Review of 'Labyrinth': Macross Creator's Social Media Focus

When I was a lad, American cartoons were … let’s be generous and say “crappy.” There were always exceptions, of course, but if you sat down in front of the TV on Saturday morning you’d have to sift through a lot of “Snorks” and “Get Along Gangs” and “Turbo Teens” before anything halfway decent came on. By the time “Jem and the Holograms” finally began your standards were so low that a TV series about tricking your boyfriend into cheating on you with your own hologram alter ego was like heroin and Shakespeare, all rolled into one.

So when “Robotech” debuted it felt revolutionary. It was like eating flavorless food for years until someone finally invented seasoning. “Robotech” was the Americanized version of “Macross,” created by Shōji Kawamori, who also created the Diaclone toyline (which we know as “Transformers”). It was a completely serialized anime series about an intergalactic war where the heroes died, tragically and permanently, and pop music was celebrated as a life-altering art form, capable of converting warlike aliens into feeling creatures capable of redemption. All that and the animation kicked ass. There was nothing like it on American television. Even the shows that were kinda like it were nothing like it.

“Robotech” took a lot of liberties with Shōji Kawamori’s creation but it was his work that shined through, and now — over 40 years later — he’s finally releasing his first feature film (unless you count some of the “Macross” specials, which you probably should). As exciting as that is, it’s important to remember not everything a great artist produces can be a game changer. And it’s especially important to remember that right now, since his new movie “Labyrinth” is a mixed bag.

“Labyrinth” is a sci-fi story about an insecure teenage girl, Shiori Maezawa (Suzuka), who wants to be a social media influencer. When Shiori makes a dance video with her popular friend Kirara (Aoi Itō), she falls down a staircase and Kirara posts it anyway, leaving Shiori exposed to waves of public ridicule. The mental strain becomes so unbearable that her phone cracks, seemingly by itself, and Shiori gets trapped inside her own device: an empty, depressing dimension populated almost entirely by soulless stickers.

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