Mention the words “romantic comedy” among a group of people and there tend to be two general reactions. On one side there are the supporters, who might find Heath Ledger’s long hair in 10 Things I Hate About You extremely charming, and on the other side stand those of us who couldn’t care less about this genre of film. I myself tend to hold the opinion of the latter group–I mean, if I am going to watch a chick flick, I’d prefer to have some more substance than purely romantic drama. So then, you can imagine my surprise when I exited the theater after seeing Masaaki Yuasa’s The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017) completely by chance. The film debuted in select American theaters a few weekends in late August 2018. Unlike other films of the genre, The Night Is Short challenges the traditional definitions of romantic comedy films in order to create a story that better connects with its audience. In doing so, the film brings a wonderful new twist to the romantic comedy genre–one that both supporters and skeptics can enjoy alike.
The Night Is Short revolves around two main characters: Otome (the Girl with Black Hair), a young woman determined to experience “adult life” through a night of drinking, and Senpai, an out of luck college student who is convinced that the night’s events will determine his romantic status. Throughout the film, Otome and Senpai travel throughout the city of Kyoto, encountering a variety of eccentric characters and events along the way. At its heart, The Night Is Short is a romantic comedy: Senpai’s driving purpose throughout the film is to spark a romantic connection with Otome, yet a series of blunders plague his efforts. However, instead of stopping there, the film expands to encompass themes of maturity, purpose, and perspective. It is with this distinction, that Yuasa redefines how The Night Is Short approaches the genre of romantic comedy.
Considering my aforementioned position as someone who does not typically enjoy romantic comedy films, I decided to consider why I have a problem with films of this genre. I am not against romantic plotlines in movies, but I do have a problem when these plotlines exist without purpose. That being said, I think that one of Hollywood’s biggest pitfalls is writing romantic stories that feel genuine. So how do directors avoid this? From Don Underwear and “Apple Girl” to Todo San and his collection of art, many of the characters in The Night Is Short are involved in romantic dilemmas of some sort. However, Yuasa designates both narrative and visual screen time to each of these characters, allowing the audience to understand their stories and desires before rushing into a romantic situation. As an audience, we see the group of older drinkers struggle with finding entertainment in their remaining time, the heartbroken Kozaka mourn the marriage of his crush, and Rihaku struggle with the hollowness of life. Each of Yuasa’s characters holds a purpose, both emotionally and narratively, which make the central story between Otome and Senpai feel all the more real.
Finally, Yuasa uses the visual style of The Night Is Short to highlight the absurdity of human emotions, especially love. Each and every emotion throughout the film is accompanied by a dynamic visual representation. This makes the character’s come to life even further, as it is crystal clear how each character feels during their screen time. By choosing to draw emotions in this way, Yuasa inadvertently demonstrates how quickly human emotions appear and change. Characters go from balling their eyes out to dancing wildly or even fall in love within a matter of seconds. Their stories feel genuine because they are rooted themselves in reality. The characters in The Night Is Short remind us as an audience how simultaneously true and absurd the ideas of true love, talent, and inevitability are.
Regardless of your stance on romantic comedies, The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl offers a narratively and visually unique experience for its audiences. With this film, Yuasa has redefined how romantic comedy films write romance and love for their characters. Further, Yuasa challenges each of us, both as audience members and creators, to expect more from our characters and ensure that each of our stories has a purpose–even if it is about something as overwritten as love.
That being said, GO WATCH THIS FILM! You can find the link to the trailer below.
Sources:
https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a26115125/romantic-comedy-definition/
https://kotaku.com/night-is-short-walk-on-girl-is-the-best-anime-movie-in-1828461233