After Shiori’s bad day gets her the internet fame she’s craved in ways she doesn’t want, she finds herself trapped inside her phone watching a charismatic doppelgänger take over her life.
I was lucky enough to catch Labyrinth during its limited theatrical release last month. While I’m an anime fan in general, this movie was primarily on my radar for a different reason altogether.
As mentioned in the blog before, I’m a huge fan of a Japanese music group named Atarashii Gakko. A few months ago I checked out their newest song and found out it was featured in an upcoming animated movie.
I adore the song and have listened to it incessantly, which ended up adding layers to my viewing experience. Sailor, Sail On isn’t just a song that they did for this movie. It’s THE song of the movie, used in numerous variations throughout. Recognizing the faint melody right away and knowing what was being built to musically as the film progressed provided additional resonance I quite enjoyed.
Beyond Sailor, Sail On, Atarashii Gakko has another strong tie to the movie as their lead vocalist Suzuka voiced Labyrinth’s main character. While dubs have improved drastically in recent years, I prefer seeing anime with the original Japanese audio and English subtitles over seeing dubs in general. And in this case I was even more interested in checking out the sub due to Suzuka’s involvement.
So I went into Labyrinth with high anticipation, and as the movie got underway I was intrigued with the developing themes. The underlying concepts in Labyrinth faintly echo topics explored in some of my favorite films, albeit from completely different directions and examining different aspects. And, to be perfectly frank, not as subtly or deeply. Still Shiori facing a direct manifestation of the struggle between being yourself and all that entails positive and negative versus letting the public veneer you show take over and how fame can twist it all is an engrossing premise.
Some films weave their message subtly throughout with teases and whispers. This is not one of those films. Labyrinth applies its lessons with a sledgehammer, repeatedly outright stated in a direct manner.
In addition its whole setup necessitates a fair amount of isolation of conflicting characters, leading to a significant amount of conversational exposition. Concepts, world building, and a few key story elements are delivered in a much more tell than show manner with a ton of exposition that can drag a bit at times.
None of which bothered me personally overall by the time the movie was finished however. The themes are worth exploring, and perhaps being direct with a message about denying aspects of one’s self is appropriate. The world’s interesting enough to justify the info dumps, and the story and characters engaging. There was more potential in the character arcs and certain plot elements, but judged on its own merits the story was satisfying.
The atmosphere was well established and maintained. I liked the animation and the contrast shown between the bleak labyrinth and the more vibrant real world. Suzuka, and the rest of the vocal cast for that matter, did a great job. I’d figured out where things were going pretty early on, but the ride was still compelling.
I’ve seen mixed reviews for Labyrinth and certainly concede that its perhaps not what it could have been. But I found what is here engaging and an enjoyable watch. Pretty easy recommendation overall. It’s not without its flaws, but I loved it by the end.
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