Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta
Lou et l`Île aux Sirènes, Lu Over the Wall, 夜明け告げるルーのうた, Song of Lu who Informs the Dawn, Lu e la città delle sirene
In Hinashi Town, where he resides with his father and grandfather, who makes sun umbrellas, lives Kai, a young middle schooler. Originally from Tokyo, Kai moved back to this small fishing village after his parents divorced. He struggles to express the complex emotions he has for them and feels lonely and pessimistic about his school life. One of his pleasures is posting songs he composes online.
Kai's classmates, Kunio and Yuuho, invite him to join their band, "SEIRÈN." Reluctantly, he follows them to Merfolk Island, where they practice. There, they encounter Lu, a mermaid girl who sings merrily and dances innocently. As Kai spends more time with her, he begins to articulate his true thoughts. However, the people of Hinashi Town have long believed that mermaids bring misfortune. An event occurs that creates a rift between Lu and the townspeople. Then, the town is threatened. Can Kai's tears for his heart save the village?
In 2017, Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta became the first Japanese production in over 22 years to win the "Cristal for a Feature Film" award at the 27th Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In the same year, the film won the Silver Prize for Best Animated Feature at the 20th Fantasia International Film Festival. In 2018, the movie received the Ofuji Noburo Award at the 72nd Mainichi Film Awards and the Grand Prize at the 21st Japan Media Arts Festival.Director Masaaki Yuasa has acknowledged that some elements of Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta were inspired by Hayao Miyazaki and his work, particularly from the 2008 film Gake no Ue no Ponyo as well as Isao Takahata's Panda Kopanda.The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 5, 2019 by Shout! Factory.
