both the original Japanese language and English dub versions. Bonus features include audio commentary and an interview with Director Masaaki Yuasa, trailers and TV spots.

This wonderful tale looks at the life of Kai, a teenager uprooted from a small fishing village to go live in the big city. In Tokyo, he needs a way to connect. When his classmates invite him to play keyboard in their band, their jam sessions bring an unexpected guest: Lu, a young mermaid whose fins turn to feet when she hears the beats, and whose singing causes humans to compulsively dance. But when an ancient prophecy threatens Lu and the village, Kai and his new friends must save the day in this toe-tapping adventure for the entire family.

Bonus Features:
· Interview with Director Masaaki Yuasa
· Audio Commentary with Director Masaaki Yuasa
· Trailers
· TV Spots