“Adam by Eve” isn’t technically a documentary, but it could be. With a general lack of documentaries on the state of J-pop available to non-Japanese speakers, this 59-minute film succeeds in catching up viewers on what is going on with the current artistic state of the genre.
Currently streaming on Netflix and billed as a “live in animation,” “Adam by Eve” combines real-world footage with animated sequences overseen by Studio Khara. There is a plot — a high school girl searches for her best friend as the world around her warps into something more fantastical — but the film is more about submerging viewers in a surreal experience through music and imagery, a sort of anime version of The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.”
It’s a fitting vibe for a work centered on Japanese musician Eve, who makes sporadic appearances throughout the film and whose songs provide its soundtrack. Eve’s animated music videos have proven to be as effective as his uptempo rock in establishing him one of the country’s emerging stars. He has also been gaining some attention with overseas fans after providing the theme song to anime series “Jujutsu Kaisen” last year.
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