To-Y Fujii is the frontman of GASP, a band rapidly growing in popularity in Tokyo's underground punk scene. Just when it seems like the band has gotten their big break and booked a major venue, an executive from the large Koyama Productions tries to scout To-Y as a solo act. Unwilling to abandon his bandmates, he boldly declares that he does not need Koyama's support. However, when the spurned executive starts to put obstacles in their way, To-Y must decide if his integrity is worth holding on to.
I cannot recall at all how I stumbled on this obscure anime movie (OVA?), but I'm glad I did. Coming out at the height of Japan's economic boom, even mid-tier releases had budgets far surpassing what can be done today, and with the freedom of lots of money, TO-Y gets to do a whole lot of crazy stuff. The animation itself isn't anything special, but that doesn't stop TO-Y from being a treat.
The story's a simple one, the lead singer in an up-and-coming punk band being courted to become a pop idol, and the band fighting back against corporate culture. But more than that it's...a zig-zagging slice of life in the summer of late 80s Tokyo, and this movie thrives off its aesthetic value and musical sense. Tons of great tunes, tons of lovely visuals.
The movie is honestly really weirdly directed, the plot unfolding in an odd roundabout way that's hard to describe, and a whole lot of dialogueless scenes where the visuals tell the plot-- a very welcome development, of course. Near the end of the movie the mix of odd visuals and odd storytelling get downright experimental and the finale is just plain cool.
Check TO-Y out if you have a chance; it's on Youtube and probably will stay that way for good considering how little-known the movie is.
Our podcast reviewed To-Y years ago and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
"To-Y is a product of it’s time, or should I say, a time where animators did whatever they felt like doing to an OVA in the Japanese economy boom of 1987. I saw To-Y as a visually fun looking 55 minute music video that told a story of a band and the people around it. Where as Jonn saw it as a giant waste of time 5 minutes into our AIM conversation."
How many words do I need in this review, all im trying to do is put up a podcast link that already...has our review on it since its way easier to just listen than type werdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdzwerdz to get the point across. It's there in the link, go and listen.
Yes, there's a story running through this. But this OVA is more about a *mood*, than it is about any concrete storyline.
This whole thing just screams EIGHTIES from beginning to end, as you have some internecine struggles between bands, little petty jealousies, a few pounds of eyeliner, pretty boys singing on stage, a snake-like manager ripped from a Nagel painting, and long musical video montages. And, surprisingly, it actually comes together (unlike, say, the much less coherent Cipher). The artwork is decent, the music is also decent, and you really do get a sense of the band scene...of the time.
Probably the most ineffable element to all this is the girl-toy character, that clings to To-y and mews and purrs...no really, she's basically acting just like a cat. For contemporary anime fans, they might get a better idea of the character type as Ed from Cowboy Bebop (to the point that I strongly suspect this unforgettable catlike character could have been a strong inspiration for Ed). Incorrigibly free-spirited, perpetually hyper, childlike and naive. It's a strange character to have in the mix, and you can't forget her after the OVA is done.
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