Masaaki Yuasa

It is August 12th. After the remote control to his boarding house's only air conditioning unit is inadvertently destroyed by spilled cola, "I" devises a plan to return to yesterday in a time machine to recover the remote before it breaks. However, his prankster friend Ozu cannot resist playing with past events, even if it means bringing the universe to the brink of destruction. Now "I" finds himself racing through time to avoid disaster.

Born to an esteemed family, Inu-oh is afflicted with an ancient curse that has left him on the margins of society. When he meets the blind musician Tomona, a young biwa priest haunted by his past, Inu-oh discovers a captivating ability to dance. The pair quickly become business partners and inseparable friends as crowds flock to their electric, larger-than-life concerts. But when those in power threaten to break up the band, Inu-oh and Tomona must dance and sing to uncover the truth behind their creative gifts.

The Mutou family leads a peaceful life: Kouichirou works at a construction site and his wife Mari is returning from an overseas trip. Their daughter Ayumu has just finished her track practice while their son Gou is playing video games at home. However, life as they know it is flipped upside down when a calamitous earthquake strikes the entire Japanese archipelago—obliterating the face of the country in an instant. With society crumbling around them and their nation gradually sinking into the ocean, the Mutou family must band together to survive the catastrophe. Treading the near-apocalyptic setting, they struggle not only to stay alive, but also to learn the difficulty of coping with loss.

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, Minato loses his life in an accident at sea. Hinako is so distraught that she can no longer even look at the ocean, but one day she sings a song that reminds her of their time together, and Minato appears in the water. From then on, she can summon him in any watery surface as soon as she sings their song, but can the two really remain together forever? And what is the real reason for Minato's sudden reappearance?

In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.

In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.

In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.

As a group of university students go out for a night on the town, a sophomore known only as "The Girl with Black Hair" experiences a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife – all the while unaware of the romantic longings of "Senpai", a senior student who has been creating increasingly fantastic and contrived reasons to run into her in an effort to win her heart.

As a group of university students go out for a night on the town, a sophomore known only as "The Girl with Black Hair" experiences a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife – all the while unaware of the romantic longings of "Senpai", a senior student who has been creating increasingly fantastic and contrived reasons to run into her in an effort to win her heart.

A short documentary film about the making of Masaaki Yuasa's "Kick-Heart."

A diabolical plot to empower pushover dads causes Shin-chan's father to return home as a robot. The Nohara family bond is about to be put to the test!

A love story between two people that each have a secret to hide. One a pro-wrestler, the other a Nun. Losing never felt so good.

A love story between two people that each have a secret to hide. One a pro-wrestler, the other a Nun. Losing never felt so good.

Five children save the life of a dog-like alien while at a self-run summer camp. He attempts to reward them by taking them to an alien colony on the Moon. Events take a turn for the worse when his report on that attack that injured him causes passage from the Moon to the Earth to be banned, and children are stranded in space. The children need to find a way back home before camp ends and their parents discover that they are missing. They also have to avoid the poachers that injured their alien friend, and now seem to be stalking them all.

A child dreams about his mother's pregnancy, creating a crayon-like world of fears, hopes, and joy.

An infant lives in a bright colorful nursery that caters to his every whim, only for it to suddenly break down. He then goes on a surreal journey of growth.

The seven short films making up GENIUS PARTY couldn’t be more diverse, linked only by a high standard of quality and inspiration. Atsuko Fukushima’s intro piece is a fantastic abstraction to soak up with the eyes. Masaaki Yuasa, of MIND GAME and CAT SOUP fame, brings his distinctive and deceptively simple graphic style and dream-state logic to the table with “Happy Machine,” his spin on a child’s earliest year. Shinji Kimura’s spookier “Deathtic 4,” meanwhile, seems to tap into the creepier corners of a child’s imagination and open up a toybox full of dark delights. Hideki Futamura’s “Limit Cycle” conjures up a vision of virtual reality, while Yuji Fukuyama’s "Doorbell" and "Baby Blue" by Shinichiro Watanabe use understated realism for very surreal purposes. And Shoji Kawamori, with “Shanghai Dragon,” takes the tropes and conventions of traditional anime out for very fun joyride.

A science fiction story about a young boy who discovers and befriends a small robot at a shopping arcade. The robot is hungry and he grows in size as he devours a number of machines of increasing size.

The film follows Nishi, a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia, the film follows Nishi as he journeys to heaven and back, and ends up trapped in an even more unlikely place.

The film follows Nishi, a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia, the film follows Nishi as he journeys to heaven and back, and ends up trapped in an even more unlikely place.

Kujiratori tells the story of school children pretending they are building a boat. As imagination replaces reality, they find themselves on the ocean, hunting for a whale. A big, gentle whale appears, accompanies them back to land and plays with them. Then the fantasy ends and the children are back in their class room.

The surreal black comedy follows Nyatta, an anthropomorphic kitten, on his travel to the land of the dead and back in an effort to save his sister's soul.

The surreal black comedy follows Nyatta, an anthropomorphic kitten, on his travel to the land of the dead and back in an effort to save his sister's soul.

A short anime directed by Yuasa Masaaki with Production IG, distributed on VHS as a bonus to a video game magazine subscription. The main character is a Slime from the Dragon Quest video games.

The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.

Have you ever heard of the Vampiyans? One noble family of such vegetarian vampires have been banished from Monster Land for their inability to scare humans. To lift the exile set on the family, Papa, the head of the household, must scare 1000 humans. To this end, he attempts to use his magnificent skills in making new inventions, but always and inevitably fails. To complicate things further, Papa's daughter Suh falls in love with a young human boy and no longer wants to return to Monster Land. Will Papa ever get his family back home?

Have you ever heard of the Vampiyans? One noble family of such vegetarian vampires have been banished from Monster Land for their inability to scare humans. To lift the exile set on the family, Papa, the head of the household, must scare 1000 humans. To this end, he attempts to use his magnificent skills in making new inventions, but always and inevitably fails. To complicate things further, Papa's daughter Suh falls in love with a young human boy and no longer wants to return to Monster Land. Will Papa ever get his family back home?

It all begins when a secret agent hiding in the ship where dinner Futaba school students. The Pig Hoof follow and take the boat with her, Shin Chan and his friends on board. From there, Shin Chan, Masao, Nene, Kazama and Boo Chan van with Agent everywhere as their hostages.

The film is set in the distant future in a city called Cahmpon. A scientist creates a synthetic life-form called Noiseman, which erases music from the airwaves by turning it into crystals. A group of Biker street kids rebels against this tyranny.

The film is set in the distant future in a city called Cahmpon. A scientist creates a synthetic life-form called Noiseman, which erases music from the airwaves by turning it into crystals. A group of Biker street kids rebels against this tyranny.

The film is set in the distant future in a city called Cahmpon. A scientist creates a synthetic life-form called Noiseman, which erases music from the airwaves by turning it into crystals. A group of Biker street kids rebels against this tyranny.

The Noharas get caught between two rival clans when Himawari swallows a pretty bead that turns out to be a mysterious ball with hidden powers.

The Futaba Kindergarten kids are so excited for their trip to the Henderland amusement park, but Shin-chan soon learns there are evil forces at play!

The Futaba Kindergarten kids are so excited for their trip to the Henderland amusement park, but Shin-chan soon learns there are evil forces at play!

A time traveler claims that bad guys are trying to change the past! Shin-chan is on the case, going back in time to defeat the evil Lord Unkokusai.

Everyone's favorite TV superhero Action Mask shows up in Kasukabe, and he's trying to get something from Shin-chan -- but what could it be?

Everyone's favorite TV superhero Action Mask shows up in Kasukabe, and he's trying to get something from Shin-chan -- but what could it be?

Momoko's teacher asks the third grade to draw a picture based on their favorite song, to enter in a contest. She picks a song she's recently become fond of during music class, and is anxious to make a good drawing based on it. On her way to meet relatives in Shizuoka, Momoko meets Shoko Kimura, a university student who occasionally draws portraits and plans to participate in an art contest. Momoko and Shoko become close friends, and end up inspiring each other both in their own ways.

A mysterious pink fog takes Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Suneo, and Gian to a planet populated by animals. Legend says that the ancestors of this population used to live on the moon, but were transported out of there to escape from the voracious creatures that lived there too. Nobita and his friends curiously explore this distinct planet until they discover the secret behind the strange fog. Nobita went to a world of animals through the "Wherever Gas", the substance to let you travel anywhere, same as the "Wherever Door" Doraemon uses. They came across with Chippo, a boy who looks like a dog and very adventurous. A group called Numiges plans on taking over the animal planet. Doraemon and friends plan to stop them with the animal's help.