'Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!' Is a Masaaki Yuasa Masterpiece

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! ran earlier this year, during winter 2020, but I didn’t get to watch it.  I knew it was good, but I guess I wasn’t in the headspace to get into it then.  However, I finally got around to watching it recently.  One of the reasons that pushed me to do so was my disappointment with Japan Sinks: 2020, the most recent offering from renowned director Masaaki Yuasa.  I needed a good Yuasa anime to counter that disappointment, and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, which he also directed, was fortunately on hand.

The 12-episode follows a trio of high school girls – Midori Asakusa, Sayaka Kanamori, and Tsubame Mizusaki – who decide to make their own anime.  However, certain obstacles prevent them from doing this as members of their school’s anime club.  Thus, to get around this, they start the school’s “Eizouken” – the motion pictures club.  Technically, the club is supposed to produce live-action films, as it is on that assumption that its inception is permitted.  But this is just a ruse.  Instead of live-action films, the Eizouken sets out to create anime.

An anime lover since she was a kid, Midori has always been interested with making her own anime.  She always keeps a sketchbook on hand so that she can immediately draw an idea whenever inspiration strikes her.   She is highly imaginative, and has outstanding attention to detail.  Thus, she has the knack for thinking out high concepts and creative settings, and designing their intricate elements.  Considering her talents, she appropriately serves as the director of their projects.

Sharing Midori’s love for anime is Tsubame Mizusaki.  She has made some name for herself as a young commercial model, and is expected to follow her famous actor parents’ footsteps.  However, her true dream is to become an animator.  She is extremely fascinated with motion, studying it extensively.  And thus, she has become tremendously skilled in drawing character movement.

Rounding up the trio is Sayaka Kanamori.  Unlike Midori and Tsubame, she’s not a fan of anime at all, nor does she have artistic gifts.  Ever fond of making money, she has only become as invested as Midori and Tsubame into making their own anime because she thinks they can profit from it.  She is perfect for the role of producer since, not only is she concerned with the economic side of things, but also because she’s pragmatic, has proficiency in administration and planning, and is quite talented in cutting deals and negotiation.

Among the three, Sayaka is easily my favorite.  Producers are often labelled as sleazy, greedy suits who stunt the creative process and who are only concerned with making money.  Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, on the other hand, portrays this particular role in a more positive light.  Through Sayaka, we see how a producer works to ensure that the project is grounded and running smoothly.  Artists, probably as a by-product of their overflowing creativity, tend to let their imaginations go wild and let their excitement get the better of them, that without careful thought, they proceed to set lofty, ambitious goals that the production can’t realistically achieve within its timeframe, budget, and capability, or they go radically off tangent of the original vision.  The producer is the one who reins them in and brings them back to reality, and who sees to it that the production is on the right path and on pace toward the finish line.  Yes, the producer may typically prioritize profit and practicality over artistic expression, but this same mindset is what allows him or her to be a true voice of reason for the project.  There’s an argument to be made that if artists are left on their own – or, at least, if the artist mentality is the sole factor at play – things won’t get done.  The oversight of a producer is integral for the efficient progress and eventual completion of the production.

Now, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is not just about showcasing the producer’s role.  It actually explores all the major aspects involved in the anime production process in general, but simplified, of course, to the context of a high school club.  Sure, some stretching is still necessary, but overall, the characters’ experiences and achievements are within the range of believability.  Regardless, the issues and steps relevant to the production process are depicted in some form, and thus, this show has some validity as a legit, engrossing “behind the scenes” look on the industry.

Moreover, this anime is not just a show about animation.  It’s a show about the creative process – the appeal, joy, and rewards of creating art, especially when it involves collaborating with friends.  Thus, even if you do not care about animation per se, you will still relate to and be charmed of what the characters are doing.

It’s also simply a magnificent anime production.  The animation is luscious, and the music is catchy.  Its artistic value is apparent in every single detail.

The setting in particular, the town on which the characters live, is well-realized and fantastic.  It’s every bit of a character as the main trio.  It oozes with so much personality with its eccentric layout, quaint ambiance, and system of random canals and unlikely structures.  In fact, its quirks are usually what trigger Midori’s creative juices to flow.  The town seems to be so much fun to live in.

The technical aspects of this anime are also in full blast whenever the trio imagines their creations coming to life.  This is a regular occurrence in almost every episode, adding another layer of aesthetics and enjoyment.

For what it is, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is pretty immaculate.  I couldn’t find a valid weak point.  Here’s the thing: as a Masaaki Yuasa anime, it’s not only deserving to be put up there with Devilman Crybaby, Night Is Short, Walk on Girl, and Ride Your Wave, but I genuinely think that it’s a masterpiece.  Really.

Not bad for what I initially meant as a consolation over Japan Sinks: 2020.