Luca and Turning Red- Pixar's Western Anime Films

Hey everyone- with Pixar's Elio releasing this summer solstice weekend; I thought I would take the opportunity to say: and now for something completely different. Let's take a look back at two of my favorite films from the past few years and how they've been accepted among people of my persuasion with great enthusiasm. Here's a quick look at Luca and Turning Red, especially how Pixar made them something of Western anime films.

Let's start with the former- Luca, directed by Enrico Casarosa in his feature debut (looking forward to his follow-up, "Gatto"), the story follows the titular humanoid sea creature Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) as he tries to navigate the surface world of a small town known as Portorosso, Italy in the year 1955. In this, he forms a friendship with fellow humanoid sea creature Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer) and a young woman named Giulia (voice of Emma Berman) to discover more about himself and grow as a person of both land and water.

Courtesy: Buena Vista Entertainment/Pixar Animation Studios

Since its debut on June 18, 2021; I have seen the film numerous times. I have particularly gotten into a habit of watching it near the start of summer each year; and it does a great job of capturing that feeling of discovery and wonder the season invites. The film does bear a few similarities to The Little Mermaid (both the book and the classic 1989 film); I would argue at has more in common with my favorite version of that story- the Studio Ghibli anime film Ponyo. The conflicts are less rooted in cataclysmic sea monsters and more in the ebbs and flows of summer days as they often are. Alberto's boisterous persona comes from being estranged from his father. Even the closest thing the film has to a villain, Ercole (voice of Saverio Raimondo) is portrayed as more of an arrogant pain in the tailfin than an actual threat (with Yosemite Sam and Pepe Le Pew being used as reference points). I especially like how both a traffic cop and the town cardinal respond to his introduction with a reaction to the effect of "Dear Neptune, not this guy again." Another underlying theme in this movie I like that's still resonant now is this- discovery and perseverance in the face of outside challenges are rewarded and bigotry and callousness don't pay in the long run. Even the ending is a bittersweet, but ultimately hopeful one to show how the leads will keep learning even after the credits roll.

The following year saw a film that ended up sharing even more of its storytelling and artistic DNA with anime- Turning Red.

Courtesy- Buena Vista Entertainment/Pixar Animation Studios

Though it would have been cool to see theatrically (saw trailers and posters like the one here when I went to see Matt Reeves' The Batman), I was among the many online who dove right in when it went live on March 11, 2022. Marking the feature directorial debut of Domee Shi (who is also one of the co-directors of Elio); the story follows 13-year-old Meilin Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang). As she tries to navigate the challenges of coming of age while honoring her family's bloodline, she must also deal with turning into a massive red panda when she experiences strong emotional states- something that happens fairly frequently at that age. 

I have also seen this film numerous times since its debut, and have spoken quite highly of its mix of humor and earnestness in depicting coming of age. Each viewing brings new layers to appreciate, and it's a story that I can very well see becoming a future classic.

Of course, the animation is certainly one of the biggest talking points. As I have stated before elsewhere- I like it. On top of the angles, lighting and color palettes showing an increasing willingness to integrate elements from 2D animation (thank the acclaim and success of Spider-Verse biting the rest of the business); I especially like how the art direction as well as the story take cues from works I've enjoyed. Key ones include Fruits Basket, Sailor Moon and especially One Piece. Come on- you think a man who stays up till 2AM watching that last one has an issue with the art direction?

As for a (now-retracted) question from another creator about why they weren't talking about the war at the time; my first response was this: do the words "Remember Me" mean anything to you? (Disclaimer: I said in years past I supported Pattinson's willingness to experiment as a performer- I never said each experiment was a success.)

One last note- it's another film where the growth has connections. The thrill of a kaiju fight/Dynamax Battle in the Toronto Sky Dome to Mei-Mei's favorite band is an energetic rush, but the ensuing heart-to-heart that follows with the essence of her mother (voice of Sandra Oh) as a teenager in the bamboo forest is what cemented my appreciation for it.

Bottom line- as a longtime fan of both anime and Pixar films; I never pass up a chance to share my enthusiasm for both. Hope we can all have a great summer, and I will see you all again soon. One last thing- go see Elio, it really is that good. Take care.