Director: Jun’ichi Fujisaku
Starring: Hiromi Igarashi, Corey Hartzog, Kanae Oki, Melissa Davis, Marina Inoue, Hilary Haag
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Certificate: 15
On paper LOUPS=GAROUS sounds like your typical anime, which in essence, it is. Set in the not-too-distant future, people spend most of their lives living online and using devices known as monitors to successfully communicate with each other. This has been seen as a necessary measure ever since the human race was almost wiped out by a virus. Making sure humans respect the boundaries of the online world are an over controlling government that operate through constant surveillance and robot guards on the streets. However, there is one group of girls that finds themselves longing for real contact, and once a series of murders takes place, the group are involved in a situation that may just be too big to handle.
Some may look at the title and wonder where werewolves come into play. The short answer is that they don’t. The title is purely metaphorical, as the film handles not only issues of oppressive governments and reliance on technology, but also those beasts that lie within. Most of the human characters have a dark side that is itching to be released, and when we see the true aggressive nature of certain individuals, the violence is short but fierce. It ties in nicely with the bigger themes, and criticises politicians and regimes that eventually push people to their limits in order to break free.
Despite a wealth of themes and motifs worth exploring, the film never quite manages to balance these ideas with the plot itself. One problem is the lack of consistent tone, as the animation would suggest something a bit jollier as it aims for a more accessible aesthetic. We’re also handed some characters that bounce along the line of obnoxiously chipper, which makes them difficult to place in the climatic moments. The finale shows off the form of technological horror that should have been present throughout, with cuts to CCTV footage and a sense that you’re being watched at all times. This clearly allows the paranoia to spread to the viewer, and puts us in the place of both the protagonists and antagonists.
There are many times when LOUPS=GAROUS has great visual moments, which is particularly true when it comes to action sequences. Unfortunately, this just isn’t enough. Like the world in which the film is set, the convoluted mechanics make for a film that’s difficult to engage with. The vocal work is fine, but fairly predictable on the English language track but the music often elevates quite simplistic scenes to more affecting excursions. LOUPS=GAROUS is an often bizarre exploration of topics which have been better handled elsewhere.
LOUPS=GAROUS is released on Blu-ray and DVD on 15th April via Manga Entertainment.
