Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

boblipton It's an anime film about Kai, a gloomy middle-schooler who loves music, but whose father and grandfather are against it. They live in a town where the only industries are fishing and umbrella making, because the mermaids cursed the village long ago. Through a long and rambling story, Kai gets involved with a couple of other pre-teens in forming a band, a mermaid known as Lu and... well, it's a weird, complicated fantasy story.There are several issues with this feature, and it's hard to say whether it's an issue with the film makers or the people who did the American release. Some of the anime fantasies I've seen over the last few years have had very elaborate magical theses, and when the denouement comes along, there was is no foreshadowing in the movie... or was there? Was the escape clause the good guys used to avoid their evil fate just invented at the last minute, or was it mentioned in the original Japanese version about 15 minutes in and the translator botched the job? Or am I going to be lectured that if I had read the 4300-volume manga that the movie is based on, like I should have, I would have seen it was mentioned twice?I think the translators did a fair job of foreshadowing. I must admit that I was distracted by the use of at least three completely different style of animation used in the movie, depending on whether it was the workaday world, when the mermaid was present, or when some major magic was operating. It's a fair and reasonable way of doing things, like different lighting for different eras in a film, but it was a lot to absorb.In the end, though, one goes to a story film for a story, and a story is about people changing, and that's what happens here: the selfish pre-teens stop being so selfish, the older people open up about their own issues and the need for the youngsters to live their own lives and so forth. It's just that this is a weird movie. And in the end, I think that is a good thing.

ibrahimz-32228 It is not a conventional Anime at all still it is very beautiful with a deliberate playfulness witch you will like. The mermaid itself and the characters all are amazing. The first half is more beautiful than the second but at whole it is a fine Anime film which is worth watching. Just do not miss it a recommendation.

LightKola Lou and the Siren Island piqued my interest as soon as i saw the trailer. I'm far from being an anime or animation expert but I can say that I've watched a fair amount of Japanese anime, films or series. The overall style of the anime is certainly quite different from what I'm used to and that felt refreshing.What I liked - The music worked really well with the anime and different scenes. I'm actually a tiny bit disappointed that they didn't exploit that aspect a bit more. The character design was simple, a bit hazy at times but it worked very well with the animation style that I enjoyed very much. The film also dares to do interesting things with animation, colours, visuals in general and that is very welcome. There are good vibrations in this film and overall it made me feel good. They also manage to make Lou, the siren, a very likable character, at least that's how I experienced it. Finally the whole mystery/mythology/mystic aspect of the Siren felt captivating to me at times and certainly entertaining.What I liked less - I once again have a problem with character development as I didn't relate enough to the main character. He still had his moments but I needed a bit more from him for this film to have a significant emotional impact on me. The second thing that kinda disturbed me is how random some parts of this movies felt to me. Like it lacked some kind adhesive substance to make it all stick together in a more coherent form. Finally, the way the the main stakes of the movie are handled and ultimately resolved didn't really feel satisfactory to me. That last issue may come from the fact that the audience targeted could be a very young one (I'm 30) but it felt a bit "easy" and oversimplified to me. The way people react to the Sirens was also not realistic at all given that it's taking place in a similar world than ours. Then again, if the movie was intended for a very young audience that could explain that problem.In the end it was a good experience and I'd recommend it for young kids or if you want to watch a rather simple story with interesting elements and good vibrations!Verdict : 7.4/10. This rating isn't an attempt to evaluate the actual objective value of the film but merely reflects my own enjoyment of the work.

Alison Lu is a rare twin-tailed mermaid who loves music; when middle schoolers Kai, Yuho and Kunio secretly practice their indie-pop music on Merfolk Island, a pile of rocks near the fishing village of Hinashi, Lu cannot help but dance! Her tails turn into legs and she becomes a swirling dervish of movement. She also wants to be friends with everyone, but the people of Hinashi have many old tales about the merfolk, including that they eat people, and Lu may be in danger from those humans if the teenagers can't save her…. This is a lovely animated film, very colourful and with a mostly upbeat story line that young children would probably enjoy very much. All that, plus J-pop music too; a real winner!