Re/Member

I'm unfamiliar with the manga, but I trust that some of the issues I readily see here are problems of cinematic adaptation, and not of the original material. Early exposition is messy, and from the time the first "body search" begins, the horror violence is often defined by overly swift pacing that dampens the intended effect. Other issues are possibly less exclusively tied to the adaptation, however, such as the strangely unsubtle and forthright writing, most of all the plot development. More than that, where the horror and violence is concerned, I wonder if Murase Katsutoshi and Welzard are just as much to blame as screenwriter Doki Harumi, and filmmaker Hasumi Eiichiro, for throwing too much at us. Some storytellers, and filmmakers really need to learn the lesson of "less is more" - we're shown such a cavalcade of blood, gore, and would-be creepy imagery that we exceed saturation, and the intended effect of it all is again diminished.

Still more concerning is that the writing is very much an altogether mixed bag. It's possible that this, too, can be chalked up to the adaptation, but I wonder if it's not the case that the cinematic treatment only serves to exacerbate matters already seen in the manga. For one thing, the plot just seems forced and contrived as six classmates (supposedly one grouping of countless many) are supernaturally shanghaied into a grisly time loop. We just have to take it on faith, and accept that this is a work of dark fantasy in which Things Happen because the plot requires them to happen, and not because any specifically grand, compelling story is to unfold. Driving a bit more toward a major overarching difficulty, the characterizations and even some imagery in general are exaggerated or cartoonish in a manner that befits a more wry or lighthearted variety of narrative in manga or anime, but not necessarily one defined by brutal violence and death in a live-action style.

And that brings us to the biggest fault I find in these 100-odd minutes: it is all over the place in terms of its tone. There are scenes that lean heavily into the horror-thriller vibes and which are, to varying degrees, successfully horrifying, and there are scenes straight out of a comedy-drama about six disparate individuals coming together as friends and living their best lives. There are moments of wry, rousing humor - think a much bloodier, gorier iteration of 'Happy Death Day' as our characters try, try again and die, die again - and there is heartfelt earnestness. There are beats of inspiration, and beats of outrageous, violent resplendence fit for the wildest of genre romps and monster flicks. All these facets may be reasonable enough to come together in one tale, but in discrete, calculated measures. Here there is imbalance as the tones come and go, and one rather experiences whiplash. The sum total is cohesive in terms of its narrative, but the mood swerves in a manner that's sorrily unsteady and almost parodical. Maybe the episodic nature of manga, and anime, means that in these other formats, 'Re/member,' also known as 'Body search' or 'Karada saraki' (also transliterated as 'Karadasagashi') moves more smoothly and convincingly from one tenor to another. Then again, maybe it also suffers, and the doing here is just flagrantly worse. Without a point of reference, I don't know. But it's very plainly the most substantial issue facing this film, making my favor take a huge dip.

There are certainly others, too, like the overabundance of computer-generated imagery - almost always looking worse the more we see of it, across the whole medium - when practical effects and tangible creations could have been employed instead. Since we do, in fact, also get practical effects, the reliance on CGI is a little unfortunate. Still, in most all other regards the movie is well made by all the standards of the 2020s. A swell cast gives excellent performances. The production design and art direction are filled with terrific details, and much the same goes for the costume design, hair, and makeup. For the most part the CGI looks quite good despite the surfeit, practical stunts and effects are most welcome, and the creature designs are a blast. I admire Ichitsubo Yusuke's cinematography, and Kaneda Masayoshi's editing; the fundamental image is pristine and the sound design is healthy and robust. I rather love Kanno Yugo's dramatic, dynamic score, adeptly meeting the needs of any given scene and definitely adding to the atmosphere of the horror. And speaking of music: it was thanks to the inclusion on the soundtrack of two songs by young pop sensation Ado that I first found this title in the first place. While the particular usage herein of "Rebellion" regrettably adds to the tonal troubles, it's a terrific song in and of itself, and likewise "Missing" which appears over the end credits. Between Kanno and Ado, the music is unquestionably a highlight here if you ask me.

Why, I'll go further and say that despite the criticism I've leveled, I do appreciate what Doki and Hasumi achieved in terms of adapting the manga. One doesn't need to read much about the original works to understand that the writer and director have taken broad concepts and smaller ideas and shaped them into a new form that honors it while doing something a little different. By no means am I discounting the challenge of writing, or film-making, or of adaptation. It's just too bad that for all there is to praise and enjoy here - and it is enjoyable - and for as well made as it is, its weaknesses do much to weigh down the viewing experience. On the one hand I want to like it more than I do; on the other hand, I struggle to be more outwardly enthusiastic, and maybe I'm being too generous. I'm glad for those who get more out of 'Re/member' than I do; it remains worthwhile on its own merits, and surely more so if one has a special impetus to watch. It's just that the demerits I recognize are at least as prominent as the value to be claimed, so any recommendation the picture might earn is a soft one.