Manie-Manie - I racconti del labirinto

A 1987 science fiction anthology film written and directed by three big names in the Anime world before they got big. Yoshiaki Kawajiri would go on to make 'Vampire Hunter D: Bloodline' and 'Ninja Scroll', Katsuhiro Ôtomo 'Akira' and Rintaro 'Metropolis'.

Story #1: "Labyrinth-Labyrintos", which starts and ends the film and of which #2 and #3 are sort of a part of, is a whole lot of random stuff that is at least dark, moody and excellently animated. I take it its aim is to simulate the experience of a child walking through this wondrous world, especially in the context of the ending, which has the kid sitting in front of a TV set, supposedly after watching what we just watched, making the film itself part of this world out of a kid's perspective, a film that could be described as exaggerated and excessive. "Labyrinth-Labyrintos" is fun for the time lasting - which isn't too long - it certainly doesn't overstay its welcome.

#2: "The Running Man" made by Yoshiaki Kawajiri - it's the name that I watched 'Neo Tokyo' for - and the segment didn't disappoint. Naturally the plot is thin, but the narrative style is all the more complex. There is close to none backstory about the main character but in my interpretation of the story the racer got so obsessed with racing and his will power got so strong that he developed supernatural powers. The other option would be that he always had supernatural powers and that's how he survived the races successfully for so long, but I much prefer the first scenario. The sheer plasticity on display in a race that seems suspended in time is exciting to look at. Also atmospherically "The Running Man" succeeds, it feels wonderfully cinematic in that it isn't just a succession of sequences without rhythm. The multi-perceptual style and the content accommodate each other well in that the magical occurrences of the story remain just that, magical and unexplainable.

#3: "The Order to Cease Construction" is an interesting reimagining of 'Apocalypse Now'. Especially in the beginning that's what it looks like and at least the atmosphere maintains throughout and the Francis Ford Coppola film hovers like a shadow over the whole segment, even if after the beginning the literal journey for the main character ends, but the fantastically frightening discoveries never end. Although undoubtedly most viewers will think "2001" when a robot fails to comply the orders of the man because it is programmed to finish the project at all costs, and the robot even threatens the man's life to succeed in doing so.

The animation of #1 and #2 are especially impressive for its age but also #3 is full of details in the depicted technology hullaballoo. Superbly rich and satisfying for its short running time of 50 minutes it is recommended viewing for all fans of moody Animes and technology freaks.

I enjoyed these shorts, especially the Otomo one, but the first two were a little too strange for me. I give them extra points for being original and the animation in all three was stellar (I wish more TV anime was as impressive). It just didn't leave as much of an impression as Memories did. But if you're an anime or animation freak, it's worth checking out.

Is there a connection between these shorts? Do they take place in the same universe? No. Do they share a theme? No. Are they all sci-fi? Well, two are, but the first one isn't. The first two take place at night, but the last mostly during the day. Nothing on the surface is shared, although they each have a similar style and sense of imagination.

There's not much to say about this short movie. The stories are quite simple, although one is silent and vague. They're just quick glimpses into other worlds. But I liked each one of them. They're interesting, mysterious, and well-animated. There are better anthology films, but this is perfectly fine for a watch. If it interests you, give it a shot. There aren't too many movies like it.

It's a shame this collection of short films is called "Neo Tokyo" when it has nothing to do with Akira, and was not intended to have anything to do with Akira. None of these shorts even take place in Neo Tokyo. Nonetheless, Neo Tokyo/Manie-Manie/Labyrinth Tales is a pretty cool collection of short films.

Labyrinth Labyrinthos, the first short in the collection, has the weakest story of the three, but the best visuals. The animation is insane. The short is both fun and incredibly unsettling throughout, but I didn't feel satisfied with the ending.

Running Man is probably the most "Neo Tokyo" of all of the shorts. It's gorgeous and horrifying. The story is fairly straightforward, but it'll leave you with a sad little pit in your stomach by the end.

Cancellation Order is my favorite. It has all of the bells and whistles that I love in a Katsuhiro Otomo film; cool and clever setting and character design and damn good writing/story. The way it uses environmental storytelling is fantastic.

All in all, if you like weird cartoons and have 50 minutes to spare, give Neo Tokyo a go. It's pretty great.

Neo Tokyo is an interesting, often surreal work of anime. It covers two rather dark science fiction pieces through the framework of a young girl's imaginings. Each piece was made by a different filmmaker, making for very different animation styles and narrative approaches.

The first piece "Labyrinth-Labyrinthos" is frankly surreal, and follows the daydreams of a young girl and her cat as they look into a mirror. The short is very imaginative, with borderline psychedelic imagery. Overall, it's a good piece, though the animation is at times headache inducing.

The second short, "The Running Man," has a much more obvious narrative structure, although very little dialogue. Following the story of a futuristic race car driver with some interesting abilities, it represents a 180 degree turn from Labyrinth. The animation is excellent, with very realistic and at times disturbing renderings of car accidents. However, the lack of dialogue in this short makes it somewhat difficult to follow, a matter compounded by the fact that parts of the film are dream sequences.

The third, and best, piece is "Order to Cancel Construction," which follows the attempt of an executive to shut down a robotic construction site. The robots, which have been programmed to follow a rigid schedule, defy the executive. What makes this piece good is the subtle irony that the executive ultimately becomes as single-minded in his task as the robots are in theirs.

Ultimately, this film is good, although not great, and worth a rent.