MAKE A GIRL had its world premiere at the Global Stage Hollywood 2024 Film Festival on November 3rd! The new and upcoming animated film is directed by Gensho Yasuda, an independent artist and rising star in the world of Japanese animation. The film began as a crowdfunding campaign where it met its goal of 10 million yen to bring this film to life. The film is set to premiere in Japan on January 2025. I had the opportunity to watch MAKE A GIRL , ahead of its Japanese premiere, a rarity in anime.
Prior to watching this movie, I only knew a few bits and pieces about it and had never heard of Gensho Yasuda. The first time I heard about him and his work, was through my colleague’s interview from this year’s Anime Expo. I approached the movie with no expectations, just hoping it would be enjoyable. I must say, the movie was unexpectedly amazing!
Amazing CGI Animation
What truly surprised me about MAKE A GIRL was its CGI animation. For me, CGI-animated movies can be hit or miss, but this one was absolutely stunning. The animation was crisp, clean, and packed with detail. From the subtle character movements to the dynamic action scenes, every moment felt alive and engaging. It’s clear that an incredible amount of time and effort went into bringing this film to life. It’s been a while since I’ve seen CGI animation this impressive, and MAKE A GIRL has definitely earned a spot on my list of outstanding examples of the craft.
A Story of “Love” and “Life” With A Twist?
MAKE A GIRL is both intriguing and enjoyable. In the aforementioned interview, director Gensho Yasuda shared that the plot was inspired by the phrase “make a girlfriend” and its various interpretations. While I’m not sure if this was his original intent, I saw the plot from a different perspective. To me, the film explores the many meanings of love and what it truly means to be alive. This theme is beautifully conveyed through the interactions between Akira, the main character, and Zero, the girlfriend he creates. Their unique relationship brings depth and emotion to the story.
The movie is full of unexpected twists, especially when it comes to Akira’s backstory and the ending. The final twist ties beautifully back to the film’s opening, creating a seamless connection. Without giving too much away, there’s a key moment where characters, Zero and Akira share an emotional conversation about their relationship. I highly recommend watching this film—it truly resonated with me and brought my interpretation to life.
Overall Thoughts
MAKE A GIRL is an impressive film with breathtaking CGI animation and a captivating story. Coming in with no expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by how well-thought-out the plot and characters were. The animation truly stood out—it was clean, smooth, and an absolute visual delight. As someone who doesn’t watch much CGI animation, it’s been a while since I’ve seen work this polished, making MAKE A GIRL a must-watch for anime fans.
The film set to release on January 31st of the incoming year, I highly recommend watching this movie when it gets its international debut.
This marks the first full-length theatrical project by animator Gensho Yasuda, who has amassed over 6 million followers across YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms. Known for his 3D short animations, music videos, and corporate promos, Yasuda’s work has been praised both in Japan and abroad. MAKE A GIRL is a completely original story, brought to life with 100% 3DCG and described as “300% Gensho Yasuda purity.” Its success is already evident—the crowdfunding campaign exceeded its goal by 230%, showcasing Yasuda’s incredible popularity and the high anticipation for this film.
KADOKAWA describes the film as follows,
The story takes place in the near future: Akira Mizutamari, a scientific genius who succeeded in developing and commercializing SALT, a robot that supports people’s lives, finds himself stuck in a rut when all of his new inventions fail. After hearing from a friend that he can “power up” by creating a girlfriend, he does literally that and scientifically creates an “artificial” girlfriend named “No. Zero”. Torn between her programmed emotions and her growing feelings, No. Zero starts to waver. Is it “love” that buds between her and Akira, who is unaccustomed to communicating with others, or perhaps something else?
The fascinating characters for this story are played by Atsumi Tanezaki (No. Zero), who has shown her ability to transform from one character to another in roles such as Anya in “SPY x FAMILY” and Frieren in “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End”, and Shun Horie (Akira Mizutamari), who has been selected for leading roles in various popular works, including Kyoutarou Ichikawa in “The Dangers in My Heart”. Gensho Yasuda’s unpredictable super-new cyber love suspense animation is now coming to the world ──!
Read our interview with Make A Girl director, Gensho Yasuda during Anime Expo 2024 here. For more updates and information visit the film’s official website (Japanese).
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