Kazuo Yamazaki
Lamù: The Forever

As already discussed in the review of the anime "Urusei Yatsura" from Rumiko Takahashi's first work, six feature films for the cinema were made. From the debut of "Only You" in 1983, which is more faithful to the spirit of the original, very ironic and sharp work, passing through the controversial "Beatiful Dreamer" of 1984, regarded by many as a masterpiece. But "Lamù: The Forever" released just three weeks after the conclusion in Japan of the much-loved TV series in 1986, leaves one bewildered.

A true look is cast toward the mythical district of Tomobiki among the lives of Ataru, Mendo, Megane, Kibi, Sakura, and all the other characters who populated Lamù's existence since her arrival on Earth. What leaves one amazed is the choice of a plot that completely diverges from the group's ironic adventures, or rather focuses more on some elements that in the anime were treated in a more subtle way in beautiful episode sidelines. The plot takes its cue from a typical Lamù situation; Megane and Mendo want to make a film about a cherry tree that has been in the rich young man's family history for three centuries. But once the filming begins, something starts to unsettle Lamù who gradually loses her powers and disappears while the Tomobiki district begins to transform and the lives of the young people are completely upset by events bordering on the absurd.

The film was received very critically, the audience was bewildered by a plot on the verge of comprehension and it was quickly classified as a director Yamazaky's stylistic exercise. In truth, "Lamù: The Forever" is a little gem that draws on the philosophy of nature and ecological consciousness the very thematic bases that slipped away from most. Lamù is perceived by the Tomobiki ecosystem as an ectopic creature, without a past connected to it, an uncertain present, and future. Just as it happens in nature, when an alien species is introduced into an ecosystem with its delicate millennia-old balances, Lamù has altered the balance of Tomobiki and it seeks to expel her. But the girl already lives in the memories and dreams of her friends, and the latter, in the end, will materialize and try to fight to bring her home. 

A very interesting, complex film but remarkably relevant even in 1986. It deals with ecology and its subtle and fragile balances with a new and engaging language, perhaps easier for a biologist or a philosopher to understand, but it's an evocative work that conveys universal and natural themes with splendid artistry in the drawings and the soundtrack.