Okay, so this was put on my radar by a Youtube video essay comparing it to Miyazaki's NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, which happens to be one of my top five favorite movies ever. Naturally, I was going to have to see this, ripoff or not.
As it turns out, ELFIE OF THE BLUE SEA is clearly inspired by both NAUSICAA and Miyazaki's 70s TV series FUTURE BOY CONAN in terms of aesthetics and plot. Like Nausicaa, Elife has a special connection to nature and a pacifistic disposition. She has an animal friend and a glider (of sorts-- is it a glider if it's underwater?). She comes in between warring factions in a post-apocalyptic world and pleads for people to respect nature.
ELFIE's major departure from NAUSICAA is in how it ends. NAUSICAA has an infamous deus ex machina happy ending in which Nausicaa's sacrifice is mitigated through magic insect powers. ELFIE doesn't give its heroine that easy way out: Elfie is shot trying to prevent war betweem the earth-dwellers and merpeople, and she does not come back. The war is stopped, but Elfie will not live to see the peace. That is dark for a kid's movie. Try to even dream of Disney doing that!
Does this make ELFIE a lost anime masterpiece? Well, no. Running at 70 minutes, it never has time to breathe. Much of the screentime is bogged down with exposition fleshing out a world we barely get to know and certain elements like Elfie's angst at not being human, her adopted brother's romantic feelings for her, or even the nature of the merpeople's world are barely developed. I enjoyed the movie but wanted more. Two hours would have served the story better. As it is, it's an entertaining curiosity, but darker ending aside, it's no NAUSICAA.
As it turns out, ELFIE OF THE BLUE SEA is clearly inspired by both NAUSICAA and Miyazaki's 70s TV series FUTURE BOY CONAN in terms of aesthetics and plot. Like Nausicaa, Elife has a special connection to nature and a pacifistic disposition. She has an animal friend and a glider (of sorts-- is it a glider if it's underwater?). She comes in between warring factions in a post-apocalyptic world and pleads for people to respect nature.
ELFIE's major departure from NAUSICAA is in how it ends. NAUSICAA has an infamous deus ex machina happy ending in which Nausicaa's sacrifice is mitigated through magic insect powers. ELFIE doesn't give its heroine that easy way out: Elfie is shot trying to prevent war betweem the earth-dwellers and merpeople, and she does not come back. The war is stopped, but Elfie will not live to see the peace. That is dark for a kid's movie. Try to even dream of Disney doing that!
Does this make ELFIE a lost anime masterpiece? Well, no. Running at 70 minutes, it never has time to breathe. Much of the screentime is bogged down with exposition fleshing out a world we barely get to know and certain elements like Elfie's angst at not being human, her adopted brother's romantic feelings for her, or even the nature of the merpeople's world are barely developed. I enjoyed the movie but wanted more. Two hours would have served the story better. As it is, it's an entertaining curiosity, but darker ending aside, it's no NAUSICAA.
