It’s best to choose one’s opponents wisely – that’s a lesson that Kunstlijk, the anatomy model of the elite St. Claire Elementary School that comes to life after midnight, has yet to learn. Instead he foolishly decides to take revenge on three teeny-tiny girls that dared to beautify him with scribbles, flowers and lipstick during daylight hours.

Mako, an unstoppable blabbermouth, is constantly thrilled; Mi, a little lady of luxuries, constantly bored; and Mu, an intimidatingly silent science geek, constantly intrigued. Together they make a fearless, unbeatable as well as simply hilarious trio that Kunstlijk and the other fanciful creatures – Goth, the resident school skeleton, three pistol-wielding rabbits in formaldehyde, merman-wannabe Pinia, and more – just cannot keep up with.

Colourful, rambunctious and wild, After School Midnighters is a spectacle for kids, but serves up plenty of jokes for the adults too, including some strategically placed drawings and rather neat, multilingual wordplay with character names. Its plotline may be fairly straightforward, but is self-assured and delightful in its details. Indeed, the film’s producers, confident that they've got a hit on their hands, have submitted After School Midnighters for the Best Animated Feature Film Academy Award. Hollywood has never quite shown Japanese animation the full appreciation it deserves but we might as well keep our fingers crossed, and meanwhile join the fun ride through school in the nocturnal afterhours.

MP

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